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 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.