A long line weaved through the Enmax Centre Tuesday night, all because Lethbridge Hurricanes fans wanted to see one player one last time.
“We’re here to meet Tyler Wong,” said two teenage friends in line. “MVP, All-star, all-around good guy.”
It was a pretty remarkable sight. Well over 100 fans coming to see a junior hockey player, but Lethbridge loves Tyler Wong.
“All the best to you my friend,” a fan seeking an autograph said to Wong. “You’re the best hockey player I’ve ever seen.”
It truly was a hero’s send-off for one of the most beloved Hurricanes of all time. Wong played over 300 games for the team, and finished with 298 points. He’s helped elevate the franchise from a bottom feeder to a championship contender, all while making inroads in the community.
“It’s as much about what he’s done as a player here and where he’s got the organization to as what he’s done in the community,” Hurricanes Head Coach Brent Kisio said. “He’s helped change the organization’s future, but I think he’s changed the way we’re looked upon in the community just as much.”
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On the ice, Wong was an elite WHL talent; off it, he was a fixture in the community. The Cochrane, Alta. native could be seen going to local events, and spending time with young athletes in his free time. He enjoyed being around kids, and took the time to help instruct minor hockey teams. He also started KidSport initiative that raised over $13,000 this year.
“Even though hockey is very important, there’s some other things besides hockey,” Lethbridge/Taber KidSport Chair Malcom Kano said. “I think he’s showing that, by saying, ‘hey I want to give back to other kids so they can have the same opportunity that I had.’”
The star Hurricanes forward has won the WHL’s Eastern Conference Humanitarian Award three straight years. His popularity has reached super-star status in Lethbridge.
“He’s a pretty nice guy,” a young Hurricanes fan said. “He won a big game in Game 7 against the Tigers. It was pretty amazing to see.”
Every year he’s been in the league, he’s been voted Hurricanes fan favorite. Maybe it’s because of his confidence and bravado.
“We’re not worried,” Wong said in an April 26 interview with Global News. “We’re not unconfident, we’re not scared. We know that we can beat these guys, we know that they have skilled individuals, but we also know that we are a better team.”
Maybe it’s his no-nonsense leadership approach that endeared him to ‘Canes faithful.
“I think we’ve weeded out the guys that were cancers on the team,” Wong said in a Sept. 30 interview with Global News, “that were bringing us down with negativity and selfishness.”
Or, maybe people see how much he loves his teammates and the fans.
“Lethbridge will always have a special place in my heart. I’ll always come back and cheer the ‘Canes on,” a teary-eyed Wong said after the ‘Canes were eliminated from the playoffs. “This will always be my team. I just love this team. The guys I’ve played with past and present, it’s been an amazing honour, and I’ve just loved every second of it.”
Whatever it was that fans loved about him, Wong won’t soon be forgotten in Lethbridge. The Hurricanes are losing a great hockey player, but an even better person. Wherever he goes next, Lethbridge will be watching.
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