Wild will re-apply to BCHL

USA Hockey has reversed its decision on the Wenatchee Wild’s bid to join the British Columbia Hockey League, giving the Wild another opportunity to leave the North American Hockey League and become the BCHL’s only American franchise.

The Wild previously applied to the BCHL last month, citing better travel, but USA Hockey’s Expansion Review Board denied the request without providing a reason. The Wild appealed the decision, which the board overturned Saturday.

Stewart said the reason for the reversed decision is confidential.

Though USA Hockey, the governing body for amateur ice hockey in the United States, has opened the door for Wenatchee to join the BCHL, the franchise will need to re-apply to the league.

“When we got denied we shut off all discussion (with the BCHL), so we need to see if there’s an opportunity to get in for next season,” Stewart said. “It means we’re a long ways for a BCHL interest.”

He estimated the team will begin discussions with the BCHL “in a week or two,” and that a decision would be reached by the end of March.

A move to the BCHL would keep the team in Wenatchee and provide them with 16 opponents, all located within 635 miles. In the NAHL, the team’s closest opponents are the Fresno (Calif.) Monsters and Dawson Creek (British Columbia) Rage, both roughly 920 miles from Wenatchee.

The BCHL and NAHL operate on the same level of play — Tier II Junior A hockey.

Stewart said the team would retain “a lot of the same players” if it moves to the BCHL.

Stewart said if the team moves to the BCHL, the NAHL franchise would need to go dormant or be relocated, while a new BCHL Wild franchise would replace it in Wenatchee.

Wenatchee attempted to join the BCHL before its inaugural season in 2007. The Wild instead joined the NAHL for an agreed-upon three seasons, with the condition that the league and the Wild would work together to bring in a couple of travel partners to the NAHL within a six-hour bus ride of Wenatchee.

The Wild are in their fourth season in the NAHL, but have no opponents within six hours of their home arena, Town Toyota Center.