A quintet of Drumheller figure skaters showed Central Alberta their caliber in competition recently.
    On February 1 to 3, figure skaters from the Drumheller Skating Club attend the Central Region Open in Sylvan Lake. More than 600 skaters from across Central Alberta, including larger centres such as Calgary, Edmonton, and Red Deer.
    Five of the Drumheller Club’s members acquitted themselves well against the tough competition.
    “We’re very proud of how the club has done. They placed well against 600 other skaters from across central Alberta. It’s just fabulous,” said Suzette Lafrenierre, club president.
    Nicole Sharpe placed the highest. In the Introductory Interpretive category, she came away with second place. In the Junior Free Skate, she placed third.
    Katelynn Wood placed third in her age group in the Pre-Preliminary Elements and fourth in the Pre-Preliminary Free Skate categories.
    Emilya Wright placed fourth in the Pre-Preliminary Elements and sixth in the Pre-Preliminary Free Skate categories.
    Raine McDougald placed sixth in her age group in the Preliminary Elements and eighth in Preliminary Free Skate.
    Camryn McDougald finished sixth in her age group in the PrePreliminary Free Skate.
    For the skaters across Central Alberta, this was the only chance they had all season to compete against one another.
    “It was the only open competition in our area for the whole season, so if you didn’t skate, you didn’t get to compete for the rest of the year,” said Lafrenierre.
    The girls are hard at work practicing for the upcoming Ice Show at the Drumheller Memorial Arena on March 1. The show will also feature Calgary’s Black Gold Synchronized Skating team, which features two members from the Drumheller Skating Club.
    “All of our club skaters will be performing. It will be a great night,” said Lafreneirre.

Drumheller Skating Club members Katelynn Wood (back left), Raine McDougald, Emilya Wright, Camryn McDougald (front), and Nichole Sharpe (not pictured) were among some of the best figure skaters in Central Alberta after a recent competition in Sylvan Lake. The girls were up against over 600 skaters from across Central Alberta, Calgary, Edmonton, and Red Deer.

    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.