GRANDE PRAIRIE, AB – The Grande Prairie Storm Hockey Club exists to develop a quality junior hockey team made up of dedicated and talented hockey players who want to work together with the community, volunteers and administration. We constantly look for ways to improve our organization and are proud to be an integral part of the Grande Prairie region. We encourage educational advancement and strive to achieve the highest possible results in pursuit of a National Championship.
The Grande Prairie Storm are very pleased to announce the hiring of Storm alumnus Ryan Carter as the team’s new Business Manager. Ryan was selected from a pool of over 70 candidates to fill the position. Ryan will be a familiar face to Storm fans as the fort Nelson, B.C. native suited up for the Storm in 2 seasons 1996/97 and 1997/98, the latter of which saw him set a Storm franchise mark with 47 goals, a record that he still holds today. Ryan is also one of only a handful of Storm players to have scored over 100 points and recorded more than 100 PIMs in a single season.
Ryan’s play earned him a scholarship at NCAA Div I Iona College in New York where he graduated with a business degree and worked in finance on Wall Street. After finishing college Ryan continued to pursue a hockey career while furthering his education as he played professional hockey and earned his MBA majoring in finance.
Upon retiring from professional hockey Ryan eventually returned to his hometown of Fort Nelson where he currently runs two successful businesses in addition to his role as the Director of Finance for the Municipality of Fort Nelson. Ryan’s return to Grande Prairie will see him reunited with Storm coach/GM Mike Vandekamp whom Ryan played for as a member of the Fort St. John Huskies and as part of the Allan Cup winning Fort St. John Flyers.
When asked about what prompted him to take on the role as Storm Business Manager Ryan stated, “I love the City of Grande Prairie and the people, it’s a great place to live and work and my passion for the game of hockey has never left. I’m excited to introduce my wife Tami and our three kids to this amazing community and being able to do it as a member of the Storm is the icing on the cake. We can’t wait to get started!”
Storm President Murray Toews noted, “Hiring Ryan Carter to take over the business of the Storm is as big a move for this team as hiring Mike [Vandekamp] was. The Board has every confidence in Ryan and his ability to bring continued prosperity to the organization and grow our relationship with the City, our Sponsors and most importantly our fans. Today is a very good day for the Grande Prairie Storm and hockey in the Peace Country.”
Ryan Carter will officially start in his new role with the Storm on June 15th. Anyone interested in becoming a Storm sponsor or registering for season tickets can contact Ryan at the Storm office @ 780.897.1747.