[Rumour] Lethbridge Hurricanes and Kootenay Ice to relocate

[Alberta_Beef]

Not sure if this is the right section, if not please move. Also I hope this is a good enough source.

The source is a minority shareholder in the Lethbridge Hurricanes. According to him the following will be announced once the Kootenay Ice are eliminated from the playoffs:

The Lethbridge Hurricanes have been sold to True North Sports and Entertainment and will be moving to Winnipeg to become the "Winnipeg Moose".

The Kootenay Ice will be moving to Lethbridge, I am unsure if they will be the Hurricanes or another incarnation of the Ice. I am not 100% sure who will be the owner of the team but it will likely a group led by Kris Versteeg. However it was stated with 100% certainty that the current ownership group (community shareholders) will not own the team come next season.

edit: also found a Yahoo article that speaks of this as well, it shows a tweet suggesting TNSE is close to purchasing the Hurricanes, but also speaks of the Ice being bought by TNSE and the Hurricanes purchased by Versteeg.

https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/bu...165510758.html

The Cougars have been the subject of rumours they would be moved to Nanaimo or Winnipeg. But Nanaimo lacks a WHL-sized arena, and now it appears Winnipeg will be the home of the Kootenay Ice next season.
Sources say the new ownership group plans to keep the team based in Prince George for at least the next two seasons. If the Cougars continue to lose money, the team will likely be moved to another city. (Prince George Citizen)

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Rumour: Buyers from Winnipeg close to buying the Leth Hurricanes to be rebranded as Winnipeg Moose. Kootenay then move to Leth. Stay tuned

[Boreal]

Nothing wrong with punting another nepotistic Brodsky from junior hockey. I'm still waiting for the Blades to recover from over two decades of ineptitude. Since the bantam draft was instituted they haven't been able to list elite players from Saskatoon when they're 13.

Plus it looks like Craig Button is going to help hire a new GM.

https://twitter.com/dnbsports/status/448546505943547904

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by nobles_point

Nothing wrong with punting another nepotistic Brodsky from junior hockey. I'm still waiting for the Blades to recover from over two decades of ineptitude. Since the bantam draft was instituted they haven't been able to list elite players from Saskatoon when they're 13.

Plus it looks like Craig Button is going to help hire a new GM.

https://twitter.com/dnbsports/status/448546505943547904

You want ineptitude? Last year Lethbridge had the #6 pick, traded down to #17 and all they got to do so was a 20 year old goaltender (Corbin Boes).

Then they traded their 1st round pick in 2014 (which is the 1st overall pick) for Ryan Pilon who walked out on the team a month into the season.

[stignasty]

I'm sure that hockey fans in Lethbridge will join me in saying good riddance to bad rubbish.

[moon]

They drafted Pilon with a pick they got in the carter Ashton trade. They still have their 2014 pick and it is 2nd overall since Saskatoon (who traded the pick to Brandon) won the lottery.

These rumours have been going around for a couple months now.

I will believe it when I see but something needs to be done to get rid of the incompetent board and their flunkies.

[Table 5]

They should move the Heat to Lethbridge instead.

[moon]

Originally Posted by Table 5

They should move the Heat to Lethbridge instead.

No thanks.

Plus can't see Lethbridge signing a moronic deal like Abbotsford did so the Flames would be on the hook for big losses.

[Flame12]

I grew up in Kimberley, great place to live if you have a decent job. When I lived there they did support hockey so it would be a shame if the ICE left. I used to go to Kimberley Dynamiters and Cranbrook Royals Senior men hockey games.

[Buff]

Kooteny Ice may have been sold to a group that will move the team to Winnipeg. The Ice just aren't getting the fans out to games, even with a prospect like Sam Reinhart. They had an announced attendance of around 1900 the other night for a playoff game. Less than that the Lethbridge Hurricanes would draw for a regular season game and nobody in Lethbridge is happy with how the team is being run and lots are boycotting until the team gets private ownership.

The current owners of Kooteny Ice will then take over ownership of the Lethbridge Hurricanes. The team will stay in Lethbridge. The Hurricanes are currently bleeding money love crazy. The board run team lacks structure and proper leadership.

[Derek Sutton]

Originally Posted by Alberta_Beef

Not sure if this is the right section, if not please move. Also I hope this is a good enough source.

The source is a minority shareholder in the Lethbridge Hurricanes. According to him the following will be announced once the Kootenay Ice are eliminated from the playoffs:

The Lethbridge Hurricanes have been sold to True North Sports and Entertainment and will be moving to Winnipeg to become the "Winnipeg Moose".

The Kootenay Ice will be moving to Lethbridge, I am unsure if they will be the Hurricanes or another incarnation of the Ice. I am not 100% sure who will be the owner of the team but it will likely a group led by Kris Versteeg. However it was stated with 100% certainty that the current ownership group (community shareholders) will not own the team come next season.

edit: also found a Yahoo article that speaks of this as well, it shows a tweet suggesting TNSE is close to purchasing the Hurricanes, but also speaks of the Ice being bought by TNSE and the Hurricanes purchased by Versteeg.

https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/bu...165510758.html

There are 100's, of minority shareholders so your source does not have any more inside info then the rest of us. Anyone with $100 can become a shareholder. This rumour has been floating around for months however and one local Lethbridge media guy gave the date of May 1 for an anouncement, which is right before the draft.

