There aren't many as memorable on the ice as Tony Kollman, and now he is being inducted into the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame.
This year's inductees were announced Wednesday March 15. Kollman is in a 2017 class that includes Glen Sather and the Sutter family.
Few have matched the legacy left by Tony Kollman on amateur hockey in Alberta in the 1960s and 70s.
In another era, he might have been a star at the professional level. For Tony, his profession as a hospital administrator meant that his hockey skills would be largely on display in Alberta, with appearances at the national and international levels.
The native of Major, SK, Tony’s career started in Saskatchewan with Regina (SJHL) and Kerrobert (SIHL) before moving to Alberta. He played one year with the Hanna Hornets (MVP, leading scorer) before moving to the Drumheller Miners for what would be an 11-year career (1959-60 to 1970-71). His playing career finished with two seasons with the Senior A Calgary Stampeders.
It was during that prosperous decade with Drumheller that Kollman starred. Drumheller won four Alberta Senior Hockey championships. The capstone was the 1965-66 season, when Drumheller won the Allan Cup (with Tony leading the team in scoring), returning the trophy to Alberta for the first time in 18 years. Then, in 1966-67, the team participated in a European Tour and the AhearneCup in Sweden. During his career in Drumheller, he was named Team MVP nine times, led the team in total points eight times, and penalty minutes six times.
Tony also was the most sought-after player in the 1960s by other teams in Alberta looking to bolster their ranks in the playoffs or overseas tours. He was an addition to teams such as the Olds Elks (1960-61 Western Canadian Intermediate A champions), and Lacombe Rockets (Ahearne Cup, European tour, 1964-65).
Tony did get his chance to play at the professional level, joining the Salt Lake Golden Eagles (5 games, 1970-71), and playing a key role with the Roanoke Valley Rebels (1972-73), a farm team of the new World Hockey Association’s Philadelphia Blazers. Tony played the final nine games of the regular season, and 12 playoff games, totaling 27 points for Roanoke Valley. But his real profession came calling, and he had to return to Alberta with the league final tied 1-1. Roanoke lost in five games.
Not only was Tony a star player, after his major playing days were over he stayed involved in hockey and helped introduce Junior A hockey to east-central Alberta, as co-owner of the Drumheller Falcons. The Falcons operated from 1971-82.
The induction ceremony is on Sunday July 23.
