Jarome Iginla Headlines 2024 Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame Class
A decorated WHL-laden class led by 21-year NHL veteran, as well as a women's hockey trailblazer.
Photo by Brett Holmes-USA TODAY Sports - Jarome Iginla Headlines 2024 Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame ClassJuly 20- The 2024 Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame class, announced in March, held their induction ceremony in Red Deer, Alta. and many important names were recognized, including an entire team.
Jarome Iginla: "Iggy" as he was famously known, played three seasons with the Kamloops Blazers from 1993-1996 and collected 236 points in 183 games; finishing his WHL career with 63 goals and 136 points in 63 games in his final season. The St. Albert native would then go on to have an extensive NHL career, playing over 1500 games, the majority of which were with the Calgary Flames. Iginla had his number 12 retired by the Flames organization in March 2019 after becoming an icon for the team, the city, and the province.
Shannon Szabados: A clear-cut legend in the world of women's hockey, Szabados was a pioneer for many young women after her. While she spent the vast majority of her junior career in the Alberta Junior Hockey League, she did become the first female to appear in a WHL game; one appearance with the Tri-City Americans in 2002-03. Along with many other accolades, such as being the only female goaltender to record a shutout in men's professional hockey, Szabados raised the bar for what women's hockey can be.
2000-01 Red Deer Rebels: Without question the best iteration of this franchise, as they went into the playoffs sporting a 54-12-3-3 record and defeated Lethbridge, Calgary, Swift Current, and Portland en route to a Memorial Cup appearance in Regina. There, Red Deer pulled off an overtime comeback victory against Val-d'Or in the finals to capture their first and (to this point) only Memorial Cup championship.
In addition, several players from these Rebels continued into successful NHL careers, including 2006 Stanley Cup Champion Cam Ward and 14-year veteran Martin Erat.
Kelly Kisio: Despite playing for three different American NHL teams over his 14-year career, Kisio spent his junior career close to home. The Red Deer native played two seasons with the Rustlers of the AJHL and two with the Calgary Wranglers of the WHL, performing at over two points per game for his entire run. After retiring from the NHL, Kisio took a variety of roles with the Calgary Hitmen from 1998-2016, including 15 seasons as General Manager.
Dave King: Although his tenure in the WHL was short, he made an impact. King tied for the Coach of the Year award in 1978 as a member of the now-defunct Billings Bighorns, as part of his second and final season in the league. King would then go on to have a successful professional and international career, winning back-to-back Spengler Cups in 2017 and 2018 as well as a pair of silver medals at the World Championships.
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