OT: Winnipeg ICE sold - Moving to Wenatchee, Washington renamed Wenatchee Wild

[jetsmooseice]

Former ICE assistant GM Jake Heisinger to the Victoria Royals as associate GM.

Royals continue front-office makeover with hiring of Heisinger as associate GM

Veteran executive comes over from Ice franchise

www.timescolonist.com

No word yet on where GM Matt Cockell will end up, or if he will even find another GM gig. If not, that would be quite a change of direction for the 2021-22 WHL Executive of the Year.

James Patrick is apparently planning to take a year off according to this Free Press article, which mentioned that he didn't find out about the team's move until the league announced it. Oof.

Jul 2023: Ice coach left out in the cold

James Patrick won more games than any other coach in major-junior hockey over the past two seasons. But the 60-year-old Winnipegger won’t be riding the buses again this fall. He is without a job and n...

www.winnipegfreepress.com

 

[tbcwpg]

Former ICE assistant GM Jake Heisinger to the Victoria Royals as associate GM.

Royals continue front-office makeover with hiring of Heisinger as associate GM

Veteran executive comes over from Ice franchise

www.timescolonist.com

No word yet on where GM Matt Cockell will end up, or if he will even find another GM gig. If not, that would be quite a change of direction for the 2021-22 WHL Executive of the Year.

James Patrick is apparently planning to take a year off according to this Free Press article, which mentioned that he didn't find out about the team's move until the league announced it. Oof.

Jul 2023: Ice coach left out in the cold

James Patrick won more games than any other coach in major-junior hockey over the past two seasons. But the 60-year-old Winnipegger won’t be riding the buses again this fall. He is without a job and n...

www.winnipegfreepress.com

Certainly the actions of wonderful owners.

 

[jetsv2]

Certainly the actions of wonderful owners.

Careful or that one guy will come in here and tell you about how great the ownership was and how amazing 24\7 intouch is as a call center.

 

[jetsmooseice]

Victoria Royals have hired James Patrick as Director of Player Personnel. This comes nearly a month after Jake Heisinger joined the team as Associate GM.

I wonder what Patrick's plan is? He has been a NHL assistant and WHL head coach for a long time, but he's only 60 so not quite old enough to hang 'em up. I figured he'd take the year off and try to line up a pro coaching job for 2024.

 

[Jet]

I had a chance to chat with Matt last month and he was crushed by what happened with the ice. Greg was also pretty disappointed with the result.

 

[nobody imp0rtant]

I had a chance to chat with Matt last month and he was crushed by what happened with the ice. Greg was also pretty disappointed with the result.

Hey, crushed + ice = margarita time. Hic.

 

[jetsmooseice]

I had a chance to chat with Matt last month and he was crushed by what happened with the ice. Greg was also pretty disappointed with the result.

I'm not shocked to hear about Matt Cockell's reaction. In addition to his business credentials, he is a bona fide hockey guy and he really looked like he was putting his heart into it. I don't doubt that they were trying to save the team right to the end. They certainly were not operating like a team that had given up the ghost. They were victims of bad timing and terrible circumstances. Had they moved the team here a year earlier and started construction on the new rink by the time the pandemic started, their future in Winnipeg would have been secured. But alas.

Based on what we have heard publicly, I believe that Cockell and Fettes did what they could to make it work.

I really hope that major junior hockey comes back to town some day. I would personally be thrilled if someone figures out a way to bring the USHL to Winnipeg... and before someone says it can't be done, the USHL has had a Canadian presence before.

 

[jetsmooseice]

The Sun's Paul Friesen interviews James Patrick following his appointment as DPP for the Victoria Royals.

Patrick again conveys how he was blindsided by the franchise's move and he expresses sadness over how the team's amazing accomplishments might be forgotten now that there is no longer a WHL presence in Winnipeg.

Former Ice coach James Patrick surprised, saddened, by WHL franchise failure

Winnipegger James Patrick reflects on his new job and the abrupt departure of the WHL's Winnipeg Ice. Read more.

winnipegsun.com

 

[Guardian17]

Camp opened.

Looks like there's some interest in the team.

The Wenatchee Wild, WHL's newest team, hit the ice for training camp today for the first time

The Western Hockey League's newest team, the Wenatchee Wild, hit the ice today for the first time, as their training camp got underway in Wenatchee.

www.khq.com

 

[Guardian17]

Another vid on the Wild.

