Athletes, Builders, a Team, and three award winners in the categories of Pioneer, Achievement and Bell Memorial Award make up the 2018 list of Inductees
This year 12 Albertan’s have been selected for this prestigious honour. Athletes include winners of Olympic Medals and World Championships, builders, and pioneers who have dedicated endless hours to build sport and sport legacies to where they are today.
These Albertan’s have contributed to the continuous growth of their sport and are truly deserving of this honour that will be awarded to them at the Induction Banquet on June 1st in Red Deer, AB.
2018 Inductees
Doug Barkley
Athlete/Builder, Hockey
Doug Barkley was a fierce competitor and tenacious NHL defenseman whose playing career was cut short
after he suffered an eye injury in 1966. He then took on the roles of Administrator, Scout, Coach,
General Manager and Broadcaster. Doug joined the Detroit Red Wings front office, coached their farm
team, and was twice the team’s Head Coach. Doug returned to Alberta and from 1977 and 1980, was the General
Manager of the Calgary Wranglers and the Calgary Canucks. From 1980 to 2001, Doug was colour commentator
alongside Peter Maher as a part of the Calgary Flames play-by-play team. From 1982 to 1987, he organized, directed,
and taught hockey schools in conjunction with the Calgary Flames.
Keely Brown
Athlete, Ringette
Keely Brown was the first girl to play on her Ontario high school boy’s hockey team, helping her develop
the skills which helped make her one of Canada’s top ringette goalies. After moving to Alberta 2003, she
was Goalie for the National Ringette League’s Edmonton WAM!, competing in 19 Canadian Ringette
Championships; winning nine gold and eight silver medals. She also competed with the senior national team for 14
years and attended five world championships, winning one gold and four silver medals. Drawing on her experience,
Keely became the goalie coach for Team Canada U19 West in 2012 and Team Canada in 2013. Off the ice, Keely holds an
Undergraduate Degree from the University of Toronto and a Law Degree from Osgoode Hall Law School. She now
combines her knowledge of the law with her passion for sport, as the General Counsel for the Edmonton Oilers,
Edmonton Oil Kings, and Edmonton Capitals.
Leighann Doan Reimer
Athlete, Basketball
Leighann Doan Reimer was an outstanding basketball player for the University of Calgary Dinos from 1997
to 2001. In her inaugural year, she was named the CIS Women’s Basketball Rookie of the Year. At the end
of her five years with the team, she had left her mark as the all-time leading scorer with 1,958 points and
averaged 20.8 points a game. Leighann was named 2001 CIS Athlete of the Year – Borden Ladner Gervis Award Winner
and awarded the 2000 and 2001 CIS Women’s Basketball Player of the Year. She was a four-time First Team AllCanadian
and a four-time Academic All-Canadian. While in Spain, she was Captain of the Women’s Basketball
Universiade team and was awarded the honour of Torch Bearer at the 2001 World University Games in China. After
University, Leighann played professional basketball in France from 2001 to 2004. During that time, she also played on
the Canadian women’s national team and competed at the 2003 Pan Am Games and the FIBA Americas (zone) Olympic
qualification tournament.
Theoren Fleury
Athlete, Hockey
Theoren ‘Theo’ Fleury is one of only 39 players in the 100 year history of the National Hockey League to
play more than 1000 regular season games while averaging more than a point per game. During his time
in the NHL, Theo played for the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers, and
Chicago Blackhawks between 1989 and 2003. He won the Stanley Cup in 1989 with the Flames and represented Canada
twice at the Winter Olympics, winning a gold medal in 2002. Since retiring from hockey in 2009, his annual charity golf
tournament has helped raise more than $1 million for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of Canada. Theo also hosts the
“Theo Fleury 14 Hockey Camp” which helps to teach, inspire, and educate young hockey players.
Cindy Klassen
Athlete, Speed Skating
Cindy Klassen is one of Canada’s most accomplished Olympic and World Champion speed skaters.
She is a six-time Winter Olympic medalist with one gold, two silver, and three bronze. A nine-time World
Champion, she broke seven international records and set six world records. At the 2006 Turino Winter
Olympic Games, she became the only Canadian Olympian – and the first female speed skater – to win five medals in a
single Olympic Games. Cindy amassed 115 international medals during 15 years of competitive racing; capturing 46
gold, 41 silver, and 28 bronze. In 2006, Cindy was awarded the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canadian Athlete of the Year.
Phil Allen*
Builder, Basketball
Phil Allen was monumental in the development of basketball in Alberta. He shared his passion and
knowledge for the game with Edmonton’s youth through the development of the club basketball system.
Beginning his coaching career as Head Coach of the SAIT Trojans in 1978, Phil also coached teams at
Grant MacEwan and Lakeland College. In 1979, he coached the Canadian Men’s Wheelchair Basketball Team at the
International Gold Cup. He led his many teams to 10 ACAC Provincial Titles, including seven in a row from 1980-1986. In
his ten national tournament appearances, his teams won 2 gold, 4 silver, and 2 bronze medals. A coach for 28 years,
he set the record for the most wins as a men’s basketball coach in ACAC and CCAAC history with 805 wins. He also holds
the record for most games coached in Men’s ACAC history. Phil received the 1983 CCAA Men’s Basketball Coaching
Excellence Award and was inducted into the ACAC Hall of Fame in 2014. Phil passed away in 2016.
