Colorado Avalanche assistant coach Ray Bennett brings Stanley Cup home to Innisfail
The Stanley Cup was in Alberta on Monday, brought to Innisfail by former resident Ray Bennett.
The assistant coach with the Stanley Cup-winning Colorado Avalanche paraded down Main Street before being greeted by hundreds of fans lined up outside the Innisfail Twin Arena eagerly waiting the arrival of the championship trophy.
Bennett says winning was the "greatest achievement" of his entire career.
"You don’t chase this dream, you live it," he said.
"It was never my goal to coach in the NHL, and yet somehow it happened," Bennett said. "I wouldn’t have looked at my career as any less successful, but this is the crowning glory."
Bennett grew up in Innisfail playing minor hockey and graduated from Innisfail High School in 1980, playing several seasons with the Innisfail Eagles senior men’s hockey team.
On Monday, he used his time with the Stanley Cup to fundraise for local hockey programs and give back to the community where his NHL dream began.
"It’s super special and you never know in coaching and parenting what kind of moment will ever touch a child to help them or inspire them," he said.
"So if this helps somebody, whether it’s in hockey or other things, to achieve in life, then that’s perfect."
Ray Bennett, assistant coach with the Colorado Avalanche, brings the Stanley Cup to Innisfail, Alta. on Monday, Aug. 8, 2022.The moment was especially impactful for eight-year-old Parks Lattery who plays minor hockey with the Innisfail Flyers.
"It was so cool," Lattery said.
"It’s definitely my dream and I think everybody wants to hold the Stanley Cup."
Others, like nine-year-old Raelynn Goett, were in awe of how large the Cup was and how it sparkled.
"It was just very, very, very exciting," she said.
Ray Bennett, assistant coach with the Colorado Avalanche, speaks with eight-year-old Parks Lattery in Innisfail, Alta. on Monday, Aug. 8, 2022. Perhaps nobody was more proud, however, than Bennett’s older brother Dale.
He spoke highly of his sibling, who he says worked tirelessly to achieve his NHL career, adding that the decision to bring the Stanley Cup back home to Innisfail was made minutes after winning the championship.
"We were once those same kids, wearing these minor hockey jerseys, so to see all of them so excited and in the procession to the rink and the look on their faces, it’s just amazing," said Dale.
"We lost both our parents fairly young and just thinking about the things that they drilled into us – which was annoying when you're 12 – but a lot of that was connected to helping him along the way. It’s just overwhelming."
Bennett was first asked to coach a Pee Wee team during his stint as a player with the Innisfail Eagles. After that, he landed a job with Hockey Alberta, coached youth hockey in Red Deer, became a coach at Red Deer College and an assistant in the WHL.
Bennett also worked for Hockey Canada, winning silver medals at the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and with Canada’s Women’s Team at the 1998 Olympics in Nagano.
He then began his coaching career in the NHL working with the Los Angeles Kings for seven seasons, the St. Louis Blues for 11 seasons and the last five with the Colorado Avalanche.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.