New local ownership for the Wolverines has invigorated the franchise, and fans are here for it

It’s been almost six months since a pair of local business owners, Cory Masse, Chief Operating
Officer of GFI Solutions Ltd, and his wife, Terriann Masse, owner of Tri-Steel Salvage Ltd,
purchased the Whitecourt Wolverines from the AJHL, saving the beloved local franchise from
being moved out of the community.
When rumours began last spring that then-owners Craig Kibblewhite and Jason Fischer of the
Spruce Grove-based Parkland Hockey Group had done an arena tour in Devon, and that
conversations were happening behind closed doors about moving the team, local fans started
getting worried.
Cory and Terriann had been the main sponsors for the last three years, and quickly saw the
purchase as something worth taking seriously. “We didn’t say, hey, let’s go buy the Wolverines.
But, with us sponsoring them and Terriann being on the Chamber, we got involved once we
heard the team might leave. We’re from this community and are fortunate enough to have a
couple of successful companies, so we said, let’s be some of those people that step up,”
explained Cory.
Getting the team back under local ownership was another big push for the pair. “I think we’re
young and motivated and can do something with it, and just being locally owned again was the
biggest thing. To keep them in town, somebody needed to buy the team. So, here we are,” Cory
chuckled.
The pair created a non-profit to make the purchase, the WCT Wolverines Sports Society, and
received support from past owner Brent Stark. “He gave me advice and told me what it was all
about. He had the team for a long time, so I was able to lean on him a little bit for that,”
explained Cory.
Stark owned the team from 2012 until 2021 when he sold it to Kibblewhite and Fischer. The
team was important to Stark, and he wanted to see it stay in Whitecourt, so much so that Stark
added a Right of First Refusal clause in the contract, which gave him a say on whether the team
could move within five years of selling it. With only three years since selling, Stark invoked the
clause and threw the potential move to Devon out of the realms of possibility, waving a magical
wand only he could wave.

“Not many people know that this all started with that clause, where they couldn’t move the team
within five years without his permission,” explained Cory. Stark’s plan had worked, thanks to his
foresight. “So, the league ended up dissolving the Wolverines and taking it over and then the old
owners started their new team, the Devon Xtreme, and we bought the Wolverines franchise off
of the AJHL,” said Cory. The purchase officially went through in August, and the new owners hit
the ground running.
“What the Starks did with the hockey community here and bringing the AJHL to town is
incredible, and we are honoured to be the new people to do it, but with the same style as
before,” smiled Cory. By that, he means community-oriented and involved.
“We’re seeing it already. Some of the players have started their own snow removal business,
and they are going to the schools again, reading to the children and hanging out with them,”

said Cory. “And now the schools are coming to us. It’s already starting – integration back into
the community like the team and players used to be,” added Terriann.
Being local owners also means creating a family atmosphere for players, which Terriann is
excited about as she learns more about the team and the sport. “I wasn’t involved in hockey
before, so this is all new to me, and it’s exciting. My favourite part has been getting to know the
boys. I didn’t realize how young they were. We all need to take care of them. If we can positively
imprint on them to help them go wherever they’re going, then our job is done,” she said.
Cory said one word he keeps hearing is local, proving how much it means to fans and the
business community to have a local owner. “Businesses and business owners are the backbone
of the community, big companies and little ones. All of them are important. The arena is filling
up
more and more every week. We put on a high-level hockey game and play better when that rink
is full. When it’s full, those boys go the extra mile and turn it up.”
Cory said they’ve enjoyed the first six months and can’t wait for the years ahead. “The things
we’ve learned this year; we can change next year. We’re just going to keep this thing rolling. We
want everybody to know that we are here for the long haul. We’re going to be just like the Stark
family. We’re not going to say, see you later in a few years,” said Cory.
That’s one of the reasons the pair decided to slash ticket pricing. “Times have been tough, and

we wanted to make it more affordable. We wanted to make those changes to show everybody
that we care,” he explained. Terriann said it’s also about building trust with the local fan base,
showing them that Whitecourt’s team isn’t going anywhere.
Cory said the coaching staff and team are top-notch. “We’re going to win a championship if we
can keep that barn full. That’s where we are heading.” He added that they are adding different
games between the periods and creating more of a show for attendees. “We have a whole
bunch of different ideas. We also want to do T-shirt tosses.”
Cory and Terriann both said they have a positive outlook on everything because they see the
support they are receiving. “Without the community backing it, we can’t have these things. We
can’t have an AJHL hockey team. We can’t have the kids play baseball or football. You need the
community to come together and help each other out.” He said passing down the community
mindset to future generations is also a part of it. “That’s how we can successfully have these
things in town.”
One thing the pair both want to say is thank you. “Thank you to Whitecourt and the surrounding
area, the residents and the businesses. Everybody supported us from the get-go. We have an
amazing team, and we’re going to prove that. Let’s go, Wolverines!”