By Patrick Burles - @Patrick Burles on Twitter

Lethbridge Hurricanes Present Shareholders with $683,000 Turnaround

Sep 19, 2016 | 11:29 PM

LETHBRIDGE – It was a decidedly upbeat atmosphere at the Enmax Centre, as the Lethbridge Hurricanes held their 31st Annual General Meeting of the Shareholders.

After years of losses – both on the ice and in the organizational coffers – the team presented a profit for the 2015-16 WHL season of $197,000 to go with the 46 wins the club posted.

When compared to the $486,000 in losses for the Hurricanes the previous season, it represented a turnaround of $683,000.

“It’s truly a breath of fresh air for these shareholders,” stated Board of Directors President, Doug Paisley, after the meeting. “It’s the first time in a long time we’ve showed numbers in the black, and we’re real proud of the accomplishment and the swing, but I mean the credit has to go to the people that we put in place to do the job.

“We rely on our coaches to develop players and our scouts to bring them to them and our general manager to make sure everybody’s got all their ducks in a row and takes care of the culture that he implements. So we’re comfortable that our leadership group is going to continue to make good choices and good decisions, and I believe that translates to excitement in our community, people coming to the rink, butts in the seats puts money in the bank,” continued Paisley.

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He also noted that a winning record and a group of Hurricanes going to NHL training camps have created a draw for other players.

“Mostly from the development standpoint and a fun place to play, kids talk about it, they want to become a Lethbridge Hurricane now, and maybe we didn’t have that a few years ago.”

Hurricanes General Manager, Peter Anholt, had a similar view during a question and answer period with the 120 shareholders in attendance. He explained that going into last season he had a “guarded optimism”, and that the entire club started to believe in itself when they got off to an early 10-2 record. He zeroed in on the players and coaching staff for making Lethbridge an attractive place to play.

When asked what he expects for the upcoming season, Anholt stated that the disappointment and early playoff exit should help them take the next step, as that kind of experience is invaluable in the development process.

Another recurring topic that came up at the meeting was a new team focus on trying to bring back alumni and getting current players more involved in the community.

“This year there was a big push to reconnect with some of the guys, and I think we took a real good step with our celebrity dinner this year and having Bryce Salvador here, and that experience for him coming back was fantastic for us. He was overwhelmed with how good the organization treated him and his family… and he gave us a list of guys that he was close with, and you know those guys aren’t going to miss the next golf tournament, the next celebrity tournament,” said Paisley.

“For years in the past we begged guys to come and maybe they were embarrassed and tweeting that this franchise wasn’t one they wanted to remember,” Paisley added. “That’s changed, and amazingly, in one year.”

To conclude the meeting, the shareholders voted to fill five positions on the board of directors. Incumbents Reid Williams and Tyler Brack were voted back in, along with new members Brodie Sheahan, Mike Wuchterl and Cheryl Lane.