Discover stability earlier than the WHL places Winnipeg on Ice
By – Keith Borkowsky
For no matter purpose, the Winnipeg Ice are a cursed franchise.
It’s not due to on-ice operations — the Ice franchise has gained three Western Hockey League championships, a Memorial Cup, and will win each this 12 months. Because the Winnipeg Ice, the franchise reached the Jap Convention closing in 2021-22 — the one post-season performed previously three seasons. On-ice, the Ice have finished all the pieces they will to fill a Western Hockey League area.
They simply don’t have a Western Hockey League area to fill.
And regardless of that being a situation to transferring the franchise to Winnipeg, there doesn’t appear to be one forthcoming in a foreseeable future.
Naturally, that attracts lots of concern, and it ought to. There’s discuss of relocating the franchise once more, which below regular circumstances, can be an inexpensive plan of action.
Nonetheless, with the present Ice administration group having traded WHL bantam draft picks to go all-in on present success, does that not set a future market up for failure? How do you generate curiosity in a lineup the place, with out receiving draft picks again in commerce, expertise can be a lot tougher to seek out and appeal to to the brand new market?
There could also be dialogue about new places for the Ice franchise. There’s another choice the WHL ought to think about.
Contraction.
Stop operations of the Ice on the finish of this season. Maintain a dispersal draft of the remaining Ice belongings, with these being owed draft picks getting the primary crack on the remaining gamers and people having been drafted by the Ice. Begin recent some place else.
The WHL might higher management the way forward for its twenty second franchise by providing it by growth, to a neighborhood with an acceptable area, appropriate possession, and — one thing the Ice have by no means actually had — stability.
Whereas which will effectively put an finish to the Manitoba rivalry between the hometown Wheat Kings and the Ice, it could not. Calgary now has an NHL group, AHL group and a WHL group below the identical possession construction. Who’s to say that couldn’t work in Winnipeg below True North Sports activities and Leisure’s banner? There’s an area there, in downtown Winnipeg, and NHL-class observe services on the sting of Winnipeg. The WHL may look favourably to that. Would True North?
Or it could think about British Columbia an possibility. The decrease mainland has plenty of folks, and arenas which might match the invoice. There are markets in the USA which might get a glance as effectively. Whereas it hasn’t been named, Grand Forks, N.D. has hosted junior hockey earlier than in a facility that may put nearly all the current WHL arenas to disgrace. There’s additionally a brand new area being inbuilt Steinbach. Shovels are within the floor, the Junior A group has been very effectively supported, and with 17,000 folks in metropolis limits, and a robust inhabitants, industrial and industrial base within the surrounding space. If Swift Present could be viable, Steinbach might completely achieve success as a WHL market.
The WHL governors have choices. They need to take a look at all the prospects when making its determination.
