Warriors down to ‘final regular season game ever’ as team’s future uncertain

West Kelowna billing game as potential regular-season home finale, sale looming

The imminent demise of the West Kelowna Warriors is being used as a marketing device to try draw fans to tonight’s game.

An ad describes the event as the ‘Final regular season game ever’, and includes the symbol of a ticking clock with the number 1 inside it.

Since the Warriors will make the playoffs, there will be additional games at the Royal LePage Place arena.

The B.C. Hockey League hasn’t yet voted on the future of the money-losing Warriors.

“There’s been no decision taken yet by the league’s board of governors,” BCHL president John Grisdale said Monday. “Nothing’s finalized at all.”

Warriors owner Mark Cheyne has lost hundreds of thousands of dollars on the team, and has said he will either sell it or simply fold the franchise at the end of this season.

A group of West Kelowna business leaders are hoping to take over the team and keep it in the city and the league supports those efforts in principle, Grisdale said.

“I know Mark’s first priority is to see if there’s a way the Warriors can stay in West Kelowna in some way,” Grisdale said. “So that’s a positive, but at the end of the day a team is only viable if fans support it.”

The Warriors could be re-structured as a community-owned team, so they could do fundraising events under the auspices of the BC Lottery Corp. Other teams in the BCHL operate this way, making enough money to supplement ticket revenues and keep the franchises viable.

The visiting Penticton Vees will be looking to join the 40-win club and complete a seven-game regular season sweep of the Warriors tonight in a 7 p.m. puck-drop at RLP.

While the Vees (39-13-2-1) have clinched a sixth straight Interior Division pennant, the Warriors (27-26-2) are tied for third place with the Trail Smoke Eaters — with the Warriors holding a game in hand.

“That’s a very prideful, well-coached team,” Vees GM/head coach Fred Harbinson said of the Warriors. “This is their last chance to beat us in the regular season and I’m sure we’re going to get their best game.”

Harbinson noted that the defending national champion Warriors — expected to relocate to the Lower Mainland after the current season — are guaranteed to open the playoffs at home against either Merritt or Salmon Arm on March 3.

“They’re a very good team with a winning record,” Harbinson said. “We’ve just found ways to score some timely goals and get wins against them.

“To sweep a season series against a quality team . . . yes, that definitely means a lot to us. We can still end up seeing them in the playoffs.

“We’re just trying to win as many games as possible,” continued Harbinson. “The league is very good this year with a lot of teams having a legitimate chance to win it. To win 40 games will be a real solid accomplishment.”