Kootenay Ice alumnus Jarret Stoll will be the first inductee to the new ICE Hall of Fame, and will be honoured during a pregame ceremony in March.
“I am honoured to be the inaugural inductee into the ICE Hall of Fame,” said Jarret Stoll in a press release.
“There were so many great players, coaches and management that contributed to our success.”
The ICE Hall of Fame will recognize and honour former Ice players and staff who made outstanding contributions on and off the ice during their time with the organization.
Stoll won two Western Hockey League Championships (2000,2002) and one Memorial Cup (2002). He is also a two-time Stanley Cup Champion.
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“What made it so special was the relationship between the players and fans in Cranbrook. I look forward to sharing this with them,” Stoll added.
The Hall of Fame induction is not a number retirement, but all inductees are honoured with a special ceremony and banner raised to commemorate their achievements.
The induction ceremony will take place on March 2nd, before a game against the Calgary Hitmen at Western Financial Place.
“There is no question who the first player is that should be inducted into the ICE Hall of Fame,” said president and general manager Matt Cockell in a press release.
“It was important to Jarret and to Greg and I that this was done in Cranbrook where he had such a great connection to the community.”
Stoll played four seasons with the Kootenay Ice from 1998-2002. In 245 regular season games, he had 124 goals, 162 assists for 286 points. In 57 playoff games, he had 18 goals, 32 assists for 50 points.
He is second all-time in points (286), assists (162) and power play goals (54) in Ice franchise history.
Stoll and his wife will be in attendance, as well as other guests that include former Ice general manager Bob Tory, former Ice head scout Roy Stasiuk, former Ice head coach Cory Clouston, former Ice assistance coach Colin Patterson and former owner, president and general manager Jeff Chynoweth.
All banners hanging in the rafters at Western Financial Place, including the future ICE Hall of Fame banner, will remain in Cranbrook.
The Ice will create a committee of alumni and past members to determine future inductees into the Hall of Fame.
Ice alumni wanting to attend are encouraged to contact the ICE Gear Store at 250-417-0322 for complimentary tickers and formal RSVP.