PHOTO COURTESY MEDICINE HAT TIGERS - The Lanz brothers - with Frank at far left - pose Feb. 20, 2013 at the Medicine Hat Arena to accept their WHL Distinguished Service Award.
Since the Medicine Hat Tigers first hit the ice, the Lanz brothers were there.
On Monday, the team mourned one of their deaths.
Frank Lanz, like his siblings a longtime off-ice official, died recently according to the team. He, along with Balzer, John and Tony Lanz won the WHL’s Distinguished Service Award in 2013 for their time with the team.
They began working for the Tigers in the franchise’s first season, 1970-71. John and Frank were still working when the award was presented on Feb. 20, 2013, while Balzer and Tony remained season-ticket holders.
“The Lanz brothers have been an institution amongst our off-ice officials from the inception of the club,” said Tigers president Darrell Maser in a 2013 press release. “Their dedication and professionalism of being associated with the Tigers for the past 43 years is indeed worthy.”
Balzer Lanz died in 2018. Frank is survived by his wife Rose. He was 78.
The award was first handed out by the WHL in 2004. Play-by-play voice Bob Ridley is another member of the Tigers family to have won it.
Hamblin again
James Hamblin added another two awards from the cancelled season, named the Tigers’ Gerard Moyer Leadership Award winner Monday and co-winner of the hardest working player award Tuesday.
The second-year captain and five-year veteran has already earned leading scorer, most goals and three stars awards and is odds-on favourite to be named MVP when the daily awards announcements come to a close on Sunday.
Hamblin shared the hardest-working award with Ryan Chyzowski. Other awards yet to be announced are the rookie of the year (today), most improved (Thursday), top defensive forward (Friday) and the best defenceman (Saturday).
