Written by: Scott Savard
Headline photo: Scott Savard
Okotoks, AB (November 25, 2025) – Williams Lake, British Columbia, known for its Stampede, which is the second largest pro rodeo in Canada, it’s where future Hockey Hall of Famer and former Montreal Canadien goaltender Carey Price played his minor hockey, along with being the place that helped raise Okotoks Oilers forward, Grady Gustafson.
Athletic greatness comes from Williams Lake as not only one of the greatest goaltenders to play in the NHL has roots in the area, but Paralympian and Canadian Icon Rick Hansen grew up in the town of over 10.000. Hansen, who has six Paralympic medals (3 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze), helped continue Terry Fox’s legacy with his Man in Motion Tour, which lasted 26 months and spanned over 40,000 km.
“Williams Lake is a small community up in the interior of BC, and it’s a good spot. Lots of hardworking folk there, lots of ranching, and it’s also a big hockey community. I think 20 years ago now, we had a team in the BCHL for a couple of years, and then it kind of fizzled out,” Gustafson said about his hometown of Williams Lake.
Gustafson would give a shoutout to Tyrel Lucas for bringing the Mustangs to the KIJHL recently and said, “They’re a new team, but coming into the league strong and they’re having a good year this year and the town’s getting behind them, so it’s good to see.”
Last season, Gustafson would play the majority of the year with the Cariboo Cougars U18 AAA team in the BCEHL U18 league. He and the Cougars would end up making the trip to Calgary last December as they took part in the Circle K Classic. Evidently, the Cougars would end up in the same division as the Bow Mark Oilers and play against current teammate Dane Gillis (Chestermere, AB) in the tournament, with Gillis starting in the game between the Oilers and Cougars.
“It was great. It’s a great venue, and the hosts did a great job putting on that tournament. Everything is pretty high-class there and just super fun to get a look at the new teams from the States,” he said about the Circle K Classic.
Gustafson said the team would play Detroit, Sioux Falls, and Shattuck St. Mary’s in the tournament, as well as an overtime game against Okotoks.
“It’s a little different, but yeah, it’s funny,” Gustafson responded when asked if it’s weird that he plays for Okotoks after playing against the town in the Circle K Classic. “We ended up beating them in overtime, so I still give it to Gillis a little bit.”
He added that he didn’t know Gillis before coming into this season, but he definitely has joked around with the Oilers netminder about the overtime win over the Bow Mark Oilers at the tournament.
Gustafson’s hockey aspirations started back in Williams Lake, as it is a big hockey community, and he grew up on skates. His dad, Grant, made sure to help Gustafson continue the passion growing up.
“I mean, before I can even remember, I was on skates. Dad always had an outdoor rink built for us in the backyard. He put a lot of hours into that, getting it ready. So, we were always on that, and just kind of a rink rat from the time of four years old. Just playing mini sticks, watching other people, and just always at the rink,” he said about his start in hockey.
As previously mentioned, Williams Lake is also known for its Stampede. Gustafson continued to praise his hometown by saying everyone is super friendly and welcoming.
“Every year we have our Williams Lake Stampede, it draws in a big crowd, I think it’s upwards of 4,000 or 5,000 people a show. It’s a good time,” Gustafson added.
Gustafson’s journey to become a member of the Green and Gold started two summers ago, as he was invited to camp and quickly decided that Okotoks was a place he would like to continue his hockey career.
“I think just through my agent, we were looking around at spots that might be a fit for my play style and a fit for how I wanted to play. Then kind of reached out to them and built a relationship from there. Obviously, came in two years ago now to camp, and I was one of the last cuts, but they offered me a contract out of that camp for the next season. I took that right away after being here and seeing this. I just thought it was a good spot for me to play,” he said about how he became an Oiler.
“I liked their play style, I liked their coaches, and just what they are about around here.”
His choice to stick with the Oilers has paid off as he has suited up for 10 games so far during the 2025-2026 season. Gustafson even got a taste of BCHL hockey last season as he made an appearance for the Green and Gold in game four of the 2025 BCHL playoffs against the Penticton Vees.
“Coming in game four of the playoffs against the number one seed was definitely a big ask, but the guys were super welcoming here, and just coming in from a loan off my U18 season, losing in overtime, and just coming in here and having the guys be so welcoming, and just showing me the ropes was awesome. Get to know most of the guys, and it was fun being around here,” Gustafson said about making his Oiler debut against the Vees in the playoffs last season.
