FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUGUST 10th, 2018
WEST KELOWNA, B.C. – The West Kelowna Warriors Junior ‘A’ Hockey Club announced Friday that the club is under new ownership as the group KD Sports Ltd. will oversee team operations.
(Addendum – The sale still needs to be ratified by the BC Board of Governors on August 17th. This was omitted from the original release.)
The Warriors had been under the ownership of Mark Cheyne and the Vision Sports Group for the last 9 seasons before an agreement was reached in August for the purchase of the club by KD Sports Ltd.
The group is comprised of Kim Dobranski and a minority silent partner that will oversee team operations beginning ahead of the 2018/19 season.
“I am very excited to work towards developing a sustainable business model where the community can participate and take ownership in this team,” commented Warriors Owner and President Kim Dobranski, “Our division and the BCHL is the top league to play and enjoy Junior Hockey in Canada and we are very fortunate to have this caliber of hockey in our back yard. Communities thrive socially and economically when they adopt a sports team and teams such as the Warriors also help build a sense of identity for a community.”
We are calling on the public and business community to participate in the success of this franchise,” continued Dobranski, “By buying season tickets or sponsoring and volunteering at games support these players who come here to represent our community.”
The West Kelowna Warriors Hockey Society has been established in correlation with the new ownership, allowing members of the community to be more involved than ever before.
“This organization is not about any one person, it’s about the community it resides in, the players who come here and represent us, many of them local kids, and our collective role in sport producing good citizens for our communities,” said Dobranski, “This franchise existed long before, and it will continue to exist long after, continuing the good work the BCHL does in our communities.”
This season is the franchise’s 25th, beginning in 1994 as the Langley Thunder before moving to the Westside in 2006 when Mark Cheyne took over the team. The name changed to the West Kelowna Warriors in 2012, where it remains presently.
The 2018/19 regular season schedule has been released with West Kelowna opening their season with a home-and-home against the Trail Smoke Eaters on Friday, September 7th. The home opener for the Warriors comes on Saturday, September 8th when they host the Smoke Eaters.
