Two famous and longtime NHLers will be inducted into the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame this summer.
On Thursday, the hall announced its class of 2024, which will feature Shea Weber and Carey Price, both of whom had outstanding professional careers and also call the Okanagan home.
Also inducted were Tom Kowal in the officials category, Scott Bradley in the builder category and the 2010 Fort St. John Flyers in the team category.
“The B.C. hockey community has become very deep and rich so we have another wonderfully deserving class,” said B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame chair Jim Hughson.
“Our inductees are from Sicamous, Anahim Lake, Abbotsford, Vernon and Fort St. John. Truly a provincial group and some fantastic stories of great contributions to the game.”
Weber played junior hockey in his hometown of Sicamous and current home of Kelowna before being drafted 49th overall by the Nashville Predators in 2003.
In Kelowna, he played 190 regular-season games with the Rockets (2001-05), posting 26 goals and 91 points plus 388 penalty minutes. He was a key figure in the team’s incredible championship runs of 2003-05, with Kelowna winning the league title twice (2003, 2005) and the Memorial Cup (2004).
The six-foot-four-inch defenceman played 16 seasons in the NHL with Nashville and Montreal, logging 224 goals, 589 points and 714 penalty minutes in 1,038 games. Tough as nails and with a heavy shot, he was one of the most feared blue-liners in the game for years.
“It’s really a big honour being a B.C. boy in a small town of Sicamous,” said Weber. “I was lucky to play my whole minor hockey and junior career in B.C. and to get this call definitely means a lot.”
Weber said he’s honoured to join the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame, especially looking at the names before him, adding “it definitely makes you feel special.”
His last season was 2020-21, when Montreal lost in the Stanley Cup Final that year. According to a report, he remains on long-term injured reserve, via Arizona, but isn’t expected to play again.
Like Weber, Price also had a stellar career and was one of the game’s greatest goalies during his heydays.
Hailing from Anahim Lake, which is west of Williams Lake, Price played his junior hockey with the Tri-City Americans in Kennewick, Wash., before being drafted fifth overall by Montreal in 2005.
In 712 games, he had a record of 361-261-79, a goals-against average of 2.51 and a save percentage of 0.917. Price also won six NHL awards, including the Hart Trophy in 2014-15 as the league’s MVP.
“Obviously I’m incredibly honoured to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, especially with a teammate of mine, that means a lot to me,” said Price. “I’m proud to be from B.C.”
Price’s last season was 2021-22, and this fall he announced he’s all but retired, stating that injuries have taken their toll. However, his contract ends in 2026, and he’ll remain on long-term injured reserve until then.
“To me it’s amazing how incredibly fast careers come and go,” Price said. “Sitting here at home in my room full of equipment and everything, it’s really humbling to have been able to experience such an amazing ride from Anahim Lake to now.
“It has really been a surreal ride.”
Regarding the other hall of fame selections:
Bradley is the senior adviser to Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney, and has been with the Bruins for three decades.
The hockey hall of fame said before Bradley worked his way into the pro game, he coached for five seasons with tier-two junior A and senior 3A teams in Abbotsford, including an Allan Cup finalist squad in 1989-90.
Kowal officiated minor and amateur hockey while growing up in Vernon.
In 1998, he was hired by the NHL and he officiated until 2017-18, having worked 1,094 regular season NHL games and 12 Stanley Cup playoff games. After retiring, Kowal joined the WHL in 2018.
In the team category, the 2010 Fort St. John Flyers won that season’s national championship, the Allan Cup.
Fort St. John hosted the tournament, defeating the Bentley, Alta., Generals 3-1 in the final, going undefeated in the event. Senior teams have been vying for the Allan Cup since 1908.
The induction will take place at the South Okanagan Events Centre in Penticton on July 19.
Comments