ALBERTA HOCKEY HALL OF FAME CALLS THE CLASS OF 2024

Six individuals and one team set to enter the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame.

RED DEER – Six individuals and a Memorial Cup championship team are being called to the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame (AHHF) as the Class of 2024.

The members of this year’s class are:

• BILLY DEA – 19-year pro hockey career, along with several years coaching in the NHL. He had two playing stints in the NHL, sandwiched around nine years in the American Hockey League with the Buffalo Bisons, where he set a longevity record by playing 596 straight games. He is a member of the AHL Hall of Fame.

• JAROME IGINLA – 20 seasons in the National Hockey League, including 16 with the Calgary Flames. He is the all-time leader for the Calgary Flames in games played (1,219), goals (525) and points (1,095). He is also a multi-time gold medalist with Team Canada, a two-time Memorial Cup champion, and an Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

• DAVE KING – Coach and mentor for over 40 years and one of hockey’s finest tacticians and teachers of the game. He has coached at every level of hockey around the world, including major junior, Canadian university, Canada’s national team, the National Hockey League, and European and Russian pro leagues. He is a two-time medalist at the Winter Olympics.

• KELLY KISIO – 761 games in the National Hockey League and captain of the New York Rangers for more than three years. He helped turn the Calgary Hitmen into one of the most successful franchises in the Western Hockey League (including two WHL championships), as coach and general manager. Currently a scout with the Vegas Golden Knights, 2023 Stanley Cup champions.

• CRAIG MACTAVISH – Four-time Stanley Cup champion during a 17-year playing career in the National Hockey League. Craig also served as an executive, coach and assistant coach in the NHL, coached Team Canada internationally, and coached internationally n Russia and Switzerland. Craig was the last NHL player not to wear a helmet during games.

• SHANNON SZABADOS – Trailblazer for female hockey players, one of Canada’s top goaltenders, and the IIHF’s Goaltender of the Decade (2010-20). She is the only goaltender in women’s hockey history to backstop her nation to two gold medals at the Winter Olympics; the first and only female to record a shutout in men’s pro hockey; and the first female to play in the WHL and the Southern Professional Hockey League.

• RED DEER REBELS, 2000-01 – The 2001 Memorial Cup champions, defeating Val-d’Or in a come-from-behind overtime victory in Regina. The Rebels had a dominating season, leading the Canadian Hockey League with a 54-12-3-3 regular season. They advanced to the Memorial Cup by defeating Lethbridge, Calgary, Swift Current and Portland in the WHL playoffs.

Hockey Alberta hosted the announcement on Tuesday morning at the Gary W. Harris Centre at Red Deer Polytechnic. It was also announced that the AHHF Induction Gala is returning to Red Deer and is being hosted at the Gary W. Harris Centre on Saturday, July 20.

Tickets for the AHHF Induction Gala are available to purchase on ahhf.ca.

The all-time leading scorer in Red Deer Rebels history is being honoured with his very own bobblehead.

Arron Asham was unveiled Tuesday by presenting sponsor Carpet One as the latest Rebels bobblehead, which will be given to the first 1,500 fans through the doors at this Friday’s game (March 1) at the Peavey Mart Centrium between the Rebels and Swift Current Broncos.

Asham played 266 regular season games with the Rebels from 1994-98, compiling a franchise best 292 points. He sits first in team history with 131 goals and second in assists with 161. Asham also had 37 points in 31 playoff games with the Rebels.

The Portage La Prairie, MB, native was drafted 71st overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft and went on to play 789 NHL games over 15 seasons with Montreal, the New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and New York Rangers.

Asham becomes the ninth Rebels legend to be honoured with a bobblehead, joining Colby Armstrong, Matt Dumba, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Dion Phaneuf, Brandon Sutter, Cam Ward, Cam Moon, and Woolly Bully.

Asham, along with several other Rebels Alumni, will be in attendance at Friday’s game. Fans will be able to meet and get an autograph from Asham during the second intermission. 

Tickets for Friday’s game (doors open 6 p.m. with puck drop at 7 p.m.) at the Peavey Mart Centrium are available now through Tickets Alberta.