You are way off on the details of the Ryan Pilon trade and the Hurricanes have 6 picks in the first three rounds this year although it is projected to be a weak drfat year. And the GM is awful so who knows how they will eff this up. And the Coach is awful so getting any highly raked players to commit could be a problem.

[Burner]

Originally Posted by Alberta_Beef

Not sure if this is the right section, if not please move. Also I hope this is a good enough source.

The source is a minority shareholder in the Lethbridge Hurricanes. According to him the following will be announced once the Kootenay Ice are eliminated from the playoffs:

The Lethbridge Hurricanes have been sold to True North Sports and Entertainment and will be moving to Winnipeg to become the "Winnipeg Moose".

The Kootenay Ice will be moving to Lethbridge, I am unsure if they will be the Hurricanes or another incarnation of the Ice. I am not 100% sure who will be the owner of the team but it will likely a group led by Kris Versteeg. However it was stated with 100% certainty that the current ownership group (community shareholders) will not own the team come next season.

edit: also found a Yahoo article that speaks of this as well, it shows a tweet suggesting TNSE is close to purchasing the Hurricanes, but also speaks of the Ice being bought by TNSE and the Hurricanes purchased by Versteeg.

https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/bu...165510758.html

Wow thats interesting seeing as there are also rumours about the AHL Ice Caps also playing in Winnipeg for the next couple of years before the arena in Thunder Bay is complete

[Derek Sutton]

Attendence has been bad in Cranbrook, awful in Lethbridge and worse in PG. One of those teams (Cranny) is good year in and year out but there is not the population there to fill the building, 1900 or so in there last two home playoff games. PG has went south hard over the years mostly due to bad ownership. The new group has Hamhuis and Brewer involved so hoping some alumni can spur fan interest again.

Lethbridge being community owned, is a whole diiferent situation. Some are hoping that the league will step in and force the sale of the team. Selling and moving to WPG does make sense as the league needs to build on there MAN base. The reason is that if something happened to Brandon and they moved, the OHL would be into MAN instantly and gain the territory rights for MAN.

So the rumor of Leth to WPG and Koot to Leth all does make sense but we will have to see A) if and B) when.

[PeteMoss]

I doubt the OHL would go into MB. They are an all bus league now and have never moved into a Thunder Bay which would have out drawn many of the teams they currently have. They also haven't moved into Ohio or anywhere besides near border cities.

[Northendzone]

I t is hard to imagine a scenario whereby the OHL would move into Manitoba. Seems to me that the driving distance is too long.

That show on the London
Knights that runs on The Score said that the knights only spend 6 nights away from home all year.

The drive from the western ohl teams to man would be awful.

My question is why not move the ice to wig and then blow up the hurricanes organization, rather than move two teams?

[Jets4Life]

I'm not sure Winnipeg can support a NHL and WHL club. I read that despite the Edmonton Oil Kings performance, crowds haven't been that great. Edmonton is more populated, and has more disposable income than Winnipeg. TNSE has their work cut out for them.

[Derek Sutton]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

I t is hard to imagine a scenario whereby the OHL would move into Manitoba. Seems to me that the driving distance is too long.

That show on the London
Knights that runs on The Score said that the knights only spend 6 nights away from home all year.

The drive from the western ohl teams to man would be awful.

My question is why not move the ice to wig and then blow up the hurricanes organization, rather than move two teams?

It sounds like the Chynowths who own Koot, do not want to sell and the True North wants to own the team in Wpg (buy the Hurricanes). If that is all true then two teams moving is the scenario people have come up with.

[moon]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

My question is why not move the ice to wig and then blow up the hurricanes organization, rather than move two teams?

Ice owners want to still own a team so they would just move to Lethbridge.

Easier to sell the community owned Hurricanes to the new party rather than make two sales especially when one group is already in place.

Probably some desire to keep the kids/team you built since I think Jeff Chynoweth is the GM as well as owner.

[Derek Sutton]

Originally Posted by Jets4Life

I'm not sure Winnipeg can support a NHL and WHL club. I read that despite the Edmonton Oil Kings performance, crowds haven't been that great. Edmonton is more populated, and has more disposable income than Winnipeg. TNSE has their work cut out for them.

Edmonton showing third in the league in attendance, but I agree, I don't know that Wpg could support both, though I have no idea what the break even attendence number would be in that city, or any city for that matter


http://www.hockeyattendance.com/leag.../?sort=avg_att

[Trailer Fire]

I remember going to Ice games during hockey tournaments in Cranbrook. Watching Blackburn and Stoll and Green, and eventually Dawes, is one of my best memories if minor hockey.

[ToraToraTora]

I live in Lethbridge and there's lots of rumors about this. People would like it just because of the sheer level of ineptitude of the current group. I mean, when you have 4 out of 5 teams make the playoffs, and they've made it once in like 15 years, theres real problems. And im surprised people even go still.

My dream scenario would be move the Hurricanes and move the Heat it. Vancouver pays the Flames so that they get Abby, where there would be a lot more interest in watching thw Canucks farm team, and we get the Heat, which would have a good chance to sell out most games.

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