The Stumptown Ice Den rink advisory board gave unanimous approval Aug. 24 to a proposal to begin a Northern Pacific Hockey League team in Whitefish. The new team, dubbed the Glacier Nationals, would bring a high level of junior hockey to the Flathead Valley, where it would compete across the state with other teams in Nor-Pac’s America West division, like the Missoula Maulers, Bozeman Icedogs and Billings Bulls. Butch Kowalka is pushing the proposal, and hopes to buy the franchise and eventually coach the team in some capacity. He gained the approval of Nor-Pac following a…
