HOCKEY NL ANNOUNCES THE NAMES OF FOUR NEW MEMBERS WHO WILL ENTER THE PROVINCIAL HOCKEY HALL OF FAME
May 2, 2016
Media Release
For immediate release
HOCKEY NL ANNOUNCES THE NAMES OF FOUR NEW MEMBERS WHO WILL ENTER THE PROVINCIAL HOCKEY HALL OF FAME
Grand Falls-Windsor, NL- Four individuals have been elected to the Newfoundland Labrador Hockey Hall of Fame. The Hockey NL Selection Committee announced today, they will be officially inducted during an awards ceremony being held in conjunction with the provincial association’s Annual General Meeting at the Albatross Hotel in Gander on Saturday, June 11, 2016.
Elected are Players Charlie Babstock of St. John’s and Juan Strickland of Corner Brook, Builder Wally Dalley of Twillingate, and Media Brian Rogers of Mount Pearl.
In announcing the elections, Committee Chairman Gerry Evans of Mount Pearl cited the four as “exceptional hockey people. They all provided outstanding support and achieved impressive records of service within hockey. They are extremely impressive hockey people within Newfoundland and Labrador. All of hockey can be very proud of the four new members”.
Evans went on to point out “there continues to be a great need for worthy individuals to be nominated for the Hockey Hall of Fame. Interested individuals should become involved in nominations and submit the names of those who are worthy in the various categories. We thank those who nominated this year and we look forward to more nominations next year”.
The four new members are:
Charlie Babstock
Charlie Babstock earned a reputation as a top scoring winger in all divisions of his hockey career. He established himself among one of the better scorers while winning four Herder Memorial Trophies as provincial senior hockey champion and had similar accomplishments during other leagues from high school to professional in Germany.
Performing for teams from St. John’s on four occasions between 1974 and 1978 he played a major role in provincial championship performances. Similarly he was extremely effective in Allan Cup play during the same period in the national senior amateur hockey competition.
His professional career was with Nurenberg in the German Elite Hockey League where he led the team in scoring. In addition he competed in the Atlantic University hockey competition with Memorial University after an impressive career in St. John’s High School and Junior A leagues. He was the city champion and a provincial champion.
Named Guards Athletic Association Athlete of the Year for 1979 he played masters hockey between 1985 and 2014 in Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland Labrador. During his five-year officiating career, he called games for the youth, high school and junior league levels and had a level III certification. From 1985 to 1990 he was assistant coach with Acadia University in the Atlantic Universities Hockey League.
He joins his brother Rick Babstock in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Juan Strickland
Juan Strickland’s playing career ran from 1970 to 2002 and featured exceptional goal scoring and assisting and was arguably the finest skater of his time. It is overflowing with league and team most valuable player award selections, as he was one of the finest forwards of the period and also contributed greatly as a coach, especially in minor hockey.
He played a major role as captain of the Port aux Basques Mariners who won the national Hardy Cup in 1989. Not only was he the top scorer, but he was voted the competition’s most valuable player. He was outstanding the following season as a member of the Campbellton Tigers, New Brunswick’s senior hockey champions.
During his five years at Acadia University, where he began playing as a 16-year-old, he played every game and finished in the Atlantic Intercollegiate top 10 scorers for three of the five seasons. In 1995 he was inducted into the Acadia University Hockey Hall of Fame.
His provincial hockey began in 1970 when he began playing minor hockey in Port aux Basques. He played on all-star teams in every season of minor hockey and was the top scorer in 1976-77. At the high school level he was team scoring leader every year and was league top scorer for one season.
His provincial senior hockey career includes playing for Stephenville Jets, Port aux Basques Mariners, La Scie Jets and Badger Bombers. His play earned him the league’s top scorer twice, most valuable player, rookie of the year and the sportsmanlike player of the year. He was consistently among the top scorers.
He was instrumental in bringing senior hockey to Port aux Basques and to La Scie.
When his playing career ended he provided exceptional technical direction to minor hockey programs in Port aux Basques, Stephenville, Port aux Choix, Natuashish and for nine years in Corner Brook.
