Wray Inducted Into BC Hockey Hall Of Fame:

Vernon Vipers owner Wray inducted into BC Hockey Hall of Fame

Thursday, January 6, 2011 - Submitted by BCHL Media

Vernon Vipers owner Dr. Duncan Wray was one of five 2011 inductees to the British Columbia Hockey Hall of Fame, the organization announced Wednesday. The news was certainly not expected by the longtime owner.

"When I heard, I was floored, overwhelmed;" said Wray. "I was shocked; I never would have dreamed I'd be a member of any Hall of Fame."

Wray says his own hockey career took him through his high school years but no further. The Montreal native grew up with a love of the game and credits his father for instilling that passion in him.

"I was a very mediocre player, but I loved the game and I thank my father for that. He made sure I knew all about the game and the NHL."

An oral surgeon, Wray purchased the Vernon franchise in 1992 when the team nickname was the Lakers. Since then, the club has won eight Interior Conference titles, six Fred Page Cups, five Doyle Cups and four Royal Bank Cup national championships.

"I was doing some (oral surgery) work with the team and when it came up for sale, I thought, 'Maybe I can do this,' and the rest, as they say, is history."

Other inductees for 2011 are retired NHL great Joe Sakic, 25-year on-ice official Rob Schick, longtime NHL player and coach Jack McIlhargey and the 1986 Penticton Knights, the first BCHL team to win a national championship.

A father of five, Wray is humbled to be inducted alongside such names.

"It's a really big accolade to me when you look at the the people I'm going in with. My hockey career pales in comparison to them."

Ever since taking ownership of the team, Wray has served on the BCHL board of governors and was chairman from 1999 to 2006.