Bo Horvat meant a lot to his West Lorne community growing up, and once he made it to the NHL. They returned the favor.
Bo Horvat meant a lot to his West Lorne community growing up, and once he made it to the NHL. They returned the favor.
New York Islanders star centerman Bo Horvat had many pitstops before making it to the NHL.
As a child from Rodney, Ontario, Horvat started playing with the West Lorne Comets before moving up the ranks, eventually playing for the OHL's London Knights.
On Saturday, West Lorne honored its NHLer by renaming the West Lorne Arena the "Bo Horvat Community Center."
“Honestly, I couldn’t believe it,” Horvat said on 94.1 myFM. “You like to think that you can play in the NHL. That’s your main goal. Never in a million years did I think I was going to get an arena named after me. When I heard that, there was a bunch of emotions.”
West Lorne is a small community with a population of around 1,500 people.
Last year, West Lorne had a chance to win the NHL's Hockeyville sweepstakes.
Horvat had this message, urging people to vote for his hometown rink:
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHy6aA7jXaY[/embed]
And that's what West Lorne did, earning a $250,000 upgrade and $10,000 for equipment. They also got to host a preseason game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabers, with a puck drop in St. Thomas due to logistical issues.
But it was an honor nevertheless, and Horvat played a massive part in what West Lorne hockey is all about.
So, it was fitting that the rink he grew up skating in and honing his craft now bears his name.