Hockey, football greats inducted into halls of fame

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This article was published 28/06/2022 (910 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame has announced its induction class for 2022. The group includes six players, one builder, one official, one member from the media, and two teams. In addition, one veteran player from early in the 20th century will be honoured. The induction dinner will be held at the CanadInns Polo Park on Oct. 8.

The six players all got their start in Winnipeg at local outdoor rinks. Goalie Sami Jo Small first played at Norberry Community Centre in St. Vital when she was five. In her autobiography, Small mentioned that she played minor hockey against fellow inductee Jason Botterill, who grew up Fort Garry and played for the AAA Mavericks. At age seven, Brad Chartrand started to play at Heritage Victoria in St. James-Assiniboia. Mark Mackay, who was born in Brandon, moved to Winnipeg at age five and began playing at age 10 for the St. Boniface Saints AAA atoms.

The four later played university hockey en route to their HOF careers. Small played on the men’s team at prestigious Stanford in California, where she had a track and field scholarship. Botterill helped the University of Michigan win the NCAA championship in 1996. Chartrand attended the Ivy League university Cornell and captained the team in his junior and senior years. Mackay played two seasons for the U of M Bisons.

Dave Hrechkosy got his start at Northwood CC in the North End before playing junior for the West Kildonan North Stars of the MJHL and then the Jets in the Western League. Defenceman Barry Legge played playground hockey at the Crestview CC before joining the St. James Canadians of the MJHL at age 15. Like Hrechkosy, he quickly moved up to the junior Jets.

Winnipeg Jets executive chairman Mark Chipman will be inducted as a builder, Ron Ottawa is the most deserving official, and the late Winnipeg Free Press reporter Randy Turner, who wrote two books about the Jets, will enter the media section. The 1974-75 Thompson Hawks, who won the Western Canada intermediate AA championship, and the 1953-1961 Pierson Burins, who dominated in the South West Hockey League and won provincial titles in four seasons, will take their place on Hall’s Wall of Honour.

Veteran selection Bernie Morris, who was born in Brandon in 1890, played senior in Manitoba and Saskatchewan before moving to the Victoria Aristocrats of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association in 1914. His lengthy career, which lasted until 1930, included winning the Stanley Cup with Seattle in 1917, when he scored 14 goals in four games.

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The eighth induction ceremony for the Manitoba Football Hall of Fame will be held on July 13 in the Pinnacle Room at Investors Group Field. The class of 2020, which includes 15 individuals and four teams, finally will be able to be honoured. The individual inductees are Lou Bernstein, Shawn Churchill, Kevin Hart, Harold Jackmann, Glen Johnson, Bob Lawler, Al Leitch, Wade Miller, Bernie Novak, Laura Shae, Len Sitter, Victor Solylo, Chris Walby, David Wheeler and Bob Wilkes.

The 1970 North Winnipeg Nomads, the 1970-72 Sisler Spartans, 1971 and 1972 Winnipeg Hawkeyes juveniles, and the 1987 Crocus Plains Plainsmen are the teams that will enter the Hall.