Wenatchee Wild Preview: Dennis Patchin and Austin Getz talk everything you need to know about the WHL's newest team

The Western Hockey League's newest team, the Wenatchee Wild, hit the ice for the first time, as their training camp got underway in Wenatchee.

www.khq.com

 

[AussieBomberJet]

Camp opened.

Looks like there's some interest in the team.

The Wenatchee Wild, WHL's newest team, hit the ice for training camp today for the first time

The Western Hockey League's newest team, the Wenatchee Wild, hit the ice today for the first time, as their training camp got underway in Wenatchee.

www.khq.com

Let's see how long this apparent 'interest' lasts for out in the Washington 'desert'

 

[tbcwpg]

Great start for the former Ice

 

[jetsmooseice]

Great start for the former Ice

Doesn't look like the promotion of the Wild to the WHL has set Wenatchee on fire with excitement, both games so far were well short of a sellout. Kind of surprising given that you'd think the team has an established fan base.

And now this. Oof.

 

[Tom ServoMST3K]

What even is the rumor on what he did?

I see some people saying it could be bad, but nothing else.

 

[CorgisPer60]

What even is the rumor on what he did?

I see some people saying it could be bad, but nothing else.

He has a history of being abusive towards his players. I read a story where he made his entire team ride back on the team bus in full kit after a hockey game, to which he enjoyed a suspension for. Given that history, wouldn't be surprised if he's already trying to establish his brand of toxic managerial duties.

 

[Guardian17]

What even is the rumor on what he did?

I see some people saying it could be bad, but nothing else.

So far nothing has been said.

WHL suspends Wenatchee Wild coach Kevin Constantine pending investigation into alleged violations | TSN

The Western Hockey League announced Monday evening that Wenatchee Wild head coach Kevin Constantine has been suspended pending an investigation into alleged violations of WHL regulations and policies.

www.tsn.ca

 

[jetsmooseice]

He has a history of being abusive towards his players. I read a story where he made his entire team ride back on the team bus in full kit after a hockey game, to which he enjoyed a suspension for. Given that history, wouldn't be surprised if he's already trying to establish his brand of toxic managerial duties.

Constantine sounds like a bit like Mike Babcock with his outdated book of strategies better suited to the 1980s than now.

I wonder if the players miss James Patrick yet?

 

[Al Camino]

Doesn't look like the promotion of the Wild to the WHL has set Wenatchee on fire with excitement, both games so far were well short of a sellout. Kind of surprising given that you'd think the team has an established fan base.

And now this. Oof.

To be fair capacity here was 1800. Finding a ticket to game that didn't have Connor Bedard wasn't exactly hard.

 

[jetsmooseice]

To be fair capacity here was 1800. Finding a ticket to game that didn't have Connor Bedard wasn't exactly hard.

The ICE were a team starting from scratch in a city that already had the NHL and AHL. I would have expected more from a smaller town that has already had the Wild for years, and that team is hands down the main attraction.

 

[CorgisPer60]

From the Bill Peters school of motivational speaking.

 

[snowkiddin]

Won’t be long until they’re shipped back here at this point

 

[lanky]

Won’t be long until they’re shipped back here at this point

Ehhhhh.... maybe Cranbrook has a better claim than we do.

 

[jetsmooseice]

It's been a week and a half that Constantine has been under investigation. Is the WHL's crack team of Scotland Yard investigators coming close to wrapping things up yet? Or what?

I notice the Buffalo News is reporting that the Sabres are hesitant to send Zach Benson back to that shitshow, so this situation may be giving Benny's career a boost lol

 

[Jet]

Careful or that one guy will come in here and tell you about how great the ownership was and how amazing 24\7 intouch is as a call center.

Oh you mean the guy who knows the owners personally and worked at Intouch for 9 years?

Yeah, what the f*** would he know?

This place is hilarious, jam packed with experts who dont know shit.

PS if you're going to drag me through the mud at least be a man and @ me.

 

[tbcwpg]

Oh you mean the guy who knows the owners personally and worked at Intouch for 9 years?

Yeah, what the f*** would he know?

This place is hilarious, jam packed with experts who dont know shit.

PS if you're going to drag me through the mud at least be a man and @ me.

Or maybe they're just regular people and have good qualities and bad? No reason to not tell the staff they're moving before they find out about it in the news.