The Kootenay ICE – 2002 Memorial Cup Champions
The Kootenay ICE is a major junior ice hockey team based in Cranbrook and competing in the Western Hockey League. The team plays its home games at the Cranbrook Recreational Complex, also nicknamed the RecPlex.
The franchise was founded in 1996 as the Edmonton ICE, and moved to Cranbrook in 1998. The ICE won the Memorial Cup in 2002, and also participated in 2000, after having won the WHL championship. The Kootenay ICE team was formed by Ed Chynoweth who was elected to the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 2000. In 2007, the WHL renamed its championship trophy the Ed Chynoweth Cup in his honour.
The Ed Chynoweth Trophy, awarded to the top scorer at the Memorial Cup tournament is named after him. Ed passed away in 2008. In 2008 Ed Chynoweth was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder.
Ed’s son, Jeff Chynoweth, is the President/General Manager of the Kootenay ICE and has recently signed a fifteen year lease with the City of Cranbrook. Former Kootenay ICE players who currently play in the NHL include Jarret Stoll, John Negrin, Nigel Dawes, Mike Comrie, Jason Jaffray, Tomas Plihal, Brett Sutter, Marek Svatos, and Matt Walker among others.