Don Phelps
Don Phelps dedicated more than four decades of his life towards hockey including 24 years as coach of the Calgary Canucks Junior team, where he totaled 775 victories.
Don helped initiate a Midget AAA League, coached a club to the Air Canada Cup in its inaugural season, was named Calgary Booster Club Sportsman of the year, and won 11 Alberta Junior Hockey League championships.
He was also a successful player, winning two Alberta championships with the Drumheller Miners.
John Jacobs
John Jacobs is a level four official who started his officiating career in 1967. He served as a Clinic Instructor and Referee in Chief in Stettler, Referee Council Member and Referee Zone Coordinator, and coordinated Development Camps to help groom young referees.
On the ice, John worked several national and international events, including six Viking Cups. John has been recognized with a number of awards, including Hockey Alberta’s Hockey Development Award, the Ernie Boruk Award, and the Alberta Sport, Recreation, Parks & Wildlife Foundation Award.
Rick Polutnik
Rick Polutnik’s resume includes five Provincial Championship gold medals, two World Championship silver medals, and two World Championship gold medals. He was a founding member of Hockey Canada’s National Coach Mentorship program, and served as Coach Mentor/ Ambassador to Slovakia as a part of an IIHF program. Rick has coached at every level of the game including minor, college, and National Women and Junior Women’s teams.
Rick also spent nearly 20 years as a volunteer and staff member of Hockey Alberta. In 2013, he received Hockey Canada’s Gordon Juckes Award for contribution to the development of amateur hockey.
Edmonton Flyers (1947-48)
The Edmonton Flyers captured the 1947-1948 Allan Cup championship, emblematic of Senior Hockey supremacy in Canada. The team was led by Frank Currie, Gordie Watt, Doug Lane, Jack Manson and Andy Clovechok, as the Flyers drew regular season crowds well into the thousands each night. In the playoffs, the Flyers overcame injury, equipment failure and suspensions to defeat the Trail Smoke Eaters by margins as wide as 10 goals. In the Allan Cup finals, the Flyers took on the Ottawa Senators. Forcing the series to game four, the Flyers trailed 3-0 early, before unleashing a spectacular third period comeback to claim the national title. Nearly half of Edmonton, an estimated 60,000 people, lined city streets for a parade in the Flyers’ honour.
SAIT Trojans (1980-81)
The 1980-81 SAIT Trojans made the most of their first-ever trip to the Canadian championships, going unbeaten to win the CCAA national crown. The Trojans defeated Cape Breton Capers in the final, after eliminating Ontario’s Conestoga College in the semi-finals. Ron Pierce was named tournament MVP, and was an all-star along with teammates Steve Hanna and Dennis Connelly.
The team was coached by Bob Moore and amassed a regular season win percentage of .875, a record that stood for 20 years.
