Next up on our “Once a Warrior” is former Cherry Cup Champion Dylan Lebold. Leebs sits 4th on the Stratford Hockey Clubs all time games played list with 190 regular season games played.
DYLAN LEBOLD, Stratford Cullitons/Stratford Warriors #11
2015-2016, 2016-2017, 2017-2018, 2018-2019
My time in Stratford playing for the Cullitons, later named the Warriors, created memories that will last a lifetime. When I first signed in Stratford at the end of training camp when I was 17, I could not stop smiling. During my 4 years, I always looked forward to Friday nights at the Willy and playing in front of 1000+ fans. The Willy Allman is one of the best rinks in junior hockey. The passionate fans each home game made each Friday night that much better too. Being able to play close to home where friends and family came to almost every home game during my 4 years made it that much better too. Stratford is a very passionate hockey town and they are always behind their team 100%.
There is a long list of memories that I have from my time in Stratford. But to pick one major moment, I would have to pick our Cherrey Cup run when I was 17 in 2015-2016. In game 5 of the finals where we solidified the Cherrey Cup, we all raced to our goalie Alex Brooks-Potts in pure joy as the final buzzer went. When I got up from the pile of players, I looked up and saw no empty seats and everyone on their feet cheering at the Willy Allman. It gave me shivers seeing 2200+ fans packed in the arena on that Friday night.
DYLAN LEBOLD FUN FACT: Dylan was the only Stratford player to wear all 3 Stratford jerseys of the past decade: the Culliton jersey, the “W” jersey, and the current “Warrior” jersey.
