Below the concourse, the names of legendary players, staff and executives from the Lethbridge Hurricanes adorn the walls of the VisitLethbridge.com Arena. It’s a list honouring those who built a hockey club with a storied history intertwined with community engagement.
On Friday, three new names were painted on the wall, joining the likes of retired NHL superstar Brent Seabrook, former WHL All-Star Byron Ritchie and former Hurricanes general manager Bob Bartlett.
Among them is Corey Lyons, a former player who enjoyed two successful campaigns from 1988-1990. “You see all the names that have been on in the past and even some of my former teammates have been inducted,” Lyons said. “It’s just a huge honour.”
During his time as a Hurricane, Lyons recorded 254 points in just 145 regular season games, helping the team fight for glory in the playoffs, even if coming up short in the end.
“We had such a special team at that time. With the amount of teams in the league now, I just don’t know if you’ll find that kind of depth. We had the six guys with 100 points, but even our third line was Kevin St. Jacques and (Brad) Rubachuk,” Lyons said.
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Joining Lyons as a new inductee is heavyweight defenceman Ben Wright, who played in the early 2000s.
“It was an awesome time. I made some awesome friends, we had great coaching and it was just a great time playing here,” Wright said.
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Born in Foremost, Alta., Wright racked up 135 points in 259 games spanning six seasons in Lethbridge. However, he says his team made it easy to dominate on the ice.
“It sure makes it easy to play when you’re surrounded by great players and great people, especially great coaching. With Mike Dyck, Matt Kabayama, Jason Ruff, they taught me a lot about life. I kind of came in as a boy and left as a man.”
Also honoured this year is Herb Beswick, a man instrumental in bringing the Hurricanes to Lethbridge after the Broncos departed for Swift Current.
“I’ve been with this team for 37 years and there are many, many people who have made contributions at critical times. They’ve been very important,” Beswick said. “For the committee to think that I’m worthy of this recognition is truly special and I’m honoured by it.”
Not a player, Beswick was a founding board member who helped get the puck sliding, so-to-speak. Despite his crucial efforts, he says the real honour belongs to the fans.
“We’ve been here for 37 years, that makes us one of the oldest franchisees in the league. That’s quite a feather in the cap of the boards and actually a feather in the cap of the city of Lethbridge and it’s citizens who have supported the team.”
The Hurricanes are community-owned, with shares selling for $100. According to Beswick, this ensures the team won’t up and leave if an owner feels the timing is right for change.
All three inductees currently reside in the Lethbridge area and cheer on the team whenever they can.