Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
Ali Lawrence wanted to establish a pro women’s hockey team in Chicago, and expected Johnny’s IceHouse East would be their home rink.
But then came news Wednesday that the property at 1350 W. Madison St. is up for sale and any prospective buyer must agree not to use the West Loop property for hockey.
“The North Stars have been practicing mostly out of Johnny’s East; we talked about wanting to win a banner to have hung in the rafters,” said Lawrence, president of the Chicago North Stars, an all-woman team she formed in hopes of bringing the National Women’s Hockey League to Chicago.