Alumni Report: Dwayne Hay
Kirsty Budd, Guelph Storm Staff
GuelphStorm.com had a chance to interview the alumni that attended the Storm’s alumni weekend on June 11 and 12. Thirty-six former players, including 10 who do or did skate in the NHL at one point, took part in the game. Several other alumni also watched the game from behind the bench. The weekend also included a BBQ and alumni-only banquet. The proceeds from the game went to several local charities, including the Guelph Wish Fund for Children.
Dwayne Hay may have been born in London, Ontario, but he always considered Guelph to be a second hometown.
“I spent three years here and I couldn’t pick a favourite memory. All of my time here was great. I would always come back to Guelph even in the off-season. This is where everything began.”
During his time with the Storm Hay racked up 146 points and in the annual OHL Coaches Poll, he was named Hardest Worker in 1996-97.
Hay also has a soft spot for the coaching staff at the Storm. “I met some really inspirational people in Guelph. They always made sure we were on the right road and doing the right things, on and off the ice. This is where I really developed my leadership skills,” he said.
When asked what the Guelph Storm means to him, he first notes that Guelph is a classy organization. “Guelph always made education a top priority and I know a lot of teams follow the Guelph model now. They really take pride in preparing players for life, making sure they have something to fall back on.”
His advice to younger players is to consider every game a learning experience, try to stay level headed and don’t let the highs gets too high or the lows get too low.
Hay most recently played for HC Alleghe of Serie A, in Italy.
