Some familiar faces headline this year’s Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame class of inductees.
There is also a distinct Canada Games flavor to this year’s group.
– Grant Fuhr, five-time Stanley Cup champion with the Edmonton Oilers
– Mike Vernon, 1989 Stanley Cup champion with the Calgary Flames
– Wally Kozak, former Head Scout/Manager of Player Development for Canada’s National Women’s team
– Ron MacLean, host of Hockey Night in Canada and Rogers Hometown Hockey
– 1991 Team Alberta Female, Canada Winter Games gold medalists
– 1999 Team Alberta Male, Canada Winter Games gold medalists
Each of the inductees will be honoured at the AHHF Awards Gala on Sunday, July 22 in Canmore.
Currently the host of Hockey Night in Canada and Rogers Hometown Hockey, MacLean began his broadcasting career in 1978 at CKRD Radio in Red Deer, and in 1984 became host of the Calgary Flames television broadcasts on CFAC in Calgary. He became the sports anchor on the local evening news before joining CBC in 1986 as host of the Toronto Maple Leaf broadcasts on Hockey Night in Canada.
In 1987, Ron became national host of Hockey Night in Canada, which included hosting the legendary Coach’s Corner with Don Cherry.
Fuhr played 20 seasons in the NHL and is best known for his 10 years with the Edmonton Oilers where he won five Stanley Cups. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003 and named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in 100 years of NHL history.
Vernon played 19 NHL seasons, starting and finishing with the Calgary Flames. He hoisted the Stanley Cup in 1989 with the Flames, and then again in 1997 with the Detroit Red Wings. Vernon also won a Memorial Cup title with the Portland Winterhawks in 1983.
Kozak is known as one of the best technical hockey coaches in the world. The list of accomplishments for the native of Wadena, SK, includes national and international championships as a coach, numerous roles with Hockey Canada’s national team programs, mentor to coaches at various levels in Alberta, and author/co-producer of numerous videos and resource materials for coaches of all levels. He points to his time as player with Canada’s national team (1968-69), under coach Father David Bauer, as instrumental in instilling in him the importance of sport and the Olympics in developing a better society.
The 1991 Canada Winter Games in Charlottetown, PEI marked the first year for female hockey in the Canada Winter Games, and it was Team Alberta, featuring Hayley Wickenheiser as a 12-year-old underage player, who won the gold medal.
The gold medalist roster included:
Goaltenders: Jodie Kolada and Lynn Mortensen
Defence: Jacqualine Bauer, Rachelle Bills, Valerie Miles, Trish Sury, Heather Thomson, Shantel Trentham, Stacey Welsh
Forwards: Bobbi Auger, Valerie Gill, Suzette Gillingham, Krista Goplin, Jody Grabas, Melanie Haz, Sheryl McGuire, Sandy Mikula, Erin Pieper, Rochelle Risdale, Brandi Sunstrum, Hayley Wickenheiser
Team Staff: John Kosolowski (Head Coach), Shannon Miller and Loretta Normandeau (Assistant Coaches) Larry Pearson (Director of Operations), Rob Cookson (Hockey Alberta)
The 1999 Team Alberta Male Hockey squad won Alberta’s third gold medal in male hockey in Canada Games competition. Team Alberta’s roster was dotted with players who would go on to successful NHL careers.
Goaltenders: Shane Bendera, Dan Blackburn
Defence: Jay Bouwmeester, Brennan Evans, Jeremy Farr, Dave McCulloch, Ross Oldfield, Dave Selthun
Forwards: Jared Aulin, Adrian Foster (injured, did not play), Richard Hamula, Scott Hartnell, Ben Kilgour, Ben Knopp, Ben Ondrus, Jonathan Pittis, Blake Robson, Colin Sinclair, Nathan Smith, Brett Thurston, Mitch Virostek
Team Staff: George Kallay (Director of Operations), Scott Robinson (Manager, High Performance Programs), Brian McNaughton (Head Coach), Rob Dawson and Bryan Ellerman (Assistant Coaches), Mikki Lanuk (Trainer), Lois Pohold (Therapist), Robin McDonald and Terry McQueen (Equipment Manager), Doug Swanson (Performance Coach)
