Lance Galbraith, a two-time Kelly Cup champion with the Idaho Steelheads who was widely well-known for his funny moments in his playing days. He passed away on the 15th day of April in a single vehicle accident which occurred within Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.
According to The Ottawa Sun, the accident occurred when the pickup truck that he was driving into an aqueduct near the spot in which he was living. Galbraith died on the spot. He was 42 years old.
“Lance was the heart and soul of our championship teams and a larger-than-life personality and character that touched so many lives within our Steelheads family,” Steelheads president Eric Trapp said in a statement on Twitter from Steelheads. “He was loved by fans for many years, and even when his playing days was over for the Steelheads. “
He played for Idaho for a period of four seasons from 2004 to 2008 and was wearing a Steelheads outfit for 295 games and scored 83 goals and an average of 127 assists. The forward was part of the team which won the state’s Kelly Cup championship teams in 2004 and in 2007.
“We are all in shock with the devastating news of the sudden passing of our great friend and teammate, Lance Galbraith,” John Olver, the team’s coach on the Steelheads during the title season informed his players. “The “Rooster” was among the top athletic players ever to put on in the Steelheads uniform. He was a unique personality , and each time he went into the locker room, the excitement was on the rise. “
Galbraith was not only an athlete with a score, but was also acknowledged as a tough player. He never hesitated to protect his teammates and accumulated a total of 2104 penalty minutes over all eight seasons of ECHL career. This is the sixth-highest total ever recorded by the league.
“Lance was the best teammate you could ask for and the guy that you love to have on your team and hated to play against,” the former Steelheads captain Marty Flichel said in a statement.
Perhaps the acclaim of Galbraith’s in the crowd was as as much about his off-ice antics as the action on the ice. In his Steelheads’ Kelly Cup playoff game between 2004 and 2005, Galbraith as well as teammates Zenon Konopka who played hockey as a junior with Galbraith as well as the Ottawa 67’s were known for attacking teams with costumes.
When they took part in a playoff game against The Gwinnett Gladiators, the pair dressed in the form of Roman Emperors for interview with the media. When the Steelheads traveled to Florida to play their opponents the Florida Everblades in their Kelly Cup finals, they were dressed in safari attire and carried an inflatable alligator toy on the backs of their players.lance galbraith car accident.
In addition to the time he spent in Idaho Galbraith also played within the ECHL with the Augusta Lynx, Dayton Bombers, Alaska Aces and Utah Grizzlies. He also played in 19 games in the American Hockey League with five squads. He was let go after the season of 2010-11 when he was playing for The Wichita Thunder, who were part of the Central Hockey League at the time. lance galbraith car accident, In the time of his professional season He scored scores of 450 points.
The Idaho playoffs of 2007 saw Galbraith be the highest scoring player for the team, with assists (16) and goals (11) along with assists (16) as well as the most penalty time (64).
“Lance was an all-in player,” Derek Laxdal, who was the head coach of the Steelheads during the 2007 championship season and is now an assistant coach with the Dallas Stars, said in an announcement. “He was a huge fan of the sport and he loved playing it. One of the most important things was that he was loved his team. I enjoyed having a game together with Lance in the game. Lance was an integral player in our team that took home title. I kept in contact with Lance throughout his many years. Knowing that he passed in his death is truly heartbreaking. “
