The Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame gained seven legends of the game on Saturday night.
At the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre, the class of 2024 was inducted into the Hall of Fame in front of a sold-out crowd in Red Deer.
Those inducted include Jarome Iginla, Craig Mactavish, Billy Dea, Kelly Kisio, Shannon Szabados, Dave King, and the 2000-01 Red Deer Rebels.
Iginla, who played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League, including 16 with the Calgary Flames, said it was a special night for himself, his family, and the rest of the inductees.
"It brings back a ton of memories of playing and growing up in Alberta. From minor hockey to my time with the Flames. How fun it was and how fortunate and blessed I was," he said.
"Hockey is a great game that I got to share with family. I think back to time the time I got to spend with my grandpa and with my mom going to games and tournaments."
When he first started playing the game in the minor hockey association in St. Albert, Iginla never imagined he'd get to where he is now.
With 1,219 NHL games played, 525 goals, and 1,095 points later he's not only a member of the Alberta HHOF but was also inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Among his top accomplishments were winning two Memorial Cups with the Kamloops Blazers and being a multi-gold medalist with Team Canada.
In addition, he also had his iconic No. 12 retired by the Flames in March 2018.
"I remember my first game in the NHL. That was pretty special because it was actually making the NHL. I got called up to play against the Chicago Blackhawks and I got to be on Theo Fleury's line," he said.
"It was awesome. I have so many memories and many that I know I was fortunate and blessed to be a part of."
Iginla also has a personal connection with central Alberta. Growing up in St. Albert he fondly remembers his grandpa taking him to the Sylvan Lake Hockey Camp where he honed his skills at a young age.
He spent two summers at the camp at least that was before his love of baseball took over the majority of his summers.
"It was so great," he said. We'd get to go to the water slides and the camp was great. Back then we had classroom time where we'd go over skating and it was a lot of fun.
"I started hockey a bit late at seven years old, which is late compared to a lot of kids. I was behind when I started but my grandpa put me in a lot of camps... Hockey school was a big reason why I was able to catch up."
Kisio, who grew up in Wetaskiwin, also has had a storied hockey career that is not over quite yet.
He played 761 games in the NHL including multiple years with the New York Rangers as their captain.
He also helped turn the Calgary Hitmen into one of the most successful franchises in the WHL winning two championships as the coach and general manager.
He told The Advocate that entering the Hall of Fame is an honour that never crossed his mind but described it as a neat experience.
"It's great for myself and my family. We're really excited," he said.
Kisio spends his summers in Sylvan Lake with his wife who grew up in Red Deer. Central Alberta will always be home no matter where their careers take them.
Most recently, the won the 2023 Stanley Cup Championship as a professional scout with the Vegas Golden Knights. An honour he won't soon forget.
"It was great. About this time last year we had the Stanley Cup in Sylvan Lake. It was such a great day and now my son was an assistant coach for the World Junior team two years ago and we had that at the lake," he said.
"It's been a great couple of years for the Kisio boys."
Last but not least was the 2000-01 Red Deer Rebels who won the franchise's only Memorial Cup championship in their 32 years of existence.
They defeated Val-d’Or 6-5 in an overtime victory in Regina to claim the cup.
It capped off a dominating season by the Rebels who were often ranked the number one team in the CHL with a 54-12-3-3 record in the regular season.
They cruised to the Memorial Cup by defeating the Lethbridge Hurricanes, Calgary Hitmen, Swift Current Broncos and Portland Winterhawks throughout the WHL playoffs.
Jim Vandermeer, who played for the Rebels from 1998 to 2001, said it's a great accomplishment for the team.
"You don't ever play sports for the honour of anything but I think the team coming to Red Deer and joining the league later than some teams and winning is pretty cool," he said.
"It's a great way for the guys to reconnect... Most of us are in our forties and we're acting like teenagers again. It's hilarious."
