Local sports journalists, scouts honoured

The Manitoba Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association is adding five new members with years of experience into its media roll of honour.

Kelly Moore is the sports director for radio station CJOB; Russ Hobson, a longtime TV broadcaster for Global, and Curt Keilback is remembered as the play-by-play voice of the Winnipeg Jets before the team moved to Phoenix. Rita (Ringo) Mingo was a sportswriter for the Winnipeg Tribune before it folded in 1980. Most of her career has been in Calgary where she worked for the Sun and the Herald. Jon Thordarson becomes the second photographer to be honoured, joining Hugh Allan. He was the photo editor of the Free Press before his death in 2010. He began his career at the Tribune and later worked for the Sun, as well.

Jon was the unofficial photographer for the media hockey group that played at River Heights Community Club for many years. He also was one of the most competitive players in a casual scrimmage that on occasion got out of hand. In my photo archives, I found a photo he took once long ago Monday using an extension cord so he could be in the front row. Among the culprits are journalists Gord and Dave Sinclair and Bill Burdeney, broadcasters Bob Irving and Barry Moroz, and my longtime writing partner Ted Holland.

Former Manitoba sportswriter Gregg Drinnan has provided updates from Kamloops on the Western Canada Professional Hockey Scouts Foundation. Most importantly, the word ‘western’ has been dropped in a name change that reflects the Foundation’s vision to grow beyond Western Canada and expand its impact across Canada and beyond.

Former Winnipeg broadcaster Les Lazaruk is the 2026 recipient of the Bob Ridley Golden Microphone Honourarium presented annually by the Foundation to a member of the print or broadcasting profession for their dedicated years of service at the major junior level. Lazaruk has been the play-by-play voice of the Saskatoon Blades of the WHL since the 1994-95 season.

When the Foundation holds its annual Wall of Honour induction dinner in Okotoks, Alta. on Aug. 28, four scouts will share the Ace Award in a special recognition of their dedication to the profession and their willingness to help those who were working to follow in their footsteps. The four spent more than 100 years scouting for NHL teams. Two have a Manitoba connection. Ted Hampson captained the Flin Flon Bombers to the 1957 Memorial Cup before embarking on a pro career while Marshall Johnston played for Canada’s national team based in Winnipeg. Saskatchewan’s Lorne Davis and Del Wilson also will be honoured.

The first Ace Awards were presented in 2024 to Dennis Beyak and Drinnan. Beyak, who is best-known locally for his time as the voice of the Winnipeg Jets, got his broadcasting start in Flin Flon covering the Bombers. In addition to his broadcasting career, he worked in management positions for three WHL teams between 1981 and 1995. The Foundation historian, Drinnan came south from Lynn Lake, Man., in 1971 to start his sportswriting career at the Brandon Sun. While in B.C., he covered the WHL for years before he retired after more than 40 years in the profession.

In a recent column about top soccer teams in our province, your columnist was remiss in not mentioning two minor teams from the Sir John Franklin Community Club in River Heights. In 1973, Sir John Franklin won the Canadian minor bantam championship over Beaconsfield, Que., in the final played at the St. Vital Memorial Park. The game was scoreless after regulation time so the teams competed in a five-shot penalty kick contest to determine a winner. Rob Grant, Neil Meadmore, Keith Addison, and Greg La Lier scored for SJF while the Quebec squad only scored three. Mike Williams was the SJF keeper. Two years later in a final played at Crescentwood Community Club, SJF won the Canadian 16U title with a 3-1 victory over the Maple Leaf Olympics from Scarborough. Ont.

John Addison, who is credited with developing the strong soccer program at Sir John Franklin, coached both championship teams. Addison, a native of Scotland, had helped his Musselburgh Union club win a national under-21 championship before he moved to Canada in 1957. In 1962, he played for the ANAF Scottish team that won the Canadian championship. He started coaching at SJF in 1968.