Portfolio: Builders
JD PRATT
In the formative years of organized hockey in Manitoba, few individuals shaped the sport’s amateur framework as profoundly as John Downing (JD) Pratt. A dedicated administrator and visionary leader, Pratt was a central figure in transforming hockey from a loosely structured pastime into a coordinated sport. His legacy is most clearly seen in his foundational...
LAURENT KERBRAT
Throughout Manitoba, the hockey rink is the heart of every community in winter. Its pulse kept up by long hours of mostly volunteer work. All the residents of St. Laurent and its neighbouring towns would agree that for 35 years, without the efforts of "the hockey man", there would not have been any ice. And...
JACK MCKENZIE
When Jack Mckenzie first got involved with coaching baseball, football and hockey in River Heights during the early 1960s, he had no idea at the time that his efforts would eventually influence thousands of young athletes. Jack would become a familiar face around River Heights community centre. In addition to coaching and mentoring the young...
WAYNE DESCHOUWER
Born in Holland, MB and raised in Mariapolis, , Wayne Deschouwer's involvement in hockey and many other sports covered nearly 6 decades as a player, coach, manager and administrator. After playing senior hockey at the age of 16 with the Somerset Flyers and eventually the Holland Rockets, he moved to Gladstone, MB where he was...
HARVEY BOLTON
Travelling the roads of Northern Manitoba for over 50 years to referee countless hockey games, long-time Manitoba hockey official Harvey Bolton has a lot of mileage under him. Following in the skate tracks of his father, a former on-ice official, Harvey Bolton first started refereeing hockey games in 1972 at the "Tom Thumb rink" in...
ED REIGLE
Born in Winnipeg in 1924, Ed Reigle spent 2 years in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League before moving to the Oshawa Generals of the OHA for the 1942/43 season. After a Memorial Cup appearance with Oshawa, Reigle began his pro career with the Indianapolis Capitals in the AHL in 1944. While the bulk of his...
MARK CHIPMAN
Winnipeg-born and raised, Mark Chipman is a quiet but fierce defender of his hometown. Graduating from St. Paul's High School in 1979, Mark attended the University of North Dakota between 1979 and 1983, studying Economics while also playing football. After a brief period working in Florida, Mark returned to Winnipeg in 1988 and succeeded his...
KELLY McCRIMMON
Despite never making it to the NHL as a player, Kelly McCrimmon has had a profound influence on helping many other individuals reach that dream. McCrimmon started his junior career as a 16 year old with the WHL Prince Albert Raiders before joining his brother Brad in 1978 with the Brandon Wheat Kings. He played...
BARRY SHENKAROW
In 1978, young Winnipeg lawyer Barry Shenkarow was sitting in on an appeal by the community-owned World Hockey Association Winnipeg Jets looking for buy-in from Winnipeg's business elite to keep the team afloat. Little did he know that within 48 hours he would be part of a new eight-person ownership group tasked with propping up...
Gary Cribbs
Winnipeg-born Cribbs competed in several sports in his youth. After his playing days, he would go on to serve on several community boards, and also find time to coach teams at all levels of hockey. Cribbs served as President of St. James Canadians Junior A Hockey Club in 1972 and 1982. He served on the...
Barry Bonni
Winnipeg-born Bonni began coaching in 1974 and by 1976, had led Bronx Park's Bantam team to the City Finals. He coached several minor hockey teams to championships at many levels, including River East Marauders Tier 2 Juvenile team. He led the River East Royal Knights, a team he founded in 1981, to the Manitoba...
Michael Gobuty
DOB - Winnipeg-born and raised, Gobuty saved the popular but broke Winnipeg Jets franchise during the 1977/78 World Hockey Association season when he stepped forward with an investor group to keep the team in Winnipeg. After winning the Avco Cup and then losing Jet stars Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson to the NHL in 1978,...
Woods, Dianne
Dianne Woods spent years filling volunteer and leadership roles in Manitoba's hockey community Starting with the St. James-Assiniboia Minor Hockey Association, her work helped pioneer the establishment and development of a female hockey program in Manitoba. In the mid-1990's she joined the executive of the St. James Canadians of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League eventually...
Murray, Andy
Born in Gladstone and raised in Souris, Andy Murray has taken advantage of many opportunities that availed themselves throughout a coaching career that has spanned over three decades. After a successful playing career at Brandon University and at the Senior level, Andy started his first head coaching assignment with the Brandon Travellers of the MJHL....
Paddock, John
Oak River native John Paddock's farming background provided him a strong work ethic that he applied while learning the game of hockey in Southwest Manitoba. His efforts with the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL attracted the interest of the NHL's Washington Capitals who selected him in the 1974 NHL Entry Draft, After a 10...
