By Patrick Burles - @PatrickBurles on Twitter

Fans bid farewell to the heart of the Hurricanes

May 2, 2017 | 8:05 PM

LETHBRIDGE – “He’s been the heart and soul of this team, he’s been a joy to watch… he’s just been fantastic.”

Donna Kendall said those words, after chastising the questioning reporter for making her tear up by asking what makes Tyler Wong a special person and hockey player.

She was one of well over a hundred fans who turned out Tuesday afternoon (May 2), to say farewell to the Hurricanes’ captain, and one of the most popular players to ever don the jersey.

The outpouring of support came two days after Wong’s final WHL game – a 7-4 loss to the Regina Pats in the Eastern Conference Championship series – as his league eligibility has now expired.

Wong finishes his time with the Hurricanes as the team’s sixth leading point-getter with 298, and third in goal scoring with 143. He was also better than a point-a-game player in the playoffs, registering 26-points in 25 post-season games.

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But his time in Lethbridge comes down to much more than the numbers.

Through his five years with the club, Wong was recognized as the fan favourite for the Hurricanes five years in a row, and was named the Eastern Conference Humanitarian of the Year for a third consecutive season by the WHL last month. It really wouldn’t be much of a surprise either if he wins the Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy as the WHL’s Humanitarian of the Year, during the 2017 WHL Awards on Wednesday (May 3).

When asked for a favourite memory of Wong, every single fan Lethbridge News Now spoke to in line, referenced his shorthanded overtime goal to eliminate Medicine Hat in game seven of the second round just a couple weeks ago. Then, without fail, the vast majority added that his community involvement is what stood out the most, with parents who had brought their children calling him an incredible role model.

The idea to get together with fans came from Wong himself, who wanted to reconnect one more time before leaving Lethbridge.

“It just feels so good to be able to have made a difference in the community, I hope, and to make an impact on kids that come out and want to see me one last time – it’s just a really cool feeling right now,” stated Wong, while taking a few minutes to speak with the media.

“That was always something I wanted to be remembered for, as being more than a hockey player, being more than a guy who is just here for himself,” he continued. “I always thought that while I was here, I wanted to make the biggest impact that I could in the community, whether it was going to practices or talking to the kids. It warms my heart to be able to see these kids come and smile and ask for autographs, it really feels good and if it makes them feel good, that’s what it’s all about. It’s an amazing feeling and I’m going to miss it a lot.”

With Wong’s departure from the team, there is a group of fans who are trying to ensure that their favourite player is immortalized at the ENMAX Centre, circulating a petition to have his jersey (No. 5) retired.

“Retiring a player’s number is the absolute highest honour you could give a player, and the way that Tyler Wong has played should be the model for every single Hurricanes’ player currently on the team and to come in the future,” said Zachary Hampton. “When you retire a player’s number, you make a statement that that’s the sort of player you want playing for your team.”

As for what comes next for Wong, the plan is to head home to be with his family in Cochrane, where he can relax and recharge after a taxing post-season run. But he made it clear, this isn’t goodbye.

“The last 36-hours have been really tough, just thinking about all the memories I have and reminiscing with teammates and getting texts from old teammates and my family supporting me through it… but you can’t keep me away from here, I will be back and hopefully catch a game next year.

“It will always be my second home and this will always be my team, I’ll always cheer for them and keep tabs on them.”

While Wong didn’t discuss his future in hockey, I couldn’t help but recall something he said during an interview with LNN earlier this season.

“My goal is definitely to make the NHL, that’s always been my dream… This is my last year, so there’s a little uncertainty. Hopefully I’ll be able to finish the year off strong and set myself up for a good opportunity next year.”

Being tied for second in WHL playoff scoring after three rounds should do the trick.