WHL greats Shea Weber and Carey Price headline B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2024

Two of the most decorated players in hockey are adding to their resumes.

Sicamous, B.C.’s Shea Weber and Anahim Lake, B.C.’s Carey Price have been announced as 2024 Inductees of the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame.

Weber played parts of four seasons with the Kelowna Rockets.

Even as a teenager, the blueliner was known for his lethal shot and leadership abilities, helping Kelowna capture its first two WHL Championships in 2002-03 and 2004-05 and the 2004 Memorial Cup.

Weber’s junior accolades include a 2005 IIHF World Junior Championship gold medal, Memorial Cup All-Star Team honours and WHL Playoffs MVP.

He was drafted by the Nashville Predators 49th overall in the 2003 NHL Draft and went on to play 1,038 games with the Predators and Montreal Canadiens, wearing the ‘C’ for both organizations.

Weber received the Mark Messier Leadership Award in 2015-16  and, with Price in net, bolstered the Canadiens’ Cinderella run to the 2020-21 Stanley Cup Final.

On the international stage, he’s collected two Olympic gold medals and IIHF World Championship gold and silver medals.

“It’s really a big honor being a B.C. boy in a small town of Sicamous,” Weber said. “I was lucky to play my whole minor hockey and junior career in B.C. and to get this call definitely means a lot.”

Price played his entire WHL career with the Tri-City Americans, amassing a 2.53 goals-against average and.914 save percentage.

In 2006-07, he won the WHL’s Del Wilson Memorial Trophy for goaltender of the year and CHL Goaltender of the Year, as well as a gold medal and tournament MVP honours at World Juniors.

Price was selected fifth overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft by the Montreal Canadiens, playing more than 700 games for the bleu blanc et rouge.

In 2015, Price became the first player since Dominik Hasek in 1998 to win the Hart Trophy as the NHL MVP, Vezina Trophy for best goaltender and Ted Lindsay Trophy for most outstanding player, as voted by their peers.

He also shared the William H. Jennings Trophy for fewest goals-against with Corey Crawford of the Chicago Blackhawks.

Price headlined a 2014 Canadian Olympic squad that dominated from start to finish, putting a cherry on top with a 3-0 shutout win over Sweden to claim gold.

He left Sochi with a .59 goals-against average, a .972 save percentage and best goaltender honours.

“Obviously I’m incredibly honoured to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, especially with a teammate of mine, that means a lot to me,” said Price. “I’m proud to be from B.C.”

Price is still under contract with Montreal, but hasn’t played since 2021-22 with lingering injuries preventing his return to the ice.

“To me it’s amazing how incredibly fast careers come and go,” Price told the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame. “Sitting here at home in my room full of equipment and everything, it’s really humbling to have been able to experience such an amazing ride from Anahim Lake to now. It has really been a surreal ride.”

Burnaby, B.C.’s Tom Kowal will be inducted in the officials category.

At 18 years old, Kowal left his hometown to pursue his dream of becoming an NHL referee.

He ended up working for the WHL for a decade- including one Memorial Cup- before getting the call to the show in the 1999-2000 season.

Kowal worked 1,094 regular season games and 12 playoff matches before hanging up his whistle on March 31, 2018.

Delta, B.C.’s Scott Bradley has been listed under the builder’s category.

Bradley, the senior advisor to Boston Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney, has been with the Bruins for three decades.

He spent four seasons with the Seattle Thunderbirds’ scouting department from 1990-94 before being hired by Boston.

“The B.C. hockey community has become very deep and rich so we have another wonderfully deserving class,” said B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame chair Jim Hughson. “Our inductees are from Sicamous, Anahim Lake, Abbotsford, Vernon and Fort St. John. Truly a provincial group and some fantastic stories of great contributions to the game.”

An induction gala for the class of 2024 will be held this summer.