Former Castlegar resident and NHL centre, Shawn Horcoff, was traded in a deal that saw the Edmonton Oilers lose a captain and gain defenceman Philip Larsen (plus a 7th round selection in the 2016 NHL Draft) from the Dallas Stars. The trade was announced on Friday, July 5.
The 34-year-old Horcoff was born in Trail but was raised and went to school in Castlegar.He played in the Castlegar Minor Hockey Association from 1983 through 1993 and was part of the winning team at the BCAHA Pee Wee Single A 1991-92 Provincial Championship.
Horcoff also played in the Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League totalling 154 points in 96 career games. He had an outstanding college hockey career which saw him win five major awards in his final year (2000).
Horcoff has also represented Canada three times in international competition winning gold and silver in World Championships in 2003 and 2009, respectively.
But it was in the NHL as a member of the Oilers that Horcoff really made it big. Drafted in the fourth round (99th overall) in 1998, Edmonton was his only NHL home until this year.
In 796 games with Edmonton, he amassed 162 goals, 285 assists and 511 penalty minutes. His leadership on the ice led him to wearing the "C" starting in October of 2010.