Allan Ferchuk
Allan Ferchuk played a significant role in the growth and development of hockey at the collegiate level in Alberta. As head coach of the Red Deer College Kings, his teams won the Canadian College Athletic Association (CCAA) national championship three times in four years between 1976-77 and 1979-90. Away from the ice, Allan served as President and Secretary of the Executive Committee of the ACAC; received the Al Bohonus Award for significant contribution to the ACAC; was a key contributor in the formation of the Lethbridge Pronghorns hockey team and its entry into the ACAC; and was a key advocate for women’s hockey in the ACAC, creating the first college women’s program in Western Canada at Red Deer College.
University of Lethbridge Pronghorns Men’s Hockey Team (1994)
The University of Lethbridge Pronghorns Men’s Hockey team had been around for nine seasons when the 1993-94 campaign began, and team had never managed a winning record. By the end of this special season, the Pronghorns were crowned Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union (CIAU) National Champions, with an overall record of 34-11-3. Coached by Mike Babcock, the team finished first in the Canada West Conference, had the best home and away records, scored the most goals that season, and held the best special team statistics in the conference. The Pronghorns were inducted into the Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame in 1995 and the University of Lethbridge Hall of Fame in 2000.
NAIT Ooks Men’s Hockey Team (1984-85)
The 1984-85 NAIT Ooks achieved the perfect season, going undefeated in regular and post-season play, winning the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) and Canadian Colleges Athletic Association (CCAA) crowns. The Ooks also traveled to Switzerland that season, capturing the Altjahres Cup after defeating the 1984-85 Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union (CIAU) champions, the York Yeomen. The team rewrote the ACAC record book: most goals (222), most assists (343), most points (565), most wins (25) and fewest losses, all of which still stand today. NAIT would only lose twice that season, to the University of Alberta Golden Bears. The team was the first team inducted to the NAIT Athletics Wall of Fame in 2007.
Wally Popik
Wally Popik was involved in various sports for over 50 years as a coach, official and an executive, including: coach and referee at various levels (1963-74), Central Zone Referee Chair (1979-82), clinic instructor, Juvenile League Governor, Senior Council Chair, Hockey Alberta Board Member for nine years, Hockey Alberta’s Referee in Chief (1990-96, 2005-10), and Past-Chair on the Referee Council. Wally was Supervisor for the 1995 IIHF World Junior Championships and served as RIC for the 2000 Royal Bank Cup. Other recognition includes: Hockey Alberta Centennial Award (2007), Life Member of Hockey Alberta Referee Council (2002), Hockey Alberta Development Award (2001) and the Hockey Alberta President’s Award (1993).
Ross Perkins
As a player, Ross Perkins won a Memorial Cup with the Edmonton Oil Kings in 1966, and in 1972, he was voted Central Hockey League Player of the Year. From 1982-86, Ross was GM of the Wainwright Junior B team, coached Team Alberta at the 1983 Canada Winter Games, and coached the Wainwright Midget B team to the Provincial finals in 1984 and 1985.
He was named Alberta Junior Hockey League Coach of the Year in 1986-87 with the Sherwood Park Crusaders, and in 2005 was named to the Central Alberta Junior B Hockey League Wall of Honour.
George H. Harvie
George Harvie was elected as president of the Edmonton and District Hockey in 1962. He began his involvement at the provincial level when he served as first Vice-President for Alberta Amateur Hockey Association (1966-69), and President (1969-74). In 1973, George helped establish the President’s Award for “exceptional service to hockey in Alberta”.
Under his guidance, the council system was introduced to the AAHA, and his work as a special committee chairman for the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association helped with the formation of the council system nationally in 1973. He was inducted into the Edmonton Sports Hall of Fame in 1974.