Gustafson added that coming in late last season as a lone also helped him get comfortable with the spring camp before the 2025-2026 BCHL season started, saying that he was able to mingle with the guys a little more as he knew them better than from the last time he was at camp.
The BCHL was also a league that Gustafson had his eye on since he was a young kid, as he grew up attending the Prince George Spruce Kings games.
“Yeah, for sure, I played in Prince George, so, you know, always getting out to Spruce Kings games and just seeing my other buddies go through some programs in the BCHL and just watching the hockey. It’s great hockey. It’s fast, it’s hard, it’s competitive, and I set a goal to get there,” he said.
Another goal of Gustafson’s is to play post-secondary hockey with an NCAA Div 1 school once his junior career comes to a close. He mentioned how his former team of the Cariboo Cougars, helped teach him the balance between hockey and school growing up.
“I was with the Cariboo Cougars program for four years, and they did a great job checking in, making sure we’re on top of our work, and providing resources that you may need if you’re behind or you’re struggling. They’re there to help out, so it was great,” Gustafson explained.
Gustafson also grew up with an older sister named Alexee. He joked that he was the more annoying sibling, but loves competing with his older and only sibling.
“Probably bugged her more than she wanted me to, but it’s good. Super athletic family and always super competitive, whatever the game was, cards, outdoor games, or hockey on the backyard rink. It was super good,” he said about his sister. “She grew up playing hockey, soccer, and she’s been doing a lot of running recently. She just finished a marathon the other week.”
Not only would his sister come out on the outdoor rink, but it was a Gustafson family tradition to hit the rink. Gustafson said he would force his sister and mom out onto the rink before his dad and cousins would join in on the fun.
Gustafson would also add how much his parents, Andrea and Grant, have meant to him and his hockey career.
“They mean everything. They’ve been my rocks supporting me through the whole upbringing of my school and hockey. Just always there for me when I needed someone and two big role models in my life,” Gustafson said about his parents. “They’ve been out one weekend to see me play. They love it here. It’s a great community, and they really like the team and atmosphere, just the town in general.”
Gustafson would reiterate his parents’ sentiments about Okotoks, as he has enjoyed the town south of Calgary himself.
“I like it a lot as well. I think it’s a great little town. Being from a small town, it’s not too big, where it’s a little bit chaotic, but it’s still got the big town amenities, and Calgary’s right there, so it’s super nice,” he said.
One of the advantages of playing in Okotoks is that the Calgary Flames are only a short travel away. Gustafson has made sure to visit the Saddledome since the start of the season, explaining that he was able to see his favourite team, the Montreal Canadiens, play in Calgary. While Gustafson’s early years were spent cheering on the Vancouver Canucks, Carey Price and the Montreal Canadiens would eventually win over the heart of Gustafson.
“I have definitely been to a few Canucks games, probably 10 or 20. Lots of Canucks games growing up when I was younger. I was a die-hard fan growing up, so before I switched over to Montreal,” Gustafson said about his family making the trips down to Vancouver to watch the Canucks play.
He added that his family is big Montreal fans, which also helped him make the switch to a Canadiens fan. Price was the big reason for Gustafson’s choice in switching over to the blue, red, and white. Price, who lived in Anahiem Lake, a three and a half hour drive from Williams Lake, was the minor hockey team location he and his family chose to play for. Price’s dad would eventually buy a four-seater airplane to help Price get to practices and games faster than driving from Anahiem Lake to Williams Lake.
Gustafson would add that he got the opportunity to meet Price on a couple of occasions.
“I have a couple times/ The one time I did meet him, I was in a Save On Foods parking lot, and I was dressed head to toe in Canucks gear. I was pretty young, but my parents were telling me the story. I was almost too young to talk,” he said about meeting Price.
While Price was a goaltender, Gustafson has always had a love for the forward position, specifically centre, but is open to playing on the wing as well.
“Yeah, I think I’d prefer it, but not super adamant about it,” Gustafson said about playing centre. “I can play wherever I’m needed.”
At practice, it’s clear that Gustasfon likes to work on his face-off skill as a centre as he’s always looking to tweak something in his approach or even try winning draws with his stick upside down.
