The British Columbia Hockey Hall of Fame will welcome a new class of inductees in 2014, among them is Nelson’s own Pat Price.
A first round NHL draft pick in 1975, Price was a standout defenceman in junior, playing for the Saskatoon Blades. He recorded 147 points in his final junior season and was selected 11th overall by the New York Islanders in the 1975 amateur draft.
He was also the first round pick of the Vancouver Blazers in the World Hockey Association (WHA) draft. The WHA was an upstart league that attempted to challenge the NHL. It eventually folded with four of its squads — the Edmonton Oilers, Quebec Nordiques, Winnipeg Jets and Hartford Whalers — joining the NHL.
Price opted to sign with the WHA’s Blazers and, at the time, he received the biggest rookie contract in professional hockey at $1.3 million over five seasons.
He later played for the Islanders, the Oilers, Pittsburgh Penguins, the Nordiques, New York Rangers and th Minnesota North Stars.
Price played 726 games in the NHL.
Joining Price as a 2014 inductee are former Vancouver Canucks’ goaltender Kirk McLean, veteran BC Hockey program development coordinator Bill Ennos and the 2004 Memorial Cup Champion Kelowna Rockets.
The BC Hockey Hall of Fame 2014 Induction will be held on Friday, July 25 in Penticton at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