Dave King
Builder, Hockey
Dave King has had a distinguished career in hockey as a coach, mentor, and administrator for more than
40 years. He coached the Canadian Junior team to World Championship Gold in 1982 and
Bronze in 1983. He was hired as an Assistant Coach, then Head Coach and General Manager of the
Canadian National Team from 1983 to 1992. Dave developed a reputation as one of the game’s outstanding tacticians
and teachers. He coached Canada’s Olympic teams in 1984, 1988, and 1992 – with two fourth place finishes and a silver
medal. Currently, he is an Assistant Coach with Team Canada at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. He has
coached at all levels including Bantam, Western Hockey League (WHL), University, and National Hockey League (NHL)
with the Calgary Flames from 1992-1995. Dave also coached the National Team at five International Ice Hockey
Federation World Championships. He travelled and coached abroad in the Russian Super League, German League,
Swedish Elite League, and with Japan’s 1998 Olympic team. His work with the National Coaches Certification Program,
as well as conducting seminars and clinics, mentored many coaches along the way and changed the way the game is
taught and played.
Dr. Lorne Sawula
Builder, Volleyball
Dr. Lorne Sawula was born and raised in Edmonton. He has been a coach, clinician/teacher,
administrator, and author advancing the sport of volleyball world wide. Lorne has coached at the
University, National, and International levels. He coached the national women’s volleyball team from
1982 to 1988, and again from 2001 to 2006. He co-coached the University of Alberta Pandas to three of their six
consecutive CIS titles in the mid 1990s and NAIT’s women’s team to their first Provincial Championship in 2011/12. His
coaching career includes national teams from Switzerland, Australia, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. In 2007, he
started a volleyball sport school at Vimy Ridge Academy in Edmonton and he has sat on a number of International
Volleyball Federation Committees and Commissions. As an author, he has written over 200 articles in technical journals.
He developed the ‘Flow Theory’ concept, which is used by many levels of coaches; from developmental to international
competition. He was a strong believer in using statistical and video analysis to improving the caliber of volleyball.
Calgary Colts 1989 & 1990
Team, Football
The 1989 and 1990 Calgary Colts football teams of the Prairie Junior Football Conference won two
consecutive national championships. In the 1989 season, the Colts entered the playoffs as fourth place in
the regular season standings. Bringing home the victory at the Canadian Bowl Championship game in
McMahon Stadium, the Colts beat the Burlington Tiger Cats 23-6. The following year in 1990, the Colts defended the
national title by defeating host team Windsor AKO by 50-15. The Colts team was formed in 1965 and the 1989
Championship victory was the first national title for the team.
Stuart Erskine
Achievement Award, Mountaineer
Stuart Erskine is an adventurer with a passion for long distance running and mountaineering.
He started endurance running after finishing 15th in a children’s 3-km fun run. He began training
seriously and eventually competed in half and full marathons – including the Boston Marathon and New
York Marathon. Stuart participated three times in one of the world’s most challenging adventure running races, the
Marathon des Sables. He faced grueling heat (50C) and extreme sandstorms while racing 250 km over seven days,
across the Sahara Dessert in Southern Morocco. When an injury encouraged Stuart to switch from long distance running
to mountaineering, he embarked on the Seven Summits Challenge. In a twenty-two month span, he completed each
mountain on his first attempt; reaching the summit of Mount Everest on May 19, 2016. He is currently finishing the
Explorers Grand Slam – reaching the seven summits and skiing to the South Pole and North Pole. He arrived at the
South Pole on January 10, 2016. His last stage begins in April 2018, when he treks to the North Pole.
Dianne Finstad
Bell Memorial Award
Dianne Finstad has specialized in agriculture and rodeo coverage for many years. She began her career at
CKRD-TV and Radio in Red Deer. With a radio show and award winning TV program “The Business of
Farming”, she interviewed countless farm families and covered many events with professionalism and
knowledge. Diane covered events at the Calgary Stampede for CBC Television, Canadian Finals Rodeo for radio, and
reported at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. She hosted the Shaw broadcast of the Ponoka Stampede with Lynn
Phillips and Billy Melville for five years. Diane has been a regular contributor to various publications including Canadian
Cowboy Country, Canadian Rodeo News, and the Red Deer Advocate. Dianne received the Bill Keeler Award from the
Ponoka Stampede Association for her dedication to promoting the sport of rodeo.
Robert ‘Bob’ Davies
Pioneer Award, Basketball
Robert ‘Bob’ Davies was a passionate participant at all aspects of basketball for more than
50 years. Starting in the early 1950s, he coached, refereed, managed, established, and
promoted basketball in the Edmonton leagues, Albertan Associations, and Canadian Associations. He
was on the executive of both the Edmonton Basketball Association and the Alberta Basketball Association. Bob served
on the organizing committees that created the Edmonton Basketball Officials Association and the Alberta Basketball
Officials Association. He coached boys and girls teams at the community, junior, and senior high school levels, as well as
coached teams to national competitions. He organized adult basketball leagues and tournaments and established
formal playoffs and interleague play throughout Alberta. Bob provided much needed leadership and organization which
left a lasting legacy for basketball in the province.
*Inducted posthumously
About the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame
Established in 1957, the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame & Museum is an interactive, hands-on celebration of Alberta’s rich sporting history and has over 11,500 artifacts for visitors to view and enjoy.
Source: Alberta Sports Hall of Fame