Kootenay Ice

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Kootenay Ice
CityCranbrook, British Columbia
LeagueWestern Hockey League
Founded1996
Home arenaWestern Financial Place
ColoursLight blue, black, orange, white
       
Websitewww.kootenayice.net
Franchise history
1996–1998Edmonton Ice
1998–2019Kootenay Ice
2019–2023Winnipeg Ice
2023–presentWenatchee Wild
Championships
Playoff championshipsMemorial Cup: 2002
WHL Champions: 2000, 2002, 2011
Conference Championships 2002, 2011

The Kootenay Ice (officially stylized as ICE) were a major junior ice hockey team based in Cranbrook, British Columbia, and competed in the Western Hockey League (WHL). The team played its home games at Western Financial Place. The franchise was owned by the Chynoweth family from 1995 until it was sold to Winnipeg-based company 50 Below Sports and Entertainment in 2017. The Ice moved to Winnipeg in 2019 where they played four seasons as the Winnipeg Ice. In 2023, the team was sold and relocated to Wenatchee, Washington, where they will be known as the Wenatchee Wild.

History[edit]

The franchise began play in 1996 as the Edmonton Ice founded by Ed Chynoweth after he left his position as the Western Hockey League's president.[1][2] He moved the Ice to Cranbrook in 1998. The move of the Ice to Cranbrook resulted in the folding of the local Junior A powerhouse Cranbrook Colts and possibly the entire troubled Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League that the Colts were the top team in. All of the remaining five RMJHL franchises from the Kootenays dropped to the Junior B Kootenay International Junior Hockey League within years of the Ice coming to the region.[citation needed]

The Kootenay Ice were three-time WHL champions (2000, 2002, 2011). They won the Memorial Cup in 2002, and also participated in 2000 and 2011.[3]

In 2017, the Chynoweth family sold the team to 50 Below Sports + Entertainment Inc. The company's owners, Greg Fettes and Matt Cockell, were installed as the team's governor and president/general manager, respectively. A new logo was unveiled on May 1, 2017.[4]

On January 29, 2019, the Kootenay Ice announced the team would relocate to Winnipeg at the end of the 2018–19 season. The move saw the Ice and Swift Current Broncos switch places within the East and Central divisions.[5][6] The Winnipeg Ice began play in the 2019–20 season.[7] In June 2023, the team was relocated to Wenatchee, Washington, where they will be known as the Wenatchee Wild.[8]

WHL championships[edit]

Season-by-season record[edit]

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Season GP W L T OTL GF GA Points Finish Playoffs
1998–99 72 30 35 7 245 276 67 4th Central Lost Eastern Conference quarter-final
1999–00 72 44 14 11 3 275 200 102 2nd Central Won Championship
Lost Memorial Cup
2000–01 72 45 17 4 6 286 213 100 2nd Central Lost Eastern Conference semi-final
2001–02 72 38 27 7 0 276 223 83 2nd B.C. Won Championship
Won Memorial Cup
2002–03 72 36 25 6 5 234 202 83 3rd B.C. Lost Western Conference semi-final
2003–04 72 32 30 7 3 183 200 74 4th B.C. Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2004–05 72 47 15 7 3 218 137 104 1st B.C. Lost Western Conference final
Season GP W L OTL SOL GF GA Points Finish Playoffs
2005–06 72 45 23 1 3 233 177 94 3rd B.C. Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2006–07 72 49 17 3 3 267 189 104 2nd Central Lost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2007–08 72 42 22 5 3 229 214 92 4th Central Lost Eastern Conference semi-final
2008–09 72 35 29 2 6 220 224 78 3rd Central Lost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2009–10 72 43 24 3 2 252 215 91 2nd Central Lost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2010–11 72 46 21 1 4 272 218 97 3rd Central Won Championship
Lost Memorial Cup semifinal
2011–12 72 36 26 6 4 222 201 82 4th Central Lost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2012–13 72 35 35 2 0 203 221 72 5th Central Lost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2013–14 72 39 28 2 3 235 209 83 4th Central Lost Eastern Conference semi-final
2014–15 72 37 31 1 3 245 248 78 4th Central Lost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2015–16 72 12 53 6 1 155 319 31 6th Central Did not qualify
2016–17 72 14 46 10 2 177 335 40 6th Central Did not qualify
2017–18 72 27 38 5 2 215 275 61 4th Central Did not qualify
2018–19 68 13 45 7 3 181 324 36 6th Central Did not qualify

NHL alumni[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "CHL mourns passing of Ed Chynoweth". Soo Today. April 22, 2008. Retrieved April 24, 2008.
  2. ^ "Ed Chynoweth Cup". Western Hockey League. Archived from the original on April 18, 2008. Retrieved April 24, 2008.
  3. ^ "WHL's Kootenay ICE moving from Cranbrook to Winnipeg | CityNews Calgary". calgary.citynews.ca. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  4. ^ "Kootenay ICE unveil fresh look – WHL Network". whl.ca. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
  5. ^ "WHL's Kootenay Ice Relocating to Winnipeg for 2019–20 Season". ChrisD.ca. January 29, 2019.
  6. ^ "WHL's Kootenay Ice to relocate to Winnipeg for 2019–20 season". Toronto Star. January 29, 2019.
  7. ^ "Winnipeg Ice Press Release". January 29, 2019. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
  8. ^ "Western Hockey League's Winnipeg Ice franchise moving to Wenatchee, Wash". Sportsnet. June 16, 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2023.

External links[edit]