91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ

Skip to content

Warriors may be exiting West Kelowna

Mark Cheyne, the owner of the BCHL team, is negotiating to move the Warriors to North Delta
78775kelownawarriorschamps
The West Kelowna Warriors

The defending Canadian Junior A hockey champions may soon be on their way out of West Kelowna.

Mark Cheyne, the owner of the B.C. Hockey League team, is in the midst of negotiating a move of the Warriors' franchise to North ¶Ù±ð±ô³Ù²¹91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s Sungod Arena.

91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵœW±ð91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™r±ð in negotiations, no doubt, but ³Ù³ó²¹³Ù91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s where we sit until I get something on ±è²¹±è±ð°ù,91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ Cheyne told the Surrey Now.

91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵÀá91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™l±ô be honest and up front with you, the sooner the better, if it was going to happen for me, but ¾±³Ù91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s up in the air right ²Ô´Ç·É,91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ Cheyne added. 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵÀá91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™l±ô know more in the next two weeks ±è°ù´Ç²ú²¹²ú±ô²â.91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ

The relocation bid and potential move of the Warriors is being discussed this week at the ±ô±ð²¹²µ³Ü±ð91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s board of governors meetings.

Since the arrival of the BCHL club 10 years ago in West Kelowna, the Warriors have been a money-losing proposition for team ownership.

Even after , the °Â²¹°ù°ù¾±´Ç°ù²õ91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™ owner said little has changed for the club, both in terms of interest and drawing fans to Royal LePage Place.

91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵÀá³Ù91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s about a chance to break even there (in North Delta) because we just ³¦²¹²Ô91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™t break even here, you k²Ô´Ç·É,91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ Cheyne said.

91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵÀá³Ù91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s just a better move financially. With the (WHL) Rockets here and everything, ¾±³Ù91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s just a case of (people) »å´Ç²Ô91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™t support it here as well as they need to, ³Ù³ó²¹³Ù91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s for sure, even with a national championship, a really good team last ²â±ð²¹°ù,91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ he added.

91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵÀá was told all along, for 10 years, that once we get over that hump, win the division, win something, things will change here drastically, but ³Ù³ó²¹³Ù91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s just not the ³¦²¹²õ±ð.91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ

BCHL commissioner John Grisdale confirmed to the Surrey Now that 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵœt³ó±ð°ù±ð91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s interest for a team to play in North Delta, either a relocation or an expansion ³Ù±ð²¹³¾,91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ starting in the fall of 2017.

Grisdale »å¾±»å²Ô91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™t guarantee a decision would be made this week but said 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵœT³ó±ð league will look where ¾±³Ù91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s at, where its existing franchises are, to see ·É³ó²¹³Ù91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s best for the league. We have 17 franchises, and we have to consider ·É³ó²¹³Ù91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s best for ³Ù³ó±ð³¾.91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ

The Warriors relocated to West Kelowna from Langley for the start of the 2006-07 BCHL season. Cheyne was a co-owner for two seasons, before taking on sole ownership of the BCHL club in the fall of 2009.

91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ”W¾±³Ù³ó files from Surrey ±·´Ç·É91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ”

Warriors host ³Õ±ð°ù²Ô´Ç²Ô91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ¦

The Warriors look to stretch their BCHL home-ice winning streak to eight games Friday when they host the Vernon Vipers.

Face-off at Royal LePage Place is 7 p.m.

West Kelowna made it seven straight at home with a 7-3 win Sunday over the Cowichan Valley Capitals.

Conner ³§´Ç»å±ð°ù²µ°ù±ð²Ô91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s hot streak continued, as the Warriors forward had a goal and four assists. The 20-year-old Massachusetts native has seven goals and 12 points in his last five games.

 





(or

91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ

) document.head.appendChild(flippScript); window.flippxp = window.flippxp || {run: []}; window.flippxp.run.push(function() { window.flippxp.registerSlot("#flipp-ux-slot-ssdaw212", "Black Press Media Standard", 1281409, [312035]); }); }