(supplied/ Hockey Alberta)

By Ian Gustafson

Hockey History

Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame to move to the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre

Jul 28, 2025 | 6:00 AM

The Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame (AHHF) has found a new home.

During the Hall of Fame induction gala just over a week ago, it was announced they’d be moving to the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre, and that a pair of displays will be built over the next year.

The organization felt the Hall of Fame should be in a rink and in the same space as the Hockey Alberta office — as opposed to within the nearby Alberta Sports Hall of Fame. Their partnership with Red Deer Polytechnic also played a factor.

Al Coates, chair of the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame selection committee, said Alberta has a rich history in the game of hockey, including a long list of people who’ve had a major impact.

“The bottom line is we needed a gathering place where people can see all of this and soak it all up,” he said. “Quite frankly, when you look at the centre, there is now in excess of 250,000 people either using or visiting it on an annual basis. That’s only going to grow as more and more things take place there.”

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Renderings created by the design team at Red Deer Polytechnic show a wall display of all the AHHF inductees. In addition, there will be a few more displays near the entrance of the building which will highlight other forms of hockey history in the province, including trophies and other memorabilia.

They will begin construction this fall, but no official completion date has been confirmed. However, Coates believes it will be fully complete before next July’s induction gala at RDP.

“I’m just really happy with the collaboration of everybody. It’s really important to be able to capture this and showcase it because I wasn’t raised in Alberta, but I’ve been here since 1980. It’s a great province and we’re very proud of our hockey history,” Coates added.

The new displays that will be erected in the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre will shine a spotlight on hockey — more specifically, the history of the game both past and current in the building’s main arteries.

The AHHF induction gala was previously held in Canmore, before moving it to Red Deer in 2024 for the first time. They actually explored the option of making Canmore the home of the Hall of Fame, but Coates said it made more sense to have it in Red Deer.

This announcement also means the induction gala, which is held annually in July, will remain in Red Deer for years to come.

“We’ve only been there two years now, but it’s been fabulous. The evening has been so much fun with great stories and great food,” he said. “The presentation on Saturday night in the facility was exceptional. We’re happy for it to continue there.”

(Supplied/Hockey Alberta)

Coates explained they’ll continue to work with the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame but felt they needed their own home.

Executive director of the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame, Tracey Kinsella, said they will still be very much involved with helping to curate the Hockey Hall of Fame’s space at the RDP facility.

Hockey Alberta will also still display items at the Sports Hall of Fame.

“They’re still one of our provincial sport organizations and very much a big part of our operations. A big part of Alberta’s sport history is tied up in Hockey Alberta,” Kinsella said.

“It’s just an opportunity for them to showcase their sport to more of the community.”