Getting the call to the Manitoba Hockey Hall

Manitoba’s impressive hockey past was on full display Tuesday at the provincial Hockey Hall of Fame. The Class of 2026 was unveiled, complete with six players, two teams, two grassroots members, a builder, an official, a veteran and a media member.

The official induction is set to be held during a gala event on Oct. 3.

“It’s just awesome. A real honour. I’m getting choked up,” Elaine Lower told the Free Press following the ceremony at the Hockey For All Centre.

She was a founding member of the women’s hockey team built through the Canadian Polish Athletic Club, which first hit the ice in 1975 and will be enshrined in the “dynasty” category.

The CPAC squad involved a core group of young players from the Border Community Club who had been playing together since childhood. They secured funding, began organizing late night outdoor practices and faced plenty of challenges, including small rosters.

They began to dominate women’s hockey in the province — winning eight consecutive city championships — and even through Western Canada, which was lagging far behind the men’s game at the time.

They represented Manitoba at the Western Canadian Championships for five straight years, reaching the final each time and winning twice. They also were frequent competitors in the Sweetheart Tournament in North Battleford, Sask., and played in the first-ever National Women’s Hockey Championships in Brantford, Ont.

“I’d like to think we were pioneers,” said Lower, who was joined on Tuesday by a dozen other former teammates and marvelled at the current state of the women’s game.

“Now you look at things and it’s just go, go go. It’s been awesome to see where hockey has gone.”

PLAYER CATEGORY:

Arron Asham: From his hometown Portage Terriers of the MJHL to parts of 12 NHL seasons on five different teams, Asham was as tough as they come. He now continues to support and promote hockey within Indigenous communities in Central Manitoba.

Ken Baumgartner: A 12-year NHL career with five different teams was followed up by earning a business and finance degree from Hofstra University and serving as NHLPA vice-president, then later completing an MBA at Harvard.

Larry Brown: The Brandon product spent 10 years in the NHL, with the majority of it patrolling the blue line for the Los Angeles Kings during the 1970s.

Delaney Collins: A terrific defender from Pilot Mound who attended Notre Dame College in Saskatchewan, then embarked on an outstanding university career with Concordia and the University of Alberta before turning pro. She is the coach of the Hungarian national women’s hockey team and a skills coach for the IIHF and the Nashville Jr. Predators.

Mike Leclerc: The Winnipegger starred with the Victoria Cougars and Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL, ultimately getting drafted by Anaheim — and spent five years playing with the likes of Teemu Selanne and Paul Kariya. Also played for Phoenix and Calgary.

Bryce Salvador: Another Brandon native, the shutdown defenceman played 14 seasons with the St. Louis Blues and New Jersey Devils where he still works now as a television studio analyst and rinkside reporter for home broadcasts.

1968/69 Flin Flon Bombers: Led by future NHLers Bobby Clarke and Reggie Leach, they dominated junior hockey for several years in Western Canada, including a national championship that spring over the St. Thomas Barons.

GRASSROOTS CATEGORY:

Don Bouchard: The Fisher Branch resident helped build the sport in his community, including forming the Fisher Branch Blades for the Interlake Hockey League in 1969. He spent 15 years serving as captain, leading scorer and team president.

Ivan Strain: The pride of Boissevain has been bringing games to life for more than half a century, with a broadcasting career dating back to 1973 on CJRB radio.

BUILDER CATEGORY:

Bob Caldwell: The long-time high school teacher from Deloraine has done just about everything imaginable in the game — from coaching little kids, NCAA players and a national team in Poland to creating Hockey Canada’s National Coach Mentorship Program and working with future bench bosses in Romania and Russia.

Caldwell has also worked with the IIHF as a skills instructor. He has also contributed to Hockey Canada’s national programs, including serving as a skills coach for the under-17 development program.

He also founded the Deloraine Breakfast Club in 2004 — a weekly program that combines skill development with a welcoming environment for players of all ages, with similar programs now operating in other provinces and internationally.

In addition to coaching, Caldwell has held leadership roles within the sport, including chair of Sport Manitoba’s Advisory Board and positions with Hockey Canada’s coaching and safety initiatives. His contributions have been recognized with several honours, including the Gordon Juckes Award in 2015 and Hockey Manitoba’s Volunteer of the Year in 2012.

“The neat thing about hockey is all the opportunities,” said Caldwell. “I’m very honoured by this. It’s a very prestigious group to be a part of.”

OFFICIAL CATEGORY:

Ryan Galloway: The former minor-hockey league official — who jokes that he started working at the age of 12 in St. James in exchange for hot chocolate and hot dogs — went on to have a 22-year NHL career as a linesman spanning 1,409 games. That includes the first-ever 2.0 Jets game in 2011 and the 2016 NHL Heritage Classic in his hometown. He now serves as an officiating coach with the NCHC, mentoring and evaluating officials at the NCAA Division I level.

VETERAN CATEGORY:

Percy Galbraith: Known to friends and colleagues as “Perk,” the Toronto-born, Winnipeg-raised Galbraith made it to the NHL and was a member of the “Thunderbolt Line” on the Boston Bruins along with Marty Barry and Harry Oliver, winning the Stanley Cup in 1929.

MEDIA CATEGORY:

Patti Dawn Swansson: Swansson began her journalism career at the Winnipeg Tribune in 1969 as a mailroom clerk and copy runner, eventually becoming a sportswriter and columnist who covered the Jets during the World Hockey Association and 1.0 era days. She moved on to the Winnipeg Sun in 1986, staying there until 1999.

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