In all aspects of Newfoundland Labrador Hockey, Juan Strickland has been an extremely important major contributing factor.
Wally Dalley
Wally Dalley devoted more than 30 years to hockey, played a major role in minor and intermediate operations and was a key factor in many hockey successes as he served as recreation director in Springdale and Twillingate.
He was instrumental in the establishment of a minor system, a successful coach for 10 years, co-ordinator for numerous provincial tournaments and was a dedicated minor hockey parent. He brought his enthusiasm and expertise to provincial minor hockey, serving as central director for eight years and provincial chairman for four years. He participated in all aspects of hockey at the intermediate level and made a lasting contribution that has impacted hockey’s growth and development in Central Newfoundland Labrador.
His 25 years of intermediate play was highlighted by a provincial championship in 1972. He was a level four coach during 10 years of minor coaching and a level four referee’s certificate holder. As an intermediate coach he led the Twillingate Combines to five first place finishes in the Central Beothuck League and three consecutive provincial championships. This was a period of tremendous hockey interest in the region.
While heading Springdale’s recreation in 1964, he contributed valuable involvement in Springdale’s first minor hockey system and was a major aspect of obtaining funding that allowed the Springdale Stadium to open December 1, 1972.
His hockey efforts did not go unnoticed. He was presented with the CAHA Outstanding Service Award in 1999 after earning the Outstanding Service Award for minor hockey in 1979 and the Outstanding Service Award for intermediate hockey in 1984. He was involved in every aspect of hockey, first within Central Newfoundland and then within the entire province.
Hockey is simply better in Newfoundland Labrador because of Wally Dalley’s contribution.
Brian Rogers
Brian Rogers spent 41 years in hockey reporting and play by play announcing and he worked hard and successfully in the promotion of hockey. His obvious passion for hockey has been displayed on a continuous basis and has played a significant role in the success he has enjoyed within the province.
His first hockey involvement occurred in Happy Valley-Goose Bay as a play by play announcer and player. When he was appointed sports editor for the VOCM network within the province, his association with hockey continued. For 15 years he provided results and other stories every day during the hockey season, and hockey news and other aspects of the sport during the off-season.
He was a very active provider of hockey news during his tenure as VOCM’s sports editor.
For the past sixteen seasons, he has established himself as a well-respected and informed play by play announcer for Ice Caps games in St. John’s. During the current season, he has filled three important roles as the team broadcaster for radio, web and tv including hundreds of interviews, promoting hockey through the Ice Caps and their opponents, including opposing coaches and players.
His duties also involved videographer with the Ice Caps and hosting and producing nearly 100 videos promoting the Ice Caps. The videos had well over 90,000 viewers on the Ice Caps YouTube channel. While there are no exact totals for the AHL games he has broadcasted during his career, it is noted he missed only three of more than 1,000 games, one from laryngitis and two following the passing of his father during the 1998-99 season.
His activities have demonstrated that he is among the top five or six play by play announcers in Canada. Only fellow Newfoundland broadcaster Bob Cole out-talents him within the province and his overall capacity to provide accurate and enjoyable play by play ranks him ahead of many other announcers, including those in the NHL. He has displayed an exceptional talent in immediately providing correct pronouncing of some extremely difficult names and his approach to interviews has allowed him to become extremely knowledgeable in many, many aspects of hockey.
Brian Rogers is purely a fine hockey person.
MEMBERS
Members of the Newfoundland and Labrador Hockey Hall of Fame include:
(The Newfoundland and Labrador Hockey Hall of Fame inducted its first members June 11, 1994.)
1994
Player – Frank “Andy” Cahill, Alex Faulkner, George Faulkner, Doug Grant.
