Wenatchee Wild – CanucksBanter

June 16, 2023

WENATCHEE, Wash. – The Wenatchee Wild organization is excited and humbled to announce its approval as the newest member club in the Western Hockey League (WHL), effective with the 2023-24 season. The team’s membership in the WHL replaces that of the Winnipeg Ice, whose membership in the league has been purchased by Wenatchee Wild owners David and Lisa White.

“We are very excited as an organization to join the Western Hockey League,” said David White. “Our vision has always been to operate with the highest level of standards for our players, and we have a responsibility to develop players to the best of our ability and prepare them for the next level. For our players, our community and our organization, this is an incredible opportunity to provide the greatest overall experience in our great sport. The state of Washington is a great hockey state at all levels. We have a home now with an American division that finally provides us with the long-term sustainability we have been searching for.

“We are very grateful to WHL Commissioner Ron Robison and Board of Governors Chairman Bruce Hamilton for welcoming us, and we look forward to being a valuable partner. We are thankful to all those who have come before us and been a part of our journey, what began in California and led ultimately to the BCHL. We are grateful to the BCHL for welcoming us when they did, and for the great leadership under Chris Hebb, Steve Cocker and Graham Fraser – we wish them the best.”

The move to the WHL continues the organization’s storied junior hockey legacy in the Wenatchee Valley, which began in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) in 2008, and continued with the Whites’ purchase of the team in 2013 and the team’s move to the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) in 2015. The Wild sincerely thank the BCHL and its staff, member clubs and team governors for eight successful years of partnership as a BCHL member club.

“The Wenatchee Wild could not be prouder to be the newest franchise in the WHL,” said Wenatchee general manager Bliss Littler. “Being located in the middle of the U.S. Division will make it easy for Wild fans to travel to our new rivals, and for rival fans to make the easy trip to Wenatchee in the middle of Central Washington. We are excited to be competing in the top development league in the world against many future NHL players. The combination of world-class hockey and the education packages the players get make this the best of both worlds. We will continue to work to make the fans in the Wenatchee Valley proud of our team.”

The shift to the WHL will see the Wild placed in the league’s U.S. Division, alongside Washington-based teams in Seattle, Everett, Spokane and the Tri-Cities, and another in Portland, Oregon, instantly creating new rivalries in the division. It also joins a successful legacy for the Wild, which includes a BCHL Fred Page Cup and a Doyle Cup championship in 2018 and eight National Hockey League draft picks as a Junior “A” organization, with the Western Hockey League’s own track record of success. 2,129 WHL players have been chosen in the NHL Draft since 1967, with 333 of those selections coming in the first round. 28 WHL players were chosen last year alone, with seven first-round selections among those.

“The WHL and our member Clubs are delighted to welcome the Wenatchee Wild to the Western Hockey League,” said Robison. “Under the ownership of David & Lisa White and the management of Bliss Littler, the Wenatchee Wild have become recognized as a highly-regarded junior hockey franchise, and we believe they will be a great addition to our WHL U.S. Division. We know hockey fans throughout Central Washington will be very excited to now be able to witness the world’s finest junior hockey league when the puck drops in Wenatchee this fall.”

Details on the 2023-24 WHL schedule will be announced at a later date. More information is available on the Wenatchee Wild team website at http://www.wenatcheewildhockey.com – updated news and information on Wild hockey are always available through the team’s website and on the team’s social media platforms on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Source: wenatcheewildhockey.com

By Eric G. | ncwlife.com

June 16, 2023

The Wenatchee Wild will make the jump into the Western Hockey League this fall. Wild owner David White has purchased the Winnipeg Ice and will move the WHL franchise to Wenatchee.

The move is having a ripple effect throughout the hockey community and Wild general manager Bliss Littler’s phone is ringing off the hook. NCWLIFE sat down with Littler Friday to discuss the move and what it means for hockey fans in the Wenatchee Valley. He says the whole thing occurred rather quickly.

Littler came to Wenatchee in 2012 and coached the franchise until 2020 when health issues forced him to hang up his whistle and concentrate on administration as the general manager. He says the move to the WHL is a milestone achievement.

The Western Hockey League is several steps above where Wenatchee has been in the NAHL and BCHL with players focused on reaching the NHL.

Littler says he and his staff attended a WHL finals game between Winnipeg and Seattle last month. News of the Wild moving to the WHL has resulted in quite a level of excitement in the office and for Wild fans as a whole.

Geographically, moving to the Western Hockey League makes sense. Littler says in the NAHL, Wenatchee was having to fly to Alaska for games and in the BCHL, they were the furthest team south and bused for hours and hours. Littler adds that natural rivalries should develop with teams being so close.

In addition to developing geographic rivalries, Western Hockey League fans will be able to easily travel to support their teams if they’re coming from Everett, Seattle, Spokane or Tri-Cities.

Players in the Western Hockey League, according to Littler, are uber-focused on reaching the NHL. But he says if the dreams of reaching the pros doesn’t turn out, teams take care of the educational needs of players.

Littler says they are reaching out to season ticket holders today about options for the upcoming season. The WHL season will add eight additional home games, so fans will have a choice to purchase the additional tickets or opt out.

More information about the move will be available in the coming weeks, including what the move to the Western Hockey League may mean for Wild games being broadcast on NCWLIFE Channel.

Source: ncwlife.com