Lawsuit Hits Top WHL Team: Harsh Penalties May Be Coming

A lawsuit filed by the City of Cranbrook against the Western Hockey League and the former owners of the Kootenay Ice is moving forward, which could cost the team a ton of money.

On June 19 2025, the City of Cranbrook, listed as the plaintiff, filed a notice of intention to proceed with the B.C.Supreme Court Vancouver registry, as in 2020, the city filed its original notice of civil claim, alleging breach of contract after the longtime Kootenay Ice hockey club relocated to Manitoba to play in the city of Winnipeg.

The City of Cranbrook says it is seeking relief for general damages, as well as for lost income from a 15-year licence agreement at Western Financial Place that still had four years of term left before expiry in 2023.

In the notice of claim, the City says it received an average revenue of $178,333 annually from Kootenay Ice, in the form of fees, advertising income, and other revenue between 2013/14 and 2018/19, which it no longer gets.

In a response filed in 2022, the Kootenay Ice denies many of the facts alleged in the City's notice of claim.

Over the course of 21 years playing in Cranbrook, the Kootenay Ice won three WHL championships, including a Memorial Cup championship in 2002.

A number of players went on to have fantastic NHL careers, most notably Jarrett Stoll, Sam Reinhart, and Brayden McNabb, while former coach Kris Knoblauch went on to have success with the Edmonton Oilers.

The Winnipeg Ice played four seasons in Manitoba; however, efforts to build a new arena stalled, and the franchise was once again relocated to Wenatchee, WA, in 2023.