“Yeah, it’s a drill I picked up from a pro guy overseas, and he uses it just to work on his hand-eye coordination. Just picking the puck, so try to implement that into my routine,” he added.
Gustafson, who has been a regular in the lineup for the Oilers lately, picked up not only his first BCHL two weekends ago, but quickly collected his second goal of the season on Saturday against the Trail Smoke Eaters.
“Yeah, it was super nice to get that one off your back, but yeah, I think I was just kind of in the moment. Jeff and Marko made a great play with me out front. I pretty much had to bury that one, or else he was going to give me an earful on the bench after,” Gustafson said about his first BCHL goal.
He would also make sure to praise the Oilers coaching staff this season for helping him continue to improve as a player. Gustafson said that he loves to pick the brains of not only his teammates but also his coaches, any opportunity he can get.
As for the Green Army, Gustafson appreciates the support from everyone and the noise that all the fans bring every night at Viking Rentals Centre.
“Yeah, it’s pretty special to see. A thousand fans a night, a thousand people willing and wanting to come watch our team play. It’s something pretty special to me, and just to see that and play in front of that environment is super cool,” he said about the Green Army.
As for the younger fans who want to grow up to be like Gustafson, he left the youth hockey fans with this message: “Just love the game, honestly. If you love the game and you work hard every day, good things are going to happen. Just continue to work hard and try to get that 1 per cent better every day.”
10 Questions with Grady Gustafson:
What is your go-to cheat meal?
“The Sugar Shack in 70 Mile, poutine with smoked meat and a beaver tail, my go-to. I did try Freddy’s the other week, and it was pretty good. The milkshake and burger from there was definitely good.”
What is your favourite sport other than hockey?
“My dad played university soccer, so growing up, I played quite a bit of soccer in Williams Lake. So, I have to say that.”
Favourite team and player growing up?
“Montreal Canadiens, favourite team. Cole Caufield favourite player. He’s just a pure goal scorer. He’s fun to watch, brings a lot of energy, and he is a smaller guy. I was a smaller guy growing up.”
What is your favourite movie and TV show?
“I just finished Dexter, I like that one a lot, and I finished Prison Break, which I also really liked. Those two, probably for TV shows. Then, for movies, I think Goodwill Hunting. I like that one a lot. I like Shutter Island as well.”
What is your guilty pleasure song?
“Who’s Your Daddy, the Megan Moroney version on Apple Music. It has to be the Megan Moroney version, though.”
Who was your celebrity crush growing up?
“Ah, still is, Ella Langley. Hands down, great music, too.”
If you could relive any day of your life, what day would you choose?
“I think this year, game one of our (Cariboo Cougars) second round of playoffs, I got the chance to score in triple overtime, and the crowd was pretty loud. It was pretty fun that night. So I’ll say that one.”
Would you rather travel to the past or the future?
“I saw Eric Young’s interview, and he said he wants to go to the past to see some dinosaurs. I know he said it was childish, but I’m on the same boat. I like it.”
If you could meet anyone in the world, alive or dead, who would you meet?
“I think Nick Saban. I think he’s such a cultured winner and a stand-up guy. Hit dinner with him, and picking his brain would be super cool.”
Where in the world would you go if I could snap my fingers and get you there right now?
“Alaska. Love to fly fish. I think it’s one of the coolest spots on earth.”
Bonus
Who has the worst stick tape job on the team?
“Gugino is hit or miss. Sometimes I really like what he does, and sometimes it’s a little different. Lots of different designs. So, I’d say Gugino is really hit or miss.”
Do you prefer white or black stick tape?
“White. Growing up, it was always white stick tape.”
What teammate on the Oilers would you have as an emergency contact?
“Eric Young, because he’s got a lot of time on his hands. I think he’d be around for me if I ever needed anything.”
Best advice you have got from your parents?
“I don’t know if I’m copying Eric too much here, but my mom always says treat others how you want to be treated. I think that’s a big one, and just keep going. Keep working hard at everything you do.”
The Okotoks Oilers are a not-for-profit, community-run junior hockey franchise competing in the BCHL and operating out of Viking Rentals Centre. For more information, visit okotoksoilers.com or follow the Oilers on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram.
