Matthew Liebenberg
Several of the large display cases at the Ted Knight Saskatchewan Hockey Hall of Fame (SHHOF) in Swift Current have been changed to highlight the 2023 inductees.
The induction dinner took place in Meadow Lake on Aug. 25 to celebrate inductees in four different categories.
Melissa Shaw, the City of Swift Current’s general manager of cultural and aquatic services, said the updates were done by the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame.
“We are excited to have four new display cases for people to come and have a look at, highlighting the different inductees from this year,” she mentioned. “So after every induction dinner, we see a change of our exhibits to feature the new inductees. It’s a constant rotation of new information as well as some staple things that stay there. But for the most part, there’s always something new for someone to see.”
The displays for the new Ted Knight SHHOF inductees include information, photographs and various interesting items related to their achievements.
“The Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame does all of the procurement of the items and then comes down and displays them, because the actual artifacts in the Hockey Hall of Fame belong to Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame,” she explained. “From what I’ve been told, once a family, player, team or an official is named to go into the Hockey Hall of Fame, they’re pretty happy to help pass a few items along to display.”
The Class of 2023 inductees in the players category are Jeff Friesen, Ron Greschner and Wade Redden.
Jeff Friesen began his NHL career with the San Jose Sharks in 1994. He won the Stanley Cup in 2003 with the New Jersey Devils and scored the game-winning goal in the seventh game of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Ottawa Senators.
He played 977 games during his 14-season NHL career, scoring 236 goals and 549 points. He played with Team Canada on several occasions and won one silver and two gold medals with the national team at the Ice Hockey World Championships.
The SHHOF display for Friesen includes a Team Canada jersey as well as his Devils jersey with a Stanley Cup patch.
The display for defenceman Ron Greschner includes several photographs and details about his hockey career. He spent his entire career with the New York Rangers from 1974 to 1990.
He played 1,065 NHL games, scored 196 goals and racked up 1,226 penalty minutes, which is still a Rangers record. He founded the Ron Greschner Foundation in 2001 to raise money and awareness for children with autism.
Defenceman Wade Redden played most of his NHL career with the Ottawa Senators. The SHHOF display includes the puck with which he scored his first goal with his first shot in the NHL against the Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 5, 1996. There is a signed Senators jersey from the 2007 playoffs, when the team reached the Stanley Cup finals and he scored 10 points in 20 playoff games.
The display features a bobblehead of Redden wearing a Senators jersey. He retired from the NHL in 2013 after also played for the New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues and Boston Bruins. He played for Canada in various international tournaments and won one silver and three gold medals with the team.
Former NHL linesman Mark “Wheels” Wheler is a 2023 SHHOF inductee in the officials category. He began his officiating career at age 13 in 1978 as a minor hockey referee in the Battlefords area. He made his NHL debut in October 1992 and retired after 26 years in 2018. He officiated 1,735 regular-season games and 111 playoff games during his NHL career.
The SHHOF display for Wheler includes a referee jersey and his NHL identification card. There is also a lanyard with identification badge that he wore as an official during