Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame 2024 class features Memorial Cup-winning Rebels

Francon said the last time they had most of the team together was when 18 attended the 2016 Memorial Cup in Red Deer.

“Winning (almost) every game was so much fun. Brent [Coach Sutter] gave us some pretty good rope to have a little fun, and he realized that was part of the team, that we needed to have a little fun away from the rink,” says Francon, reminiscing of the squad that went 46-18-7-1 that season.

“We worked hard, but I remember Justin Mapletoft and me talking one day, and I wasn’t really happy with my role on the team … we had a good chat, and got to thinking about it, how we could really do this and go for the whole thing here. Then my attitude changed, and the team just rolled, and it was a fun season with no better way to cap off my five years. I wasn’t sad taking off my jersey for the last time, which was cool.”

Francon says as a player, most don’t put too much thought into one day being a hall of famer.

“It’ll be something cool for guys to take their kids and show them, or grandkids and so on. It’s another way to have your presence stick around for a while,” he says.

“[Winning the Memorial Cup] is just so hard to do. You’ve got these players for such a short amount of time and there are so many teams chasing that Cup. We were all so fortunate, because you lose your goaltender, you lose some defenseman, injuries are huge; there are a lot of things that have to go right.”

Devin Francon, member of the 2001 Memorial Cup-winning Red Deer Rebels, now Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame inductees, spoke at an AHHF event in Red Deer on March 19, 2024. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

Al Coates, chairman of the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame selection committee, spoke about what defined the champion Rebels team.

“Alberta has a very specific spirit about it, and Red Deer being in the middle of it, I jokingly say this is where the fights start between Oilers and Flames fans, somewhere in a bar in the middle of Red Deer,” he began.

“I had the good fortune of working with the Sutters, and you want to talk about spirit, or the definition of character and winning and whatever it takes, while at the same time treating people well, being classy about it, and being representative of the city you’re from, they embody all that stuff.”

Inductee bios

BILLY DEA – 19-year pro hockey career, along with several years coaching in the NHL. He had two playing stints in the NHL, sandwiched around nine years in the American Hockey League with the Buffalo Bisons, where he set a longevity record by playing 596 straight games. He is a member of the AHL Hall of Fame.
JAROME IGINLA – 20 seasons in the National Hockey League, including 16 with the Calgary Flames. He is the all-time leader for the Calgary Flames in games played (1,219), goals (525) and points (1,095). He is also a multi-time gold medalist with Team Canada, a two-time Memorial Cup champion, and an Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
DAVE KING – Coach and mentor for over 40 years and one of hockey’s finest tacticians and teachers of the game. He has coached at every level of hockey around the world, including major junior, Canadian university, Canada’s national team, the National Hockey League, and European and Russian pro leagues. He is a two-time medalist at the Winter Olympics.
KELLY KISIO – 761 games in the National Hockey League and captain of the New York Rangers for more than three years. He helped turn the Calgary Hitmen into one of the most successful franchises in the Western Hockey League (including two WHL championships), as coach and general manager. Currently a scout with the Vegas Golden Knights, 2023 Stanley Cup champions.
CRAIG MACTAVISH – Four-time Stanley Cup champion during a 17-year playing career in the National Hockey League. Craig also served as an executive, coach and assistant coach in the NHL, coached Team Canada internationally, and coached internationally n Russia and Switzerland. Craig was the last NHL player not to wear a helmet during games.
SHANNON SZABADOS – Trailblazer for female hockey players, one of Canada’s top goaltenders, and the IIHF’s Goaltender of the Decade (2010-20). She is the only goaltender in women’s hockey history to backstop her nation to two gold medals at the Winter Olympics; the first and only female to record a shutout in men’s pro hockey; and the first female to play in the WHL and the Southern Professional Hockey League.
RED DEER REBELS, 2000-01 – The 2001 Memorial Cup champions, defeating Val-d’Or in a come-from-behind overtime victory in Regina. The Rebels had a dominating season, leading the Canadian Hockey League with a 54-12-3-3 regular season. They advanced to the Memorial Cup by defeating Lethbridge, Calgary, Swift Current and Portland in the WHL playoffs.

Tickets for the AHHF Induction Gala are available to purchase here.

by Josh Hall | @Vancan19

Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame 2024 class features Memorial Cup-winning Rebels

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