Kootenay Ice sold, staying in Cranbrook (conditional on Board of Directors approval)

[dsc]

done deal

The WHL Board of Governors voted unanimously today to approve the transfer of the Kootenay ICE ownership from the Chynoweth family to Winnipeg entrepreneur Greg Fettes and hockey executive Matt Cockell.

source link;
http://kootenayice.net/article/whl-...ansfer-of-ownership-of-kootenay-ice-franchise

 

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a new ice age

Kootenay Ice logo/mascot has been updated by the new ownership.
Yea or nay?

http://kootenayice.net/article/fresh-look-for-the-ice

 

[denominator]

Kootenay Ice logo/mascot has been updated by the new ownership.
Yea or nay?

http://kootenayice.net/article/fresh-look-for-the-ice

Meh

I have always like the ICE colour palette, and the new Yeti in those colours looks good. I really don't like the way they stylized "ICE" though - looks tacky now and will be dated really quickly.

 

[Hordichuk_24]

Kootenay Ice logo/mascot has been updated by the new ownership.
Yea or nay?

http://kootenayice.net/article/fresh-look-for-the-ice

It's better than it was...but that doesn't say a whole lot. None of this really matters either way, IMO. This franchise is a sitting duck. And regardless of new ownership they will be playing elsewhere in the near future.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

Love the new logo, gives the team and organisation a fresh new look.

 

[PG Canuck]

Still don't see them lasting long.

 

[dsc]

James Patrick

The Kootenay ICE Hockey Club have signed James Patrick to a three-year contract as the new head coach of the team and 8th in Franchise history.

source,
http://kootenayice.net/article/longtime-nhl-veteran-james-patrick-chooses-ice

 

[McHaNugYakEbNurDra]

Attendance tonight (opening night of the season): 3392 per the WHL website.

It's only one game and a season opener to boot...but it bodes well for the future in my opinion (a future much in doubt if you were to believe many of the naysayers on this thread). Perhaps it was at least partially the former ownership (Chynoweth) fault for declining attendance as I referred to when the team was sold?

There is reason for excitement in the Kootenay's again. (Oh, and we beat the Hitmen tonight too...good way to start the season).

 

[Licentia]

I'm glad to see the good attendance numbers! It's never good when a team has to move to relocate.

However, I'm confused as to why the Kootenay Ice are in the Eastern Conference. This causes an imbalance of teams in the league, 10 in one conference, 12 in another. This makes no logical sense. Can anyone explain why this is?

 

[McHaNugYakEbNurDra]

I'm glad to see the good attendance numbers! It's never good when a team has to move to relocate.

However, I'm confused as to why the Kootenay Ice are in the Eastern Conference. This causes an imbalance of teams in the league, 10 in one conference, 12 in another. This makes no logical sense. Can anyone explain why this is?

I'll attempt to answer this (though I'm not positive of the details, so if anyone wants to correct me, please feel free)....

The Kootenay Ice franchise started out as the Edmonton Ice in 1996 and was part of the Central division. In 1998 they moved to Cranbrook and stayed in the Central division. In 2001 the league added the Vancouver Giants, and realigned the conferences/divisions, putting the Ice in the Western conference (Eastern Conference with 10 teams, Western with 9). By my understanding, the Ice received a commitment from the league that in the future, when they added more teams to the Western Conference that they ice would be allowed to move back to the East (which had closer geographic rivalries and lower travel costs). The Everett Silvertips were added in 2003 and the Chilliwack Bruins in 2005 which allowed the league to realign and put the Ice back in the Eastern Conference for the 2006/2007 season, giving the Eastern Conference 11 teams and the Western Conference 10 teams. The Edmonton Oil Kings were added the following year, and when added to the Eastern Conference resulted in the 12 East / 10 West that we still have today (though since then Chilliwack moved to Victoria).

I would guess the Ice would (if given the option) choose to stay in the Eastern Conference, as travel to Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Calgary & Red Deer are all closer then the closest BC division team (Kelowna).

One side note to this, is that the Ice have banners up showing they were "Eastern Conference Champions" in 1999/2000, "Western Conference Champions" in 2001/2002, and "Eastern Conference Champions" in 2010/2011. I'm guessing that no other team in the future will ever been both Eastern and Western Conference Champions of the WHL.

 

[PCSPounder]

However, I'm confused as to why the Kootenay Ice are in the Eastern Conference. This causes an imbalance of teams in the league, 10 in one conference, 12 in another. This makes no logical sense. Can anyone explain why this is?

Answer: bus league...

...plus...

...Cranbrook to Calgary, 4 hours and change (and Lethbridge is closer). Cranbrook to Kelowna, 6 hours and change (and that's the short trip)...

