Visit HockeySask.ca
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
Edward "Ed" Chynoweth
Ed Chynoweth, born in Dodsland and raised in Coleville, broke into the executive ranks in Saskatoon. He became the first full-time president of both the Western Canada Hockey League (now known as the Western Hockey League) in 1972 and the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League (now known as the Canadian Hockey League) in 1976. Chynoweth held the position in both the WHL and CHL until he was awarded a WHL expansion franchise in 1995. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Educational…
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 is one of the most renowned hockey administrators in Canadian history. He oversaw the development of the game provincially, nationally as well as internationally. His tireless effort for the betterment of the game of hockey was recognized worldwide. At a young age, Juckes moved to Melville where he played minor hockey and acquired an intense love of the game. Early in the Second World War, Juckes enlisted in the Royal Canadian Artillery and rose to the rank of major. His…
Builder
Monsignor "Pére" Athol Murray
Notre Dame College rose out of the Prairies to become the institution it is today because of Monsignor 'Pere' Athol Murray's determination, intelligence, high ideals, and above all, his unwavering belief in God and the primacy of the spiritual. Murray (better known as Père or Father) was educated in the classics and the liberal arts at Montreal's Loyola College, Toronto's St. Michael's College, St. Hyacinthe College in Quebec, and Laval University. While studying…
Builder
Daryl "Doc" Seaman
"Doc" Seaman was one of Alberta's most successful oilmen and industrialists through his company, Bow Valley Industries, along with many other ventures. Seaman and his brothers, B.J. and Don Seaman, were among the first wave of adventurous oilmen who pioneered the industry after the Second World War. Doc's war record was truly remarkable. Seaman flew 82 successful combat missions out of North Africa as a sub-hunting pilot. For this achievement, he earned a Government of…
Official
Dennis Pottage
Dennis Pottage enjoyed a passion for hockey and in particular for hockey officiating. As a referee Dennis began officiating with the Regina Hockey Officials Association where he worked all levels of hockey and quickly established himself as one of the province's elite officials. Dennis worked numerous national championships including the CIAU Championship, the Memorial Cup, the Allan Cup, the Centennial Cup, and the Royal Bank Cup. Some he worked several times. He was selected to…
Grassroots
William "Bill" Ford
For over 50 years William "Bill" Ford contributed to the development of hockey in Swift Current, in Saskatchewan and in Canada. Ford was significantly involved in the setting up of Swift Current Minor Hockey starting in 1939. He served on the executive of the Saskatchewan Amateur Hockey Association (SAHA) from 1954 to 1962 and served as president of the SAHA from 1960 to 1962. Ford became the secretary-manager of the SAHA in 1963 and served in that capacity through 1976. He also…
Team
1955-1964 Semans Wheat Kings
The 1955-64 Semans Wheat Kings were a senior men's team that played in the Last Mountain Hockey League. The village of Semans was established in 1908 and organized hockey was started in the community in the same year. As winners of five league championships and five provincial intermediate "C" championships, the Semans Wheat Kings were a dominant force for roughly a decade. The Wheat Kings dominance during that time was triggered by their players, coach, management's…
Team
1973-1974 Regina Pats
Under the guidance of Head Coach Bob Turner, the Regina Pats put up a 43-14-11 record in the 1973-74 regular season and advanced to the Memorial Cup beating the rival Saskatoon Blades, Swift Current Broncos and Calgary Centennials. The Memorial Cup final was a rematch against the Quebec Remparts. The Pats trailed 3-0 near the 17-minute mark of the opening frame before Clark Gillies' goal started the Regina comeback. Trailing 3-1 going into the middle period, Turner walked into the dressing…
Team
1982-1983 University of Saskatchewan Huskies
The University of Saskatchewan Huskies made three straight national championship finals from 1981-83. With former Huskie centre Dave King as coach, the "Hustlin' Huskie" was adopted as the symbol of the team to illustrate the values of hard work, dedication, and determination. After dominating the Canada West Hockey Conference throughout the 1982-83 season with a 16-8 record, the Huskies were triumphant and brought home the CIAU national championship by defeating the Concordia…
Team
1984-1985 Prince Albert Raiders
Just three years after their inception into the WHL, the Prince Albert Raiders had 13 returning players, got off to a great start, and never looked back. They set records in 1985 for wins (58), fewest losses (11), most goals (481), and fewest goals against (255). Dan Hodgson scored 70 goals, had 112 assists, and also played for Terry Simpson's national junior team in Finland. Linemates Dave Pasin and Tony Grenier scored over 60 goals each, giving the line a total of almost 200 goals. This…
Team
1988-1989 Swift Current Broncos
Just three years after returning to Swift Current and the devastating bus crash which cost the lives of four teammates in 1986, the Broncos reached the pinnacle of junior hockey winning the 1989 Memorial Cup. The 1989 Broncos are one of the greatest teams in the history of major junior hockey winning 33 of 36 home games. They finished with 180 power-play goals and had five 100-point scorers. The Broncos finished the regular season with a 55-16-1 record, good for 111 points, and went a…
