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2012 Inductees
Player
Sid Abel
Sid Abel was born on Feb. 22, 1918, in the city of Melville. His strong passion for the game grew as he progressed through Minor hockey. Abel’s Junior hockey resume included time spent with his hometown Melville Millionaires (S-SSHL), the Saskatoon Westleys (N-SSHL) and the Flin Flon Bombers (SSHL). Following Abel’s Junior hockey days in Saskatchewan, he began his decorated career as a member of the Detroit Red Wings for 12 seasons. Sid totaled 183 goals, 280 assists for a total of…
Player
Doug Bentley
Doug Bentley was born on Sept. 3, 1916, in the town of Delisle. Doug spent his Minor hockey days terrorizing goaltenders around the province with his blazing speed, skillful touch and high hockey IQ. All 145 pounds of Bentley was originally perceived as too small to play in the NHL. Despite his size, it did not stop him from becoming the premier offensive threat that he always was in the NHL. Bentley broke into the National Hockey League as a 23-year-old for the Chicago Blackhawks. He…
Player
Max Bentley
Max Bentley was born on March 1, 1920, in Delisle. Max was a carbon copy of his older brother Doug. At 155 pounds, Max similarly was a slippery and skillful forward that would stop at nothing to see the puck hit the back of the opponent’s net. Max’s feet never seemed to stop moving which led to his aggressive play and effective offense. He played his first NHL season with the Chicago Blackhawks in 1940 at the age of 18. For the first eight years of his career, Max’s…
Player
Johnny Bower
Johnny Bower (Prince Albert) did not follow the typical path to greatness during his legendary career. Bower was raised in rural Saskatchewan and played his Junior hockey in Prince Albert. Bower was the lone boy in a family of nine children. During this time, his family could not afford proper equipment, so Johnny improvised with what he had. He created his pads from an old mattress, made pucks from horse manure and shaved tree branches into sticks with his father. At only 15 years old, Bower…
Player
Glenn Hall
Glenn Hall was born on Oct. 3, 1931, in Humboldt. Glenn played his Junior hockey in Windsor, Ont., with the Spitfires before signing with the Detroit Red Wings in the summer of 1951. After two seasons spent in Detroit’s farm system, Hall rarely missed a start or an award once his feet were wet in the NHL. Consistent and stellar performances kept shooters awake at night which earned him the nickname “Mr. Goalie.” Hall started every single game in his first year with the Red…
Player
Gordie Howe
Gordie Howe, better known as “Mr. Hockey,” had arguably as big of an impact on the sport as anyone to ever lace up a pair of skates. Howe was born on March 31, 1928, in Floral, Sask. Playing as a young boy, his unique combination of strength, skill, intelligence and determination was matured far beyond his years. Howe was naturally a man playing amongst boys which did not change as he transitioned into his professional career. Howe broke into the league as an 18-year-old with the…
Player
Elmer Lach
Elmer Lach was born in Nokomis, Sask., on Jan. 22, 1918. Lach played 14 seasons in the NHL and suited up for the Montreal Canadiens in all of them. The centerman on the legendary “Punch Line” between Toe Blake and Maurice Richard, played a hard and physical style while still being able to consistently produce points. The peak of Elmer’s career was winning the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's MVP in 1944-45. His 80 points (26 goals, 54 assists) led the NHL in scoring in…
Player
Metro Prystai
Metro Prystai was born on Nov. 7, 1927, in Yorkton, Sask., and was the sixth of seven children. His parents had immigrated to Yorkton from Ukraine around 1896 and did not know any English. The family worked together for everything they had. In the rare occasion of spare time between school, church and keeping up with household chores, the family grew together on a small homemade backyard rink in the winter and baseball diamond in the summer. It was safe to say the sibling rivalry was alive and…
Player
Fred Sasakamoose
Fred Sasakamoose was raised by his parents, Roderick and Judith “Sugil” (Morin), in a six-by-seven metre log house on the reserve at Sandy Lake (now Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation), 72 kilometres northwest of Prince Albert. As a young boy, Fred shared an especially strong bond with his grandfather Alexander Sasakamoose. Alexander could neither hear nor speak, however, he still taught his five-year-old grandson to skate, tying bob skates over his moccasins. A willow branch shaped…
Player
Bryan Trottier
Bryan Trottier was born on July 17, 1956, in the small town of Val Marie, Sask. Trottier learned to skate on a nearby river behind his family home. This was where Trottier first dreamed that maybe one day he would be good enough to play for the local club, the Val Marie Mustangs. Bryan was always a Bronco throughout his Junior hockey career. He broke onto the scene with the Humboldt Broncos of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey league in the 1971-72 season. From there, he jumped up into the…
Builder
Ed Chynoweth
Ed Chynoweth (Dodsland) has been inducted as a builder of the sport of hockey. He acted as the long time president of the WHL and CHL and is the architect of today’s CHL as he helped form the league by bringing together Canada’s 3 major junior leagues. Ed also formed the expansion team now known as the Kootenay Ice. The WHL named its championship trophy the Ed Chynoweth Cup in his honour and the Ed Chynoweth trophy is awarded to the top scorer at the Memorial Cup.
