WHL alumni Ladd, Green, Gorges, Reaugh headline B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame class of 2026

Western Hockey League alumni Andrew Ladd, Travis Green, Josh Gorges and Daryl Reaugh have been named to the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026.

The group will be formally inducted on July 11, 2026.

Maple Ridge, B.C.’s Ladd was an immediate sensation in the WHL after joining the Calgary Hitmen in 2003-04.

The 6-foot-3 winger took off for 30 goals and 45 assists for 75 points in 71 games, leading all rookies in points and goals while posting the league’s best plus/minus with a +39 rating.

Ladd was dubbed a top prospect heading into that summer’s draft and was selected fourth overall by the Carolina Hurricanes.

His final season of major junior saw Ladd earn the alternate captaincy and pick up 45 points (19G-26A) in 65 outings and capture a gold medal at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Ladd’s 17-season NHL tenure saw the hardworking forward hoist the Stanley Cup twice- once as a rookie with the Hurricanes in 2006, and later with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010.

He suited up for 1,001 regular-season contests while piling up 550 points (256G-294A) and wearing the ‘C’ for the Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets and an ‘A’ for the New York Islanders and Arizona Coyotes.

Now 40, Ladd retired from professional hockey in 2023-24 and became the second player inducted into the Forever a Hitmen program in 2017.

“It really gives you a chance to stop and reflect on the other impactful people who are in the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame, and to be included in that group is a real honour,” Ladd told the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame. “Sometimes you just speed past what you’ve accomplished, so it’s nice to slow down and take pride in it.”

Castlegar’s Green has toiled on both sides of the bench in the Western League before going on to a long career in the big show.

The 6-foot-2 centreman broke into the league with the Spokane Chiefs in the organization’s second season and played parts of four campaigns in Washington before closing out his playing career with the Medicine Hat Tigers.

Green led the Chiefs with an impressive 102-point (51G-51A) run in 1988-89 and netted 341 points (152G-189A) over his tenure.

He was drafted by the Islanders with the 23rd overall pick in the 1989 NHL Draft and went on to play 970 regular-season games, racking up 455 career points (193G-262A) for the Islanders, Anaheim Ducks, Phoenix Coyotes, Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins.

Following his retirement, Green joined the Portland Winterhawks as an assistant coach in 2010-11 before adding assistant general manager duties the following season, reaching the WHL Championship both years.

In 2012-13, he took over as interim General Manager and Head Coach and led the Hawks to a 57-12-1-2 record, winning the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as WHL regular season champions and taking out the Edmonton Oil Kings to win the Ed Chynoweth Cup.

“I don’t know if I could put it into words,” Green said of his call to the hall. “The magnitude of being honoured like this- I don’t even know if it’s still sunk in. It’s such a great honour. I’m thrilled.”

Kelowna’s own Josh Gorges played hometown hero for the Rockets and has seen his career come full circle in the Okanagan.

The 6-foot defenceman played four seasons with the Rockets, tallying 152 points (33G-119A) in 245 career regular-season games, tying for sixth in scoring among all WHL blueliners in 2002-03 with a 59-point (11G-48A) campaign.

Gorges added another 45 points (7G-38A) in 57 playoff matches, winning the Ed Chynoweth Cup in 2003 as an alternate captain and the Memorial Cup as tournament hosts the following year.

He was even named the George Parsons Memorial Trophy winner as the Memorial Cup’s most sportsmanlike player.

Despite being undrafted to the NHL, Gorges earned a contract with the San Jose Sharks and went on to play 783 games with the Sharks, Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres, garnering 124 points (17G-107A).

Gorges joined the Rockets as an assistant coach at the beginning of the 2025-26 season as the team prepares to host the 2026 Memorial Cup.

“It’s just a special honour,” Gorges said.  “When you’re a kid, even a teenager, you go to be an adult while you’re still playing this game—you don’t think about these things. It’s not something you aspire to achieve. Then, you get the call and you’re just filled with gratitude.”

Prince George’s Daryl Reaugh, affectionately nicknamed ‘Razor’, has earned his place in hockey history as the 2025 recipient of the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Foster Hewitt Memorial Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions in broadcasting.

Prior to picking up a microphone, the 6-foot-4 netminder backstopped the Kamloops Junior Oilers to a 34-10-0 record in 1983-84, posting a 4.34 goals-against average and .864 save percentage while recording one shutout.

The Junior Oilers were dubbed regular-season champions and outlasted the Regina Pats in seven games to earn the league championship that spring.

Reaugh made his professional debut with the Edmonton Oilers in 1984-85 before closing out his junior career with the newly-minted Kamloops Blazers, reaching the finals for a second consecutive year.

He was named a WHL Western Conference Second Team All-Star in his rookie campaign before tying for First Team All-Star honours in his sophomore year.

Following a nine-year spell in the professional ranks, Reaugh found his calling as an analyst and has been working on the Dallas Stars broadcast on radio and television for the past 29 seasons.

He joins the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame in the media category.

“I got a bit of a heads up from (Committee Chair) Rob Shick when we were in Anaheim, and he said to expect a call. I was like, really? Just expect a call. It was a wonderful, truly delightful call to get,” Reaugh added. “It’s just not something that I expected in any way. I was joking with someone, maybe I should fabricate my playing career a little bit too and see if I can get both categories.”