Tyler Wong has established himself as an exceptional ambassador for the Lethbridge Hurricanes both on and off the ice.

For the third consecutive year, Cochrane's Tyler Wong has been named the WHL's Eastern Conference Humanitarian of the Year.

Wong was humble when speaking of the recent honour.

"It's a nice recognition to have, but it feels good to be able to do enough work in the community to be recognized as the nominee," says Wong.

Wong created the 'Canes KidSport program in the 2015-16 season and donated $5 to KidSports LethbrIdge and Taber for every goal he scored.

"I started that last year as a way to help unprivileged  kids that can't afford to buy hockey gear or play organized sports just to give them that chance to have that opportunity," explains Wong."

The initiative raised over $6,000 in 2015-16 and after setting a goal to raise $10,000 in 2016-17, Wong recruited Ryley Lindgren (now of the Swift Current Broncos), Giorgio Estephan and Jordy Bellerive to accept the challenge in support of KidSport. With the help of the community and alumni, their target was omce again surpassed.

."Our goal was $10, 000 and we reached $13,000 so It's doubled since last year," he says. "It's an amazing thing to be part of."

In addition to his contributions towards KidSport Lethbridge & Taber, Wong played a vital role in many other ways within the community, including the “Hurricanes Spread Christmas Cheer” program in support of local foodbanks in southern Alberta. Along with coaches and teammates, he helped deliver food hampers and toy baskets and visited senior homes during the holiday season. Beyond this, Wong volunteered as a teacher’s assistant in a local classroom, served as a volunteer on-ice instructor for a number of minor hockey teams throughout the season and most recently worked with the Lethbridge Therapeutic Riding Association to help individuals with mental and physical disabilities through horseback riding.

Wong was also voted as the Hurricanes “Fan Favourite Player” for fifth time, ensuring a clean sweep of the award across the duration of his WHL and Hurricanes career – a feat achieved by no other player in Lethbridge Hurricanes history.