AthleteBuilder – Jack Reardigan, Terry Trainor
Builder – Msgr. George Bartlett, Hon. Robert S. Furlong, Donald S. Johnson, Brian Wakelin
1995
Player – Jack Faulkner, Jim “Bucky” Hannaford, Joe Lundrigan, John Murphy, Bill Scott
AthleteBuilder – Joe Byrne, Roger Howse, Hugh Wadden
Builder – Walter Clarke, Carl Hansen, Harold Hillier, Vince Rossiter, T.A. “Gus” Soper
1996
Player – Frank ‘Danky’ Dorrington, Al Dwyer (Jr.), Frank Finlayson, Robert Petrie, Frank Walker
AthleteBuilder – Herbert Augustus “Gus” Herder
Builder – Claude Anstey, Cliff Gorman
1997
Player – Stan Breen, Cal Dunville, Hugh Fardy
Builder – Eric Dawe, Ron Taaffe
1998
Player – Watson John “Wats” Goobie, Wilson “Copper” Leyte, Harry “Moose” Watson
Builder – George “Daddy” Dawe, Samuel James “Sam” Rose
1999
Player – Charles “Charlie” P. Cahill, Michael “Mike” D. Kelly, William Clifton George Martin, Leo Murphy
AthleteBuilder – Walter “Walt” Davis
Builder – Arthur Johnson
Media – Robert “Bob” Cole
2000
Player – George Connors, Jimmy Dawe, Zane Forbes, Merv Green, Donald Howse, Jim Kennedy, Ed Philpott, Terry Ryan Sr., Harold Stanley
AthleteBuilder – Bob Badcock
Builder – Neil Amadio, Peter J, Duffy, Ambrose O’Reilly, William Parrott
Media – John M. Tobin
2001
Player – Terry Gilliam, Rob Gladney, Jim Temple
AthleteBuilder – Rick Babstock
Builder – Mel Andrews, Charlie McCarthy
Media – John Mayo
2002
Player – Randy Pearcey, Jim Penney, Tony White
AthleteBuilder – Ray Bowe
Builder – Ron Healey
Female – Colleen Tapper
Media – George MacLaren
2003
Player – Ian Campbell, Brian Gibbons, Ernie Hynes, Dick Power
AthleteBuilder – Joe Maynard, Gerry Taylor
Builder –Don Walsh
Female – Glennis (Thorne) Thomey
Media – Joe Mullins
2004
Player – Ted Gillies, James Guy, Hubert Hutton, Gerry Lahey, Cyril Power
AthleteBuilder – Stan Cook
Builder – Claude Browne, Howie Meeker, Wayne Mercer, Mike Squires
2005
Player – Bill Breen, Roger Dean, Bern Fitzpatrick, Alfie Hiscock, Andy Sullivan
AthleteBuilder – Wes “Bucko” Trainor
Builder – Frank Moores
Female – Debby Power
2006
Player – Nigel Face, Roger Kennedy, Doug Squires
Builder – Francis Wiseman
Media – John Gibbon
2007
Player – Mike Anderson, Alex Blanchard, Leo Kane, Harry Katrynuk
Builder – Len Butt, Gerry Kelly
Media – Bill Callahan
2008
Player – Eg Billard, Jake Critch, Clar Goulding
AthleteBuilder – Ed O’Brien
Builder – Wayne Russell
2009
Player – Al Bargery, Ford Metcalfe, Ed Oates
Media – John Murphy
2010
Player – Jim Grant, Art Hamlyn, Ed Lawrence
Media – Bruce MacDonald
2011
Player –Kirk Johnson, Ed O’Quinn
Builder – David Brazil, George Fardy
Media – Dee Murphy
2012
Player – Bert Brake
AthleteBuilder – Jim Hornell Sr.
Builder – Jim Hayward, Danny Williams
2013
Player – Ron Cadigan, Len Coughlan, Wayne Faulkner, Todd Stark
AthleteBuilder – Art Barry
Builder – Michael Dinn
2014
Player – Clobie Collins, J.C. Garneau, John Slaney
Builder – Marv Ryder, Glenn Stanford, Leo Rose
2015
Player – Darren Colbourne, Darren Langdon, Dwayne Norris
Builder – Jim Hornell Jr, Rosemary Marshall, Ken Williams
2016
Player – Charlie Babstock, Juan Strickland
Builder – Wally Dalley
Media – Brian Rogers
For more information please contact:
Craig Tulk
709-489-5512