Castanet: Rockets Boss to Hall
r By Wayne Moore – Castanet.net
r
r Kelowna Rockets boss Bruce Hamilton is the newest member of the BC Hockey Hall of Fame.
r
r Hamilton, along with former NHL players Trevor Linden and Dallas Drake and builder Frank Lento, were all inducted into the hall Friday in front of a sold out crowd at Penticton's South Okanagan Events Centre.
r
r A large contingent of well wishers including family, friends and many Western Hockey League governors were on hand to see Hamilton enter the hall.
r
r The group was large enough it required the Rockets team bus to transport them to and from the event.
r
r "I am very humbled but very honoured. I'm thrilled for our family and more importantly our organization because if it wasn't for the organization I certainly wouldn't be here," says Hamilton.
r
r "I'm just honoured to be put into this role and to be involved with people like I was tonight, people like Frank Lento, Dallas Drake and Trevor Linden. It's probably a dream for most people to be put into a position where you are going into a hall of fame with people like that."
r
r Hamilton says been elected to the hall of fame was never something that crossed his mind.
r
r "I've been on the selection committee for a few years and I was bewildered why my name was on the list last year when it came out for the first time. I never expected it and was shocked when it happened. I'm just Bruce from Saskatoon."
r
r During his acceptance speech, Hamilton paid special tribute to former WHL president Ed Chynoweth who passed away two years ago.
r
r "He's a very special person to me. My mom and dad were instrumental in my growing up and Ed had a lot to do with my hockey growing up. I know he is looking down tonight and he is very proud of me."
r
r The largest ovation of the night was reserved for Linden who spent 19 season in the NHL including 16 with the Vancouver Canucks.
r
r "He made us better as a hockey team and better as a community," says Pat Quinn who introduced Linden to the crowd.
r
r Quinn was General Manager of the Canucks when Linden was selected with the number two overall pick in 1988 NHL Entry Draft.
r
r "The start of the cultural turnaround with our club started when we drafted Trevor. He's the best Canuck we ever had."
r
r For his part, the Medicine Hat, Alberta native says his mission was to bring respectability back to the franchise, something he helped to accomplish by leading the Canucks to the 1994 Stanley Cup final.
r
r More importantly was Linden's work off the ice and in the community, something which earned him the Order of B.C. in 2003.
r
r Drake played 1009 games in the NHL in Winnipeg, Phoenix. St. Louis and Detroit.
r
r The Trail native retired after winning the Stanley Cup with the Red Wings in 2008.
r
r Lento was indicted in the builders category.
r
r Among his many roles, Lento is a past president of Hockey BC and a recipient of the Hockey Canada Order of Merit.
r
r Friday's inductions bring to 74 the number of individuals and teams in the BC Hockey Hall of Fame.
r
r The annual Hall of Fame Summer Classic charity hockey game will be played Saturday evening at 7 p.m. at the SOEC.
r
r Hamilton, along with former NHL players Trevor Linden and Dallas Drake and builder Frank Lento, were all inducted into the hall Friday in front of a sold out crowd at Penticton's South Okanagan Events Centre.
r
r A large contingent of well wishers including family, friends and many Western Hockey League governors were on hand to see Hamilton enter the hall.
r
r The group was large enough it required the Rockets team bus to transport them to and from the event.
r
r "I am very humbled but very honoured. I'm thrilled for our family and more importantly our organization because if it wasn't for the organization I certainly wouldn't be here," says Hamilton.
r
r "I'm just honoured to be put into this role and to be involved with people like I was tonight, people like Frank Lento, Dallas Drake and Trevor Linden. It's probably a dream for most people to be put into a position where you are going into a hall of fame with people like that."
r
r Hamilton says been elected to the hall of fame was never something that crossed his mind.
r
r "I've been on the selection committee for a few years and I was bewildered why my name was on the list last year when it came out for the first time. I never expected it and was shocked when it happened. I'm just Bruce from Saskatoon."
r
r During his acceptance speech, Hamilton paid special tribute to former WHL president Ed Chynoweth who passed away two years ago.
r
r "He's a very special person to me. My mom and dad were instrumental in my growing up and Ed had a lot to do with my hockey growing up. I know he is looking down tonight and he is very proud of me."
r
r The largest ovation of the night was reserved for Linden who spent 19 season in the NHL including 16 with the Vancouver Canucks.
r
r "He made us better as a hockey team and better as a community," says Pat Quinn who introduced Linden to the crowd.
r
r Quinn was General Manager of the Canucks when Linden was selected with the number two overall pick in 1988 NHL Entry Draft.
r
r "The start of the cultural turnaround with our club started when we drafted Trevor. He's the best Canuck we ever had."
r
r For his part, the Medicine Hat, Alberta native says his mission was to bring respectability back to the franchise, something he helped to accomplish by leading the Canucks to the 1994 Stanley Cup final.
r
r More importantly was Linden's work off the ice and in the community, something which earned him the Order of B.C. in 2003.
r
r Drake played 1009 games in the NHL in Winnipeg, Phoenix. St. Louis and Detroit.
r
r The Trail native retired after winning the Stanley Cup with the Red Wings in 2008.
r
r Lento was indicted in the builders category.
r
r Among his many roles, Lento is a past president of Hockey BC and a recipient of the Hockey Canada Order of Merit.
r
r Friday's inductions bring to 74 the number of individuals and teams in the BC Hockey Hall of Fame.
r
r The annual Hall of Fame Summer Classic charity hockey game will be played Saturday evening at 7 p.m. at the SOEC.
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