RED DEER – Six folks and a Memorial Cup championship staff had been inducted into the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame (AHHF) on Saturday night.
The elegance of 2024 options 4 former National Hockey League avid gamers, a trailblazer for feminine hockey avid gamers, a world-renowned trainer, and the 2001 Memorial Cup champions.
Billy Dea, Jarome Iginla, Dave King, Kelly Kisio, Craig MacTavish, Shannon Szabados and the 2000-01 Red Deer Rebels had been inducted into the corridor right through the AHHF Gala on the Gary W. Harris Centre in Red Deer.
BILLY DEA
Billy Dea performed 19 years {of professional} hockey, whilst additionally training a number of years within the NHL. He spent maximum of his taking part in occupation with the Buffalo Bisons of the American Hockey League, the place he set a long life file by way of taking part in in 596 consecutive video games which incorporates each common season and playoffs. He additionally frolicked with the New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins.
“I really didn’t think about it much,” Dea mentioned of his ironman streak. “It was my job. You love the game, and you want to play, so you play.”
JAROME IGINLA
Most known for the 16 seasons he spent with the Calgary Flames, Jarome Iginla used to be some of the very best NHL avid gamers of his era. Iginla is the Flames all-time chief in video games performed (1,219), objectives (525), and issues (1,095). Iginla is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, has received more than one gold medals at more than a few ranges with Team Canada, and received two Memorial Cups with the Kamloops Blazers. He spent his closing 4 seasons within the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings.
“It’s a very nice honour,” Iginla mentioned of being inducted. “It makes me think back of all the time I played hockey in Alberta from minor hockey to with the Flames in the NHL. It was a fun career; it went fast but it’s brought a lot of memories back. Times with my grandpa, my teammates and the games … I never thought I’d be in the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame.”
DAVE KING
Dave King has had a outstanding occupation as a trainer and mentor for over 40 years, growing a name as one among hockey’s greatest tacticians and lecturers of the sport. He’s coached at each stage of hockey all over the world together with primary junior, Canadian college, Canada’s National Team, the National Hockey League and European and Russian professional leagues. For 9 years, he used to be the pinnacle trainer and common supervisor of Canada’s full-time nationwide staff. He is a two-time medalist on the Winter Olympics, serving to Canada win silver in 1991-92 and bronze in 2017-18.
“Hockey Alberta has always been a leader,” King mentioned. “It’s always been progressive and that’s why hockey in this province is one of the top programs in the nation.”
KELLY KISIO
Kelly Kisio made his affect each at the ice as a participant and stale the ice within the entrance administrative center. After spending over 700 video games within the National Hockey League and 3 seasons because the captain of the New York Rangers the place he tallied 229 objectives and 658 issues, Kisio grew to become his consideration to turning the Calgary Hitmen into one of the a success franchises within the Western Hockey League. Under his steerage because the staff’s head trainer after which common supervisor, the Hitmen received six Central Division titles, 4 Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy’s because the league’s very best common season staff, 3 convention championships and two Ed Chynoweth Cup’s as league champions. He is lately a scout for the Vegas Golden Knights.
“Just to wear a ‘C’ on your sweater (in the National Hockey League) was something special,” Kisio mentioned of his time as captain of the Rangers. “But to do it in New York, in front of those fans was pretty neat.”
CRAIG MACTAVISH
Craig MacTavish is a four-time Stanley Cup Champion right through his 17-year taking part in occupation within the NHL, 3 of them coming with the Edmonton Oilers and any other with the New York Rangers. He performed in 1,093 video games and registered 480 issues, together with 213 objectives. He additionally served as an government, trainer and assistant trainer within the NHL, the place he helped the Edmonton Oilers to the Stanley Cup Final in 2006-07, coached Team Canada the world over in addition to coached in each Russia and Switzerland.
“My career with the Oilers was 25 plus years and you don’t have longevity in this game without the friendship and loyalty of your organization,” MacTavish mentioned of his occupation. “I came into the organization in 1985 and I was very lucky to come in under the leadership of Glen Sather. I was very fortunate.”
SHANNON SZABADOS
Shannon Szabados is a trailblazer for feminine hockey avid gamers. She used to be the primary feminine to play on the Calgary Macs AAA hockey match, first feminine to play within the Western Hockey League, taking part in in 4 exhibition video games with the Tri-City Americans, first feminine recipient of the AJHL’s best goaltender award and primary feminine to signal and play within the Southern Professional Hockey League. She could also be the primary feminine to win an SPHL recreation and primary and handiest feminine to file a shutout in males’s skilled hockey. She is the one goaltender in ladies’s hockey historical past to backstop her country to 2 gold medals on the Winter Olympics, serving to Canada win gold in each 2010 and 2014. Szabados additionally had a a success school and college occupation with the MacEwan University Griffins and NAIT Ooks males’s hockey groups, successful the ACAC silver medal in 2008 and environment a standard season file for shutouts (5) on path to an ACAC Championship.
“Incredible group of inductees,” Szabados mentioned. “A little humbled myself to be included in this group, so a huge honour for me to be part of this.”
2000-01 RED DEER REBELS
The 2000-01 Red Deer Rebels went 54-12-3-3 over the process the common season, main the Canadian Hockey League. They complex during the Western Hockey League playoffs by way of dispatching the Lethbridge Hurricanes, Calgary Hitmen and Swift Current Broncos ahead of defeating the Portland Winterhawks within the league ultimate. Red Deer certified for the 2001 Memorial Cup in Regina, Saskatchewan the place they went 2-1 within the spherical robin after wins over Val d’Or and Ottawa and a loss to Regina. Their file used to be excellent sufficient to earn an automated berth into the Memorial Cup ultimate the place they as soon as once more defeated Val d’Or in a come-from-behind 6-5 additional time victory.
“We could play any way you wanted,” mentioned Colby Armstrong. “We had size and skill. We could win 1-0, we could win 6-5, we could go play in the back alley and get into the nitty gritty of the game too. It was a really special group.”
For additional information at the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame and the Class of 2024, please consult with www.ahhf.ca.
In addition to the Class of 2024, Robert ‘Bob’ Rawlusyk used to be honoured as the second one recipient of the Robert Clark Legacy Award.
Rawlusyk spent over 40 years training more than one sports activities, each female and male athletes in Drumheller, Stettler, all the way through Canada and in Japan. In 1991, he used to be tasked with organizing nationwide video games between Canada and Russia, steered the World Junior Hockey Committee in Red Deer and used to be the director of the World Under-17 Hockey Championship. For greater than two decades, he urged training clinics and labored as an novice hockey professional.
Rawlusyk used to be a pillar in his group and within the recreation of hockey.
In 2022, the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame Selection Committee introduced the Robert Clark Legacy Award for management in hockey. The award is gifted to somebody who has demonstrated identical pastime, management, collaboration, and integrity in rising and bettering the sport.
The Robert Clark Legacy Award is known as after Honoured Member of the AHHF and Hockey Alberta Life Member, Robert “Bob” Clark, who used to be a huge determine within the hockey group. For over part a century, Clark used to be interested by hockey in Alberta, exhibiting a zeal for rising and bettering the sport for athletes and directors.
