A former Drumheller Miner hockey player and long time coach of the Calgary Canucks has been selected to enter the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame (AHHF).
On February 14, the 2013 inductees were announced. Among them is Don Phelps, who was nominated in the Builder Category.
“Every year we enjoy looking back at the accomplishments and recognizing the significant contributions to hockey in Alberta, Canada and beyond,” said Scott Robinson, executive director of the Hockey Alberta Foundation. “The AHHF is a place of legacy, where we can showcase the groundwork and chronicle the game of hockey in Alberta. All of the inductees deserve this honour for their accomplishments.”
Phelps is humbled by the selection.
“It’s flattering to be recognized that way,” he said. “The appreciative part is a lot of kids that I have coached have called and given their congratulations.”
“I still recognize how many people start at the grass roots and coach kids for years and never get recognized or have little or no notoriety.”
While Phelps is known for his long career coaching the Calgary Canucks, his formative years were here in Drumheller.
“My fondest memories are still in Drumheller. To go play for the Drumheller Miners when I was a 21 year old kid… it helped me learn so much about the game, these are memories I’ll never forget.”
Jim Fisher recalls Phelps came to the Drumheller Miners a year after the team’s legendary Allan Cup win. During his tenure he was part of two provincial championship teams.
He played along side Tony Kollman, who could stir things up a bit, often leaving Phelps to clean up the mess.
“I looked after him, he was a bit of an agitator, and couldn’t score goals, so I had to do something to stay in the line-up,” he chuckles.
Phelps met his wife in Drumheller and after he finished playing he coached the Drumheller Falcons for a season.
He went on to become a legend, coaching the Calgary Canucks for 24 seasons.
According to a release, Phelps is someone who leads by example and believes his players give much more to him than he does to them.
Among his accomplishments; he helped to initiate a Midget AAA League and coached a club to the Air Canada Cup in its inaugural season, he is a Calgary Booster Club Sportsman of the year, he has 11 AJHL Championships and 775 wins with the Calgary Canucks.
Though he’s not one to brag about what he’s done, the determination, hard work and modesty that Don Phelps carries with him is a life lesson that lives on in all of the players he’s coached over the years.
The induction ceremony is on June 15 in Red Deer.
