Ricky Wrathall was a forward with the Glace Bay Seniors hockey team. During a game in 1983, he finished his shift on the ice and collapsed on the players’ bench. He was pronounced dead at the hospital a short time later. He was 22 years old.

Now, 43 years later, Wrathall is being inducted into the Glace Bay Minor Hockey Association’s hall of fame.

“We were devastated,” says Doris Bourgeois, Wrathall’s sister. “Ricky was our world. It was very tough. He was a special guy and hockey was a big part of his life. He was a very kind person and hockey was everything to him.”

Bourgeois is happy to have her brother in the hall of fame. She says that hockey was one of his favourite pastimes and he held a local record. 

“He scored three goals in 21 seconds. It was the 1977/78 season, so Ricky would have been 16,” says Bourgeois.

James Edwards is Glace Bay Minor Hockey Association president. He says it was an easy choice to celebrate Wrathall’s memory in local hockey. 

“We’re very proud to induct Ricky Wrathall in the player category. He was a prolific scorer in his junior career in Glace Bay.”

Along with Wrathall, Dave LeBlanc, known as “the voice of the Cape Breton Eagles,” and the entire 1972 Sydney-Glace Bay Metro Bees hockey team will be inducted into the hall of fame. 

Stan MacDonald was the Metro Bees’ team captain. That year, the team won the Atlantic Canada Championship. MacDonald says the turning point for the team was when player David MacLean joined. 

“From then on, we won most of our games, won first place,” says MacDonald. “We went on a playoff run and played 29 games and won most of them. So he was key to the team. He made us better, made us play better. He was quite the hockey player.” 

The hall of fame ceremony will take place on March 15 at 3 p.m. at the Glace Bay Miner’s Forum.

MORE TOP STORIES