WENATCHEE, Wash. — The Western Hockey League (WHL) announced that the Winnipeg ICE franchise has been sold and will be relocated to Wenatchee, Washington. It will operate under new ownership of David White of the California-based Shoot the Puck Foundation.
The sale and relocation of the franchise received the approval of the WHL Board of Governors and is effective immediately.
Wenatchee has become the sixth U.S. based WHL team and will joining the WHL’s U.S. Division and Western Conference for the 2023-24 season.
The relocation will allow the WHL to balance the western and eastern conferences starting next season.
ICE ownership made multiple attempts to construct an arena facility of WHL standards in Winnipeg but were unsuccessful, leading to the relocation to Wenatchee.