Kootenay Ice


The Kootenay Ice were a major junior ice hockey team based in Cranbrook, British Columbia, and competed in the Western Hockey League. 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 and now play as the Winnipeg Ice.

History

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. 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.
The Kootenay Ice were three-time WHL champions. They won the Memorial Cup in 2002, and also participated in 2000 and 2011.
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.
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. The Winnipeg Ice began play in the 2019-20 season.
On October 8, 2019, Nathan Lieuwen announced the formation of the Cranbrook Bucks to play in the British Columbia Hockey League for the 2020–21 season.

WHL championships

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
SeasonGPWLTOTLGFGAPointsFinishPlayoffs
1998–997230357—245276674th CentralLost Eastern Conference quarter-final
1999–007244141132752001022nd CentralWon Championship
Lost Memorial Cup
2000–01724517462862131002nd CentralLost Eastern Conference semi-final
2001–0272382770276223832nd B.C.Won Championship
Won Memorial Cup
2002–0372362565234202833rd B.C.Lost Western Conference semi-final
2003–0472323073183200744th B.C.Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2004–05724715732181371041st B.C.Lost Western Conference final
SeasonGPWLOTLSOLGFGAPointsFinishPlayoffs
2005–0672452313233177943rd B.C.Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2006–07724917332671891042nd CentralLost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2007–0872422253229214924th CentralLost Eastern Conference semi-final
2008–0972352926220224783rd CentralLost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2009–1072432432252215912nd CentralLost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2010–1172462114272218973rd CentralWon Championship
Lost Memorial Cup semifinal
2011–1272362664222201824th CentralLost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2012–1372353520203221725th CentralLost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2013–1472392823235209834th CentralLost Eastern Conference semi-final
2014–1572373113245248784th CentralLost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2015–1672125361155319316th CentralDid not qualify
2016–17721446102177335406th CentralDid not qualify
2017–1872273852215275614th CentralDid not qualify
2018–1968134573181324366th CentralDid not qualify

NHL alumni