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Click on each photos for a list of the players
1986-87
Wetaskiwin Legion 86’s Bantam A Hockey Teams
1987-88
Wetaskiwin Legion 86’s Bantam A Hockey Teams
For two hockey seasons
(1986-1987 & 1987-1988) a group of talented 14 and 15
year-old young men brought excitement and recognition to
Wetaskiwin by capturing the Provincial Bantam A
Championships. Besides winning the Provincial title, each
of these teams were League Champions and won numerous
tournaments. Twenty-eight players composed the two teams
with eight players playing on both teams. They were coached
and managed both years by the same men. Their
accomplishments could not have been achieved without hard
work, dedication, team work and excellent coaching. Because
of their outstanding seasons we are honoring the players,
coaches and manager by inducting these two Legion 86’s
Bantam A Hockey Teams into the Wetaskiwin and County Sports
Hall of Fame.
Double Overtime Win Captures
Provincial Title
During the hockey season, the
1986-1987 Bantam A Legion 86’s won tournaments in Taber,
Andrew, Vegreville and Wetaskiwin. The 86’s won the League
title by sweeping the best of three finals against
Innisfail. The Provincial Championships were held in
Wetaskiwin and the 86‘s lost the first game of the
preliminary round and ended up second in their pool. In the
semi-finals, they played the first place team from the other
pool, the Strathcona Warriors, and in double overtime
defeated them 3-2. In the final, the 86‘s defeated the
Medicine Hat Gas Kings 4-2 to take the title. The 1986-87
Legion 86‘s played 70 games, winning 56, losing 12 and tying
two. That year the 86’s placed twelve players on two
separate Northern Division All Star Teams. Quoting Manager
Bob Hartnell in an article in the Wetaskiwin Times, “I think
our disciplined style of play and our balanced scoring
attack were two major reasons for our success.”
Disciplined Style of Play and
Balanced
Scoring Attack Brings Success
The 1987-1988 version of the
86’s continued the winning record and were the champions in
tournaments in Andrew, Lloydminster, Camrose and
Wetaskiwin. Early in the season in league play the team had
already outscored their opposition 39-14 and because of
their dominant play the Wetaskiwin Times reported “the
juggernaut known as the Bantam A Legion 86 team continues to
roll over the opposition”. Again, the 86’s won the League
title. The eight team Provincial Championships were held
in Lloydminster and Wetaskiwin won the 1988 crown by
defeating the host Lloydminster club 6-5 in the finals. The
1987-1988 Legion 86’s played 67 games with a record of 58
wins, 8 losses and one tie. Eleven players from the 86’s
played in two separate Northern Division All Star Games.
After Bantam, ten of the team
members went on to play Junior hockey. Five played in the
WHL, the others were spread around in the AJHL, SJHL and the
BCJHL. Some of the players stayed in Wetaskiwin and played
Midget hockey. Nine of the players were on the first Iceman
Junior B Team in 1991. Also four team members played
professional hockey after Junior. Many of the players from both of
these teams coach or have coached hockey teams in their
communities and have passed on the skills and life lessons
they learned to young developing hockey players.
“We had the best parent support by
far of any team”
When coach Brian Brown was
inducted into the Wetaskiwin and County Sports Hall of Fame
in 2010, many of the players from these two teams submitted
their thoughts on Brian’s coaching strategies and why these
two teams were so successful. Besides attributing Coach
Brown with his contributions to their achievements, one
quote in particular sums up the feelings of their
experience: “It was a magical time where life long
friendships and great memories were created.” Parents were
also credited with adding to the success of these teams.
After playing in the Provincial Championships in
Lloydminster one player was quoted in the Times: “We had
the best parent support by far of any team”.
The two Legion 86’s teams were
only the second Bantam A team in Alberta to win consecutive
Provincial Championships. Their story should inspire and
motivate young hockey players in our community. We
recognize their accomplishments by inducting the 1986-1987
and the 1987-1988 Legion 86’s Bantam A Hockey Teams into the
Wetaskiwin and County Sports Hall of Fame.
1986-1987 Team Members
were:
Craig Brown, Scott Brownlee,
Derry Burghardt, Jeff Denham, Darcy Elder, Rob Hardy, Rob
Hartnell, Jason Lowe, Travis Hauger, Curtis Palmer, Brad
Prefontaine, Mark Prefontaine, Darcy Rode, Jason
Schatschneider, Al Stashko, and Darcy Werenka, and
affiliates Marc Gagnon, Mike Krause, Shane Ridell; Brian
Brown coach, Scott Hucal, assistant coach, Bob Hartnell
manager, and Barry Prefontaine, trainer.
1987-1988 Team Members
were:
Ryan Bacon, Neil Brown, Derry
Burghardt, Rob Hardy, Kelly Harris, Rob Hartnell, Mike
Krause, Danny Littlebear, Curtis Palmer, Darren Perkins,
Brad Prefontaine, John Reid, Darcy Rode, Jason Thalheimer,
Troy Stephan, Darcy Werenka, Tamon Yanagimoto, Brian Brown
coach, Scott Hucal assistant coach, Bob Hartnell manager.
Information
about an inductee is collected from published sources,
sports archives, scrapbooks,
anecdotal information from family, friends and fans, and the
athlete.
However,
sometimes the best stories and personal insights are gleaned
at the induction dinner
from the introductory comments or
acceptance speech of the inductee or their representative.
Where
possible we have included this
type of information for your enjoyment.
Read the
opening comments made by Sandra Wright when introducing the
Legion 86's.
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