INNISFAIL – When game six of this year’s Stanley Cup final ended on June 26 with the Colorado Avalanche celebrating a six-game victory over the Tampa Bay Lighting, Ray Bennett was already thinking about Innisfail.
And why not? This is where Bennett, now 60-years young, grew up. This is where his first hockey dreams were made. Innisfail was and will always be his hometown.
“It was right away. It was just an affirmation of what we wanted to do. It was not that we did it here or we did this or we did that. It was such a no-brainer because of our families,” said Bennett, whose wife Karla is from Red Deer, and his brother Dale from Calgary and his many other family members just a short distance away from his forever home away from his current Colorado address.
“It was easy. It was not a hard debate at all.”
After careful planning with the Town of Innisfail and with many friends and family members, Bennett came to Innisfail last week after spending more than 22 seasons coaching in the National Hockey League and finally becoming a Stanley Cup champion with the Colorado Avalanche as an assistant coach.
He had previously been shut out of the ultimate professional hockey honour with previous Avalanche teams, as well as with the St. Louis Blues from 2007 to 2017 and the Los Angles Kings from 1999 to 2006.
On Aug. 8, the day finally came that he could bring the Stanley Cup back home to Innisfail and share the glory with friends, family and an entire community of 8,000 citizens.
From early in the morning to late in the evening on Aug. 8, residents were fully energized with a special celebration from one of their own that has rarely, if ever, been given so selflessly to the entire community.
Local organizers of Innisfail’s Stanley Cup Day say at least 1,500 citizens lined up inside the Innisfail Twin Arena to have a photo taken with the Stanley Cup.
Kids proudly wore their hockey jerseys. There was street hockey outside the arena. There was a huge barbecue to feed hundreds. Citizens donated thousands and thousands of dollars for minor hockey.
The smiles, laughter and just feeling good about everything on Aug. 8 was non-stop.
“I just spent two flights going from Calgary to Denver and Denver to St. Louis, and in quiet moments like that you reflect on it,” Bennett told the Albertan after landing in St. Louis. “At the time you’re so busy meeting and greeting people but I actually laughed to myself many, many times during the two flights because of funny conversations and meetings with people I haven’t met in so long, and the joy in people’s faces and the text messages that I have got since Monday (Aug. 8) saying how special (Stanley Cup Day) was for them.
“And you hope that's the case,” he added. “People were just so happy, gracious and kind. I had a sense of what it might mean to some people but I don't think I truly grasped that. It was better than expected.”
So, what can today’s hockey hero from Innisfail do for an encore?
Certainly, the Avalanche remain a powerful NHL team and they will go into the 2022-23 season as the defending Stanley Cup champs and a clear favourite to do it all over again.
“Our core is returning. Our best players are still solid. We've got some young players that will grow into roles and responsibilities on our team,” said Bennett. “Our management has done a terrific job of holding the court together and adding pieces along the way.”
As for his personal ambitions, is there a desire to become a head coach?
Bennett said he is “very happy” with the Colorado Avalanche. As for a move he added there’s only been “one or two times” he’s ever applied for a job in his entire life.
“If you have followed my coaching history, I have been lucky to have been working with some amazing people and so I’ve never sought out the next step, and I feel the same way about this,” said Bennett. “Somebody in knowing me or feels like I can do a good job as a head coach for them, then that opportunity will present itself.
“And if not, then I’m pretty darn happy with what I've done in my career so far.”
