Hurricanes rookie Lafournaise experiencing more success

By Lethbridge Herald on January 24, 2026.

Nathan Reiter

Lethbridge Herald

The 2025-26 WHL campaign has been one of learning and development for the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

Lethbridge is currently sitting 10th in the Eastern Conference standings with a 12-33-0-1 record, but signs of a positive future for the Hurricanes are already starting to show.

16-year-old Tyden Lafournaise has been a bright spot for the Hurricanes since the calendar turned to January. In 39 games this season, Lafournaise has tallied 12 points (7g, 5a).

In his last nine games, Lafournaise has registered six points including his first multi-goal performance of his WHL career which came on Jan. 7 against the Seattle Thunderbirds.

Hurricane head coach Matt Anholt says he’s liked the steps Lafournaise has taken since the start of the season.

“His compete level has risen significantly. From when I heard about him in a Bantam draft year, our scouts have always been extremely excited about him as a young man, as a skater, as a skilled player (and) as a 200-foot player. Competitiveness is a learned skill and I think at this level, you got to trial by fire at times. For him, I think his compete has jumped up significantly, that’s why he’s winning more pucks, that’s why he’s making plays under pressure, helping on face-offs, helping in battles and it’s leading to some points. I couldn’t be happier for him because he’s an outstanding young man.”

Since coming back from the holiday break, Lafournaise has had a change in his equipment. At the start of the season, Lafournaise was required by the Hurricane coaching staff to wear a full cage on his helmet due to the fact that he was wearing braces. After getting the wires removed while he was home for the holidays, Lafournaise has been sporting a visor like the rest of his peers.

“It was a little bit of a change going to the visor.” Lafournaise told the Herald. “Since having it off, I think my game’s really grown. I feel like I’m making more plays out there, I got a lot more confidence. When I got the puck on my stick, I’m not afraid to shoot the puck, so it’s been good. I think I still got another step in my game that I’m really looking to add.”

For the majority of the games since the break, Lafournaise has been penciled into the Hurricane lineup on the right wing skating alongside 19-year-old veterans Owen Berge and Kayden Longley. Both Longley and Berge boast more than 150 games of experience in the WHL.

Lafournaise says he’s always learning something new by witnessing how they go about their business up close.

“Every night, even in practice, you learn how these veteran guys work and how every day they’re looking to get better. You show up to the rink in the morning, those two guys are the first ones at the rink, and their body’s prepared. Just to learn little things like that has been huge. In games, you just learn the speed, the compete, how these guys play. You learn that you got to get to the net, and those guys will find you, and you just got to put the puck home.”

Some of the success for Lafournaise can be traced back to how he spent his holiday break. While back home with family in Winnipeg, he says he wanted to keep improving.

“I think my first half wasn’t at the standards that I like. I knew coming into the second half, I had to put in the work. I know a lot of guys probably took a couple of weeks off there at Christmas, but I tried to stay in the gym, tried to stay active, hit the ODRs a couple of times. I thought that was a big key for me. Coming back, just finding my game again, starting to get confidence, got put on a line with Kayden and Owen. It’s been awesome.”

Lafournaise was originally drafted by the Hurricanes in the first round of the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft, 13th overall. He spent last season with the Southern Alberta Hockey Academy (SAHA) U18 prep team where he recorded nine goals and 22 assists in 33 games played.

Despite his short time in Lethbridge so far, Anholt says Lafournaise has taken a lot of pride in the team crest that he wears on his uniform.

“As a kid who was picked in the first round, he believes that he is a 100% thoroughbred Hurricane even though he’s only in his first full season. He really cares about where this team is and where the team wants to head as he gets older. I think for him, it goes to show that it doesn’t matter how old you are. You can compete and really care just in general and give us everything you can give.”