The Wenatchee Wild navigate a new landscape after a championship-filled BCHL era
For seven seasons, the Wenatchee Wild were a powerhouse in the BCHL.
However, the conclusion of the 2022–23 campaign marked the end of an era as the club’s ownership group purchased the WHL’s Winnipeg Ice and relocated the franchise to Washington. While the Wild brand moved to the Major Junior ranks, the original BCHL franchise was effectively placed into a dormant state.
Wenatchee wasn’t the first market to see a transition between these two leagues. Before 1971, the Victoria Cougars competed in the Pacific Coast Junior Hockey League and the BCHL before moving to the WHL. Two seasons after the Wild joined the WHL, the Penticton Vees became an expansion franchise in the league. That move left the Vees’ BCHL franchise dormant as well.
This article examines the inaugural season of the WHL’s version of the Wild and the unique circumstances that brought the Ice franchise to Wenatchee in the first place.
The Winnipeg Ice
The Winnipeg Ice operated from 2019 to 2023. Despite significant on-ice success, including a trip to the WHL Championship Series in their final year, the team struggled to secure a suitable long-term arena.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Ice played home games at the 1,600-seat Wayne Fleming Arena on the University of Manitoba campus. Even with several upgrades, the facility remained too small by WHL standards. Ownership made several attempts to construct a new arena, but the COVID-19 pandemic and rising construction costs eventually stalled those projects. Ultimately, the team was sold to David White and relocated to Wenatchee’s Town Toyota Center.
The Ice represented the most recent attempt to establish a permanent WHL presence in Winnipeg. Decades earlier, the Winnipeg Warriors played at the Winnipeg Arena before relocating to Moose Jaw. The league also saw a franchise in Winnipeg from 1967 to 1977 as the Jets, Clubs, and Monarchs before the team relocated to Calgary.
Early controversy
Early into the Wild’s inaugural WHL season, the league suspended head coach Kevin Constantine indefinitely. The club had hired Constantine in July 2023, citing his prior WHL experience with the Everett Silvertips and NHL coaching experience in San Jose, Pittsburgh, and New Jersey. However, a league investigation found that Constantine violated the WHL Standard of Conduct by making “derogatory comments of a discriminatory nature.”
The Wild fired Constantine shortly after the suspension was announced. Roy Sommer was brought in as his replacement, coaching the remainder of the 2023–24 season before departing the team.
The Wild’s current head coach is Don Nachbaur, another veteran of the WHL coaching ranks and a BCHL alumnus. Nachbaur’s extensive resume includes a stint with the Seattle Thunderbirds in the 1990s, as well as separate tenures with the Tri-City Americans and the Spokane Chiefs. He is a three time WHL coach of the year.
Team records and leaders
The relocated franchise finished its inaugural season in Wenatchee with a respectable 34-30-4 record. In the playoffs, they were eliminated in the first round by the Kelowna Rockets.
Japanese-born forward Kenta Isogai led the team in scoring. In 64 games, Isogai notched 31 goals and 57 assists for 88 points. Following closely behind was defenseman Graham Sward, who recorded 15 goals and 66 assists for 81 points in 66 games.
Goaltending duties were split between Daniel Hauser and Brendan Gee. Hauser finished the season with a 17-16-3-2 record, while Gee posted a 17-13-1-0 mark.
Life outside the BCHL
The Wild are currently in their third season in the WHL. Compared to the former BCHL franchise’s third season, the Major Junior version has a high bar to clear.
The Wild’s 2017–18 BCHL season was legendary. They captured the Fred Page Cup and defeated the Spruce Grove Saints to win the Doyle Cup BC-Alberta championship. During the RBC Cup national championship, the Wild reached the semifinals.
Currently, the WHL Wild are in the midst of a rebuild. They finished the 2025-26 season second-to-last in the WHL’s Western Conference. The contrast between the two eras is stark. While the brand is the same, the BCHL Wild were national contenders, while the current WHL squad is fighting to establish its own winning identity.
With the BCHL franchise going dormant, the league lost its only American-based team. The BCHL had not featured a U.S. franchise since the Bellingham Blazers departed in 1985. However, there is a strong sense that the league is looking to return to Washington State sooner rather than later.
The fate of several BCHL Wild players
When the BCHL’s version of the Wild suspended operations, the roster scattered. Several players joined teams in the NAHL, while others remained in the BCHL.
Lucas Marshall, Christian Kim, and Jason Stefanek joined the Trail Smoke Eaters, and Arvega Hovsepyan moved to the Surrey Eagles. Lukas McCloskey joined the Vernon Vipers before eventually returning to Wenatchee in the WHL. Additionally, Parker Murray joined the Penticton Vees while they were still a BCHL franchise.
McCloskey and Brayden Pankey are notable for having played for both versions of the Wild. After appearing in one game for the BCHL Wild, Pankey went on to play 87 games for the WHL version. He has since returned to the BCHL with the Vernon Vipers and remains one of the last former BCHL Wild players still active in junior hockey.