...plus...

the passes going west and northwest (Vancouver, Interior) are more problematic than the Continental Divide to the east when it comes to weather, road conditions, snow, all those important travel issues.

 

[Guardian17]

Owners of the WHL’s Kootenay Ice are believed to be considering a plan to move their franchise to Winnipeg in time for the start of the 2019-20 season, sources have told the Free Press.

Winnipeg-based majority owner Greg Fettes and minority partner Matt Cockell, who also serves as Ice president and general manager, purchased the team in the summer of 2017 and have operated the Cranbrook, B.C.-based club since that time.

The Kootenay franchise, fifth in the Central Division with a record of 3-4-1-1 heading into Friday’s action, has been struggling to attract fans in recent seasons, and the WHL has been eyeing a return to the Winnipeg marketplace for the first time in more than 30 years, league sources say.

It is believed a new 5,000-seat facility would then be built in conjunction with the Rink Hockey Academy’s new training facility currently under construction at the west end of South Landing, just off McGillivray Boulevard. The facility is scheduled to be ready for use next spring.

Winnipeg could Ice another team

This article is behind a paywall, but, can be seen on twitter.

 

[SNIPE]

A dub team in Winnipeg would draw more fans then the Moose do right now. The Ice would be HUGE here.

 

[Guardian17]

Here's a link for info on the new rink and potential home of the Winnipeg WHL franchise.

The Rink will offer hockey training and education in southwest Winnipeg in a complex nearly the size of two football fields.

It will house three ice rinks — including an NHL-sized rink that can accommodate 700 spectators — as well as an off-ice training centre and retail outlets for clothing, hockey gear, and skate and nutrition-related services.

The facility will also feature a gym, an indoor track, specialized training ice and a goalie-specific rink, along with spaces for research and lectures.

Winnipeg scores new $20M, 3-rink hockey training centre | CBC News

 

[howbowdat]

I was told today by someone yesterday who is fairly high level in the sports representation industry in BC that they are as good as gone in Cranbrook and headed to Winnipeg.

This was before I read this article

 

[Guardian17]

The Kootenay Ice announced on March 28, 2017, that the Chynoweth family had “entered into an agreement to sell the WHL team to Winnipeg entrepreneur Greg Fettes and hockey executive Matt Cockell."

Interestingly, it seems that Fettes, on April 20, 2017, registered the domain name ‘winnipegice.com‘ at godaddy.com. The registration is to expire on April 20, 2019.

More on the Ice and Winnipeg . . . Raiders continue to roll, win 12th game . . . Rockets complete sweep of Royals

 

[Guardian17]

Elliotte Friedman with an obtuse comment in this weeks 31 thoughts.

30. It is not NHL-related, but after being in Winnipeg for a couple of days, it is clear the future of WHL Kootenay and how it relates to Manitoba is a storyline that’s not going away anytime soon.

31 Thoughts: Goalies at odds with NHL, each other over new equipment - Sportsnet.ca​

 

[Guardian17]

If the Ice relocate they may play at the U of M until their new arena is built.

It is said the major-junior franchise would play at Wayne Fleming Arena on the University of Manitoba campus while waiting for a new 5,000-seat facility to be built on the city’s southwestern edge.

U of M likely rest stop for relocated B.C. WHL team

Also some interesting history on Winnipeg's previous WHL franchises.

The WHL has a long history here. The Winnipeg Warriors were tenants at Winnipeg Arena from 1980 to 1984, but had their own attendance problems and moved to Moose Jaw, Sask.

Before that, a WHL franchise that began as the WHL’s Winnipeg Jets from 1967 to 1973 became the Winnipeg Clubs (1973-76) and then the Winnipeg Monarchs (1976-77). That team moved to Calgary to become the Wranglers, now called the Hurricanes, playing in Lethbridge, Alta.
​

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

I think they should build a new arena at that new little development on Bishop Grandin that's right by the auto park. That is, if the team comes to Winnipeg. But the better option would be to put the team in Selkirk or somewhere not too far away from Winnipeg.

 

[PCSPounder]

For anyone who thought Cranbrook had a chance of keeping the Ice...

Committee supporting Ice ceases operations; cites lack of support from ownership . . . Chiefs stun Thunderbirds with comeback

 

[Guardian17]

WHL faithful in Cranbrook, BC fear Kootenay Ice bound for Winnipeg, suspend ticket drive.

WHL faithful in Cranbrook, BC fear Kootenay Ice bound for Winnipeg, suspend ticket drive

 

[howbowdat]

Strange that there was a scheduled press release and nothing ended up coming out