an apparatus for removing the ice chips which are formed when a hole is cut through the ice covering of a body of water , which ice chips are suspended in the water filling the hole , includes a thin - walled tubular body having a cross sectional size and shape corresponding to that of the hole and a one - way valve in the lower end of the tubular body which opens in response to downward movement of the body into the hole to admit the water and ice chips into the body above the valve and closes in response to reverse upward withdrawal of the body from the hole to retain the ice chips therein . in the preferred embodiment , the one - way valve comprises a butterfly valve including two semicircular wing plates which are provided with a pattern of holes to allow the water to readily drain back into the hole while retaining the ice chips thereon .