Shay Wirll faces off in a game versus the Siksika Buffaloes at Nicholas Sheran Arena on Jan. 18. Wirll recorded an assist in the losing effort.
The grating sound of the skate sharpening machine echoed down the hallway of the underbelly of the hockey arena. The smell of old, sweaty hockey equipment filled the air while the lights flickered, constantly changing the look of the shadows cast down on the floor.
Just a few years ago Shay Wirll was ready to hang up his skates for good, but a lot has changed in the past three seasons. The captain of the Lethbridge Lightning moved to southern Alberta four years ago and thought hockey was about to become a thing of his past.
“I was helping my younger brother and they saw me and asked if I wanted to come out and play some competitive hockey and I said, ‘You know what, let’s give it one more go,’” said Wirll.
The Strasbourg, SK native played elite hockey at several levels including university, college and even a brief taste of the Western Hockey League. By the time he left his home province, he thought those days were over.
“If it wasn’t for the organization and the guys in that room, I don’t think I’d be playing,” said Wirll.
The Lightning are in second place in the Ranchland Hockey League and they seem optimistic about the rest of the season.
“I definitely like where we’re at. I’d be putting our money on us right now to finish the season the right way,” said Mike Teslak, head coach for the team.
It has been a long road for Wirll to get where he is today. He has been playing hockey for almost as long as he can remember.
“When the water froze, I was out there skating. From four or five-years-old I was skating on ice and then I played hockey every year since then,” said Wirll.
Injuries have been a constant not just for the captain, but for the team as a whole. Both Wirll and goalie Cole Schafer have recently experienced setbacks. Schafer suffered a high ankle sprain in the first game of the season and only returned to the goalie crease in mid-January.
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“It is frustrating for sure. You have high expectations for the season, especially provincials. You want to play well,” said Schafer.
Wirll continues to play the sport he loves, despite suffering a concussion and a broken ankle in the past few years.
“I’m 28-years-old, but sometimes I wake up and feel like I’m 35. Hockey beats you up a little bit. I guess if you do the math I’ve been playing for 23 years,” he said.
The Lightning will wrap up its season in March, compete in the playoffs and then host the provincial tournament.
