There was a Drumheller presence at the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame gala as two former residents were inducted as part of two very special teams.
George Kallay, who previously had been inducted on his own, was inducted as part of the 1999 Canada Winter Games Gold Medal team. Also inducted was Shantel Trentham, daughter of Dick and Margaret Trentham. She was a member of the 1991 Canada Winter Games Gold Medal team.
This was the 15th-Anniversary Awards Gala, held in Canmore on July 22.
“Congratulations to all who are being inducted into the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame. Your dedication is what brought us together,” said Bob Clark, chair of the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame in his congratulatory message.
The 1991 Team Alberta Gold Winning team made history, as this was the first year that Female Hockey was added to the Canada Games. In Alberta, 120 players tried out for the 21 spots. Most were from rural communities and most went through the same experience; playing on boy’s teams, changing in boiler rooms or washrooms. As a comparison 6,000 young ladies tried out for the Ontario team.
In pool play, the Alberta team finished with a 3-1 record, with wins over Manitoba, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland. Their loss was at the hand of Quebec. In the semi-final they bested the heavily favoured team from Ontario and went on to play British Columbia in the final, winning 2-1.
Shantel was accompanied by her parents and family members to the induction ceremony. In meeting with her former players she told The Mail it felt like they were together just yesterday.
Kallay’s resume among those in hockey circles is well known. His service has spanned decades and he has fulfilled a number of roles dedicated to player development. He has been a parent, coach, and official, all the way up to serving on the executive of Hockey Alberta, The Hockey Alberta Foundation, and Hockey Canada. He was inducted in 2015.
On this evening he was celebrated as part of the 1999 Team Alberta squad that won the Canada Winter Games. These games were hosted in Newfoundland and Labrador. Kallay was director of operations.
Team Alberta opened the tournament with a one-goal victory over Quebec and finished round robin play with wins over Manitoba, the Yukon, and PEI. In the semifinal, they blew out Ontario 6-0. The final was a rematch between Quebec and Alberta and it went into overtime before Alberta eked out a 3-2 victory.
The team includes a number of players who went on to the NHL including Scott Harnell, Jared Aulin, Dan Blackburn, Brennan Evans, Ben Ondrus and Nathan Smith.
Other inductees this year into the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame include Flames goalie Mike Vernon, Oilers goalie Grant Fuhr, coach Wally Kozak and broadcaster Ron Maclean.