Hares, Al
In Selkirk, Al Hares is “Mr. Hockey”.It is estimated that in over 50 years involved with hockey, 33 as a coach, Al Hares has spent 10,000 hours behind the bench or in his office pursuing, studying and re-thinking the game he loves.Al led the Selkirk Steelers Junior A Club to three MJHL Turnbull Cups and...
Fleming, Wayne
Wayne Fleming was an assistant coach in the NHL with Phoenix, Philadelphia, Calgary, Edmonton, The New York Islanders and Tampa Bay. He started it all as the Manitoba Bisons head man and also coached in Russia, Sweden, Germany and Switzerland. Fleming worked with head coach Dave King when Canada won a silver Olympic medal in...
Mackenzie, Don
Don MacKenzie started coaching minor hockey at Isaac Brock Community Club when he was playing junior for the Winnipeg Rangers. He served as a director and then president of the Winnipeg Minor Hockey Association in the 1970s. At the provincial level, he spent 10 years on the executive of the Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association and...
Miller, Tom
Tom Miller is sometimes called " Mr. Hockey in St. James" He became the founding president of The St.James Canucks of the MMJHL in 1978-79 and he is still in the job. They also call him the general manager, fund raiser and team psychologist. Tom always thought area players deserved to have the opportunity to...
Southern, Bruce
Bruce Southern has been involved in hockey as a player, coach and scout for 45 years. Bruce coached the Fort Garry Blues to three MMJHL titles and also coached St. James Canadians and St. Boniface Saints of the MJHL. He was also coach of the WHL Winnipeg Warriors and assistant coach at Calgary and Swift...
Tresoor, Al
When Al Tresoor coached at East Elmwood and then moved to Kelvin Community Centre, he coached winning minor teams at every level. He later went on to coach junior hockey with Kildonan North Stars and St. Boniface Saints. who he led to a Manitoba/Saskatchewan title in 1970-71. Tresoor coached for 29 years. He learned wherever...
Heather, Ian
Ian Heather has been a long-time referee and was referee-in-chief for WMHA 1973-78 and later served in that role for the Winnipeg High School League from 1987-1994. Most of his support, however, referred to his work in referee development which is why he enters the Hall as a builder. Ian was supervisor of officials for...
Chernecki, Wayne
The late Wayne Chernecki would likely have received consideration from the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame as a player or a builder. A star from playground through junior and a Detroit Red Wing draft choice, he played 263 games for the AHL Springfield Kings and Providence Reds. He then returned to Winnipeg and put to...
Robinson, Claude C.
Born in Harriston, Ontario, he moved to Winnipeg at an early age. It was with the Winnipeg Victorias, first as a player then as an executive, that his hockey fever caught fire and he performed exceptionally well in both capacities. The Victorias won both the Stanley Cup and Allan Cup during his association with them....
Pilous, Rudy
Born in Winnipeg, he played junior with the Monarchs and Portage Terriers. He played in England and then went to St. Catharines for a promised job and spot on the senior team. By 1942, he had set up a junior club in St. Catharines. His team made the playoffs the next three seasons. In 1946...
Milford, John Calverly (Jake)
Born in Charlottetown, PEI., Milford played his junior hockey in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League with the Winnipeg Columbus Club and the Kenora Thistles. He turned down offers from the Detroit Red Wings and the New York Rangers in 1936 to play three years in England. He made hockey history when Eddie Shore traded him...
Lawson, Glen
1935 Born in Brandon, Glen Lawson has a connection to many teams in the Westman area. He played junior for the Wheat Kings of the MJHL in 1953-54. He took up coaching a juvenile team in Brandon that played in the senior Big Six League in 1956-57 and won the Riding Mountain intermediate league title...
Dietrich, Don
Don Dietrich of Deloraine, a former defenseman and captain of the Brandon Wheat Kings, soaked up a lot of knowledge as a player in the NHL, AHL, East Coast League, with Team Canada and in Germany and Switzerland. He coached in Switzerland and then brought that knowledge back to Manitoba. He has coached the Southwest...
Foreman, Ted
Ted Foreman played juvenile and junior in the Canadiens organization and reached the Memorial Cup final in 1952-53 with St. Boniface Canadiens. After breaking his leg the following season, he turned to coaching and headed the Spartans, Excelsiors and Riverview minor teams. When the Winnipeg Jets entered the WHA, he was asked in his professional...
Cornell, Bob
Bob Cornell, born and raised in Brandon, had a 25-year association with his hometown junior team , the Wheat Kings. In 1974, he was part of a group that purchased most of the team shares and operated it until 1979. Again in 1985 he and two partners bought the team and turned it over to...