Builder
Bill Hunter
Bill Hunter was one of the most influential and innovative people ever to come out of Saskatchewan when it came to the promotion of hockey in Western Canada. After attending Notre Dame College at Wilcox, he moved to North Battleford, founded Hunter's Sporting Goods and became involved with juvenile hockey. "Wild Bill" Hunter as he was nick-named was coach, general manager and owner in several hockey towns including Regina, Saskatoon, Medicine Hat, Moose Jaw and…
Builder
Gordon Juckes
Gordon Juckes (Watrous) acted as the executive director of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association for 18 years and was pivotal in establishing minor hockey week in Canada. He also worked to establish a fair system for amateur players being drafted into the NHL. Gordon fought for years to have an official world junior hockey tournament and is credited for establishing the World Junior Championship that we know today.
Builder
Monsignor "Pére" Athol Murray
Athol Murray founded Notre Dame College in Wilcox, SK and helped produce 48 championship teams while there. He was a part of the development of 75 NHL players and numerous others that played in other leagues. Athol spent over 50 years developing the game as a member of the Saskatchewan Amateur Hockey Association and played a key part in the development of Canada’s national hockey team.
Builder
Daryl "Doc" Seaman
Daryl Seaman, of Rouleau, is an inductee in the Builder category. Doc relocated the Atlanta Flames to Calgary and was the co-owner of the team for nearly 3 decades including when they earned the title of Stanley Cup Champions in 1989. Darryl was also instrumental in the construction of the Calgary Saddledome and developed project 75 which has contributed over $20 million to grassroots hockey in Canada. Hockey Canada recognized him as a leading contributor to the growth and development of…
Official
Dennis Pottage
Dennis Pottage has been inducted as an official. He served many years as a referee in all levels of hockey. Dennis worked many championships including the CIAU Championship, the Memorial Cup, the Allan Cup, Centennial cup, and Royal Bank Cup. He also served as referee-in-chief for the Canadian Hockey Association and was a supervisor and instructor for the IIHF referee clinics in Japan and Korea. We recognize Dennis for his dedication to hockey and utilizing his expertise to develop others on a…
Grassroots
Bill Ford
Bill Ford, a native of Swift Current, has been inducted as a Grassroots contributor. Bill spent many years as the Recreation Director in Swift Current managing the outdoor rink and organizing youth sports and activities. He served 30 years with the Saskatchewan Amateur Hockey Association as president, manager, and a member of the executive. Bill’s commitments went a long way in providing opportunities for youth and the growth of hockey in Saskatchewan.
Team
1955-64 Semans Wheat Kings
The Wheat Kings were a Senior men’s team who played in the Last Mountain Hockey League. They were the envy of small-town hockey teams as over a span of 10 years they dominated the league, winning five league championships and five provincial intermediate C championships. The passion and commitment for the sport by the team instilled a love and appreciation for the game in the Semans area and Last Mountain Hockey league.
Team
1973-74 Regina Pats
The 1974 Pats earned the WHL title and a berth in the Memorial Cup. After getting down 3-0 in the final, the Pats slowly climbed back into the game and scored the winning goal with only 33 seconds remaining in the game. The Pats won their 1st Memorial Cup as a part of the WHL and their 4th Canadian Junior championship.
Team
1982-83 U of S Huskies
After two consecutive last-minute losses in the CIAU finals, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies finished atop their division with a 16-8 record in the regular season and captured their first Canadian title by defeating Concordia in the CIAU final. Members of the team yielded numerous accolades including Canada West Player of the Year, the Adam Kryczka Memorial Trophy, Rookie of the Year, and the sportsmanship award.
Team
1984-85 Prince Albert Raiders
Just three years after the Prince Albert Raiders inception into the WHL, they achieved the best regular-season record in the league with 58 wins, 11 losses, and three ties. They continued their success into the playoffs with a 12-1 record, earning them a spot in the Memorial Cup. Despite losing their first game, the Raiders came back to win four straight and capture the Memorial Cup title.
Team
1988-89 Swift Current Broncos
The Broncos finished the regular season atop the east division and clinched the WHL title. They had a strong showing in the Memorial Cup round-robin, only losing to Saskatoon. The two teams met again in the final where Swift Current defeated the Blades in a nailbiter in overtime. The ‘89 Broncos still hold the teams’ record for most points, wins, and goals in a season.
