Tri-City Americans new owner has ‘clear vision’ that could lead to a new ice arena
Things have been going well lately for the Tri-City Americans.
On the ice, the team has won nine consecutive games, and it has won a total 10 games (including a Western Hockey League-best five overtime victories).
Off the ice, the team has announced a change in the ownership structure.
Jon Sortland, a former technology executive from the Seattle area, was introduced by the Americans on Monday as the team’s new majority owner.
Sortland and his wife Grace recently moved to the Tri-Cities, and the businessman said owning a WHL franchise is a dream come true.
“This is one of the best days of my life — after my wedding day and the birth of my two children,” said Sortland in a team video released Monday with Ams radio man Craig Beauchemin. “I’ve always aspired to own a Western Hockey League franchise. This is a perfect fit for me.”
Sortland becomes the team’s president and will lead all sales, marketing, finance and business functions of the organization.
“On the business side, we do need to rebuild the fan base,” Sortland admitted. “It dropped coming out of COVID (in 2021). All teams lost a lot of their fan base coming out of COVID. It is important that we rebuild that fan base.”
Also joining the ownership group is Daryl Henry, who has been a consultant to the Americans since 2017. Henry will assist in various sales, marketing and community engagement initiatives.
The old ownership group — Bob Tory, Stu Barnes, Olaf Kolzig and Dennis Loman — will still maintain some minority shares in the team.
Tory signed a multi-year contract extension to continue his role as general manager and alternate governor, keeping full responsibility for leading all hockey-related operations.
“We are delighted to bring someone onboard with Jon’s blend of passion for the WHL, business acumen and creative ideas to help take our organization to the next level of success,” said Tory. “Jon has a clear vision for how to increase our team’s visibility in the community and help grow our fan base.”
Barnes remains as the team’s head coach.
It was Barnes, Kolzig, Tory and Loman who saved the Americans franchise from being moved from the Tri-Cities about 20 years ago.
Darryl Porter, Brian Burke, and Glenn Sather were the previous owners of the team, and they had wanted to move the team to Chilliwack, British Columbia, in time for the 2005-06 season.
But the league’s board of governors would give the group the minimum required 14 votes to allow the move.
Within two months, Barnes and Kolzig — both former Tri-City players in the late 1980s before heading on to long careers in the National Hockey League — stepped up to purchase the team to keep it in the Tri-Cities.
Tory, who was part of Porter’s ownership group, stayed on as part of the new ownership grow. Loman also came in then.
Porter’s group would get an expansion franchise starting in the fall of 2006.
One of Sortland’s goals is to work with community leaders to explore options for a new venue as part of the ongoing Vista development project.
The Toyota Center opened in 1987 and has been showing its age.
Sortland also announced an extension of the Americans’ lease with the Toyota Center for another two years, stretching the lease’s expiration to 2030.
“We wanted the fans to know that this change in the franchise’s ownership structure comes with a firm long-term commitment to the entire Tri-Cities community,” said Sortland.
“I can assure all of our fans that this team isn’t going anywhere. We extended the lease two years. So that’s at least six years and indefinitely. Our long-term commitment to the Tri-Cities market is unwavering.”
Notes
▪ The Americans had an exciting 6-5 overtime win last Sunday at home against the top team in the Western Conference, the Everett Silvertips.
The two teams meet again at 7:05 p.m. Friday at the Toyota Center.
Everett is still the top team in the Western Conference with 27 points. But the next four teams are Prince George (23 points), Spokane (22), Tri-City (21) and Victoria (21). The Americans have at least two less games played than any of those teams.
▪ 16-year-old forward Cruz Pavao has been away from the team since last weekend, playing for Team Canada Red in the World U-17 Hockey Challenge in Sarnia, Ontario.
▪ Defenseman Terrell Goldsmith, acquired last summer in a trade with Prince Albert, signed a three-year entry-level contract on Oct. 18 with the Utah Hockey Club (formerly Arizona Coyotes).
The 6-foot-4, 218-pound Goldsmith scored the game-winning goal in a 6-5 overtime win over the Edmonton Oil Kings at the Toyota Center on Oct. 28. He currently leads the Americans in plus-minus ratio and plus-13.
▪ Forward Gavin Garland was named the WHL Rookie of the Week on Nov. 3 after scoring two goals and an assist in three wins last week. It is the second time already this season that Garland has been named WHL Rookie of the Week, also happening Oct. 21.
▪ The NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau recently released its preliminary rankings list for the 2025 NHL Draft.
Ams defenseman Jackson Smith earned an A ranking, while Tri-City forwards Jordan Gavin and Cash Koch each got C ratings.
The 2025 NHL Draft will be held next June in Los Angeles.
Gavin recently scored his 50th career WHL goal in his 151st game.
▪ Smith will leave the Ams later this month to play in the two-game CHL USA Prospects Challenge between players from the Canadian Hockey League and USA Hockey National Team Development Program.
One game is set for Nov. 26 in London, Ontario; the other is Nov. 27 is Oshawa, Ontario.
▪ The Americans made a trade on Oct. 29, acquiring goalie Logan Cunningham from the Saskatoon Blades for a 2025 8th-round draft pick. Cunningham will continue to play for his Junior A team until needed, especially if starting goalie Lukas Matecha is called by Czechia later this season in international play.