The Winnipeg ICE are no more.

On Friday morning it was reported by TSN's Darren Dreger that the team has been sold to David White, the owner of the BCHL's Wenatchee Wild. 

That report was quickly confirmed through approval from the WHL Board of Governors. The team will operate under the California-based Shoot the Puck Foundation. 

This move ends years of speculation that Winnipeg would be unable to sustain a Western Hockey League team out of the Wayne Fleming Arena at the University of Manitoba campus.

Formerly the Edmonton Ice (1996-98) and then Kootenay Ice (1998-2019), 50 Below Sports + Entertainment purchased the club in 2017, before announcing its move from Cranbrook, BC, to Winnipeg in January of 2019. 

They began play in Manitoba during the 2019-20 season, suiting up for four years out of the 1,600 seat university venue in South Winnipeg. 

A requirement of the move to Winnipeg was for President Matt Cockell and 50 Below Sports + Entertainment to build a new, major-junior sized arena for the team to host it competition out of. With promises made of a new facility in South Landing, fans were excited to have WHL hockey back in Winnipeg. 

Playing out of the East Division, Winnipeg terrorized its opponents, especially in its final two seasons in Manitoba. 

Going a combined 110-20-4-2 over the past two years, while setting a franchise high 57-10-1-0 record this year, the team failed to win a championship in Winnipeg, falling in the semi-final to Edmonton two years back, before dropping the WHL final to Seattle this past season. 

Through four seasons in Manitoba's capital, the ICE leave town with a tremendous 166-49-7-2 record - quite possibly the best WHL record ever for a team on its way out, via relocation. 

Unfortunately, nothing materialized in terms of the promised venue in Winnipeg's westernmost neighbourhood. With rumours of the club's sale, things became official on Friday afternoon. 

"The Western Hockey League would like to thank the Winnipeg ICE fans for their support and the ICE organization for building a highly successful hockey program that we expect will have a great future in Washington State," a statement from the WHL read.

Already home to the NHL's Winnipeg Jets and AHL's Manitoba Moose, Winnipeg was a tough sell for WHL fans. Cheaper tickets and a more family-friendly environment did work wonders for the team. A strong team, meaningful hockey and development of multiple draft-eligible prospects did help get butts in seats at the Wayne Fleming Arena. 

Sold to David White, the ICE may change their moniker to the Wild, as the Wenatchee franchise has long been called. This move likely also ends the BCHL Wenatchee Wild franchise, with the WHL team certainly taking precedent over the BCHL's southernmost club. 

Beginning next season, the WHL will now have 11 teams in both its Eastern and Western Conferences.