Wenatchee – The British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) acknowledged on Friday that the ownership group of the Wenatchee Wild has successfully acquired the Winnipeg Ice of the Western Hockey League (WHL) and will be moving the team to Wenatchee for next season.
This will mean the BCHL’s Wild franchise will no longer play in Wenatchee.
The ownership group in Wenatchee believes having a WHL team in their city is the best fit geographically, providing an excellent opportunity to compete in a US division. This strategic move has been deemed in the best long-term interest of their market.
“The Wenatchee Wild has been a strong BCHL franchise and we extend our best wishes for their continued success in the future,” said Graham Fraser, Chairman of the BCHL Board of Governors. “As a league, we are assessing our next steps, including reviewing the best options for players currently on the Wenatchee Wild’s roster and addressing schedule implications for the 2023-24 season.”
There was plenty of speculation where the beleaguered Ice would end up. They were originally based in Cranbrook. The BCHL filled the gap when the WHL team moved to Manitoba. The BCHL Bucks now play in the Kootenays.
The WHL’s Vancouver Giants play out of Langley.
