Kootenay Ice facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kootenay Ice
City	Cranbrook, British Columbia
League	Western Hockey League
Founded	1996
Home arena	Western Financial Place
Colours	Light blue, black, orange, white
Championships	Memorial Cup: 2002 WHL Champions: 2000, 2002, 2011
Website www.kootenayice.net
Franchise history
1996–1998	Edmonton Ice
1998–2019	Kootenay Ice
2019–present	Winnipeg Ice

The Kootenay Ice was a junior ice hockey team. They played in Cranbrook, British Columbia, and were part of the Western Hockey League (WHL). Their home games took place at Western Financial Place. The team was owned by the Chynoweth family from 1995 until 2017. Later, the team moved to Winnipeg in 2019 and is now known as the Winnipeg Ice.

Team History: From Edmonton to Winnipeg

The Kootenay Ice team started playing in 1996. Back then, they were called the Edmonton Ice. Ed Chynoweth, who used to be the president of the Western Hockey League, created the team. In 1998, he decided to move the team from Edmonton to Cranbrook. This move brought exciting major junior hockey to the Kootenay region.

The Kootenay Ice became a very successful team. They won the WHL championship three times. These wins happened in the years 2000, 2002, and 2011. Their biggest win was in 2002 when they won the Memorial Cup. The Memorial Cup is a very important championship for junior hockey teams in Canada. They also played in the Memorial Cup tournaments in 2000 and 2011.

In 2017, the Chynoweth family sold the team. A new company, 50 Below Sports + Entertainment Inc., bought the team. The new owners, Greg Fettes and Matt Cockell, took over running the team. They even showed off a new team logo in May 2017.

On January 29, 2019, the Kootenay Ice announced they would move again. After the 2018–19 season, the team relocated to Winnipeg. This move meant the Ice team and the Swift Current Broncos switched places in their hockey divisions. The team began playing as the Winnipeg Ice in the 2019–20 season.

Winning the WHL Championships

The Kootenay Ice won the Ed Chynoweth Cup (the WHL championship) three times:

• 1999–00: They won the championship by beating Spokane 4–2 in the series.
• 2001–02: They won again, defeating Red Deer 4–2 in the series.
• 2010–11: Their third championship win was against Portland, with a 4–1 series victory.

Players Who Made it to the NHL

Many players from the Kootenay Ice went on to play in the National Hockey League (NHL). Here are some of them:

See also

• List of ice hockey teams in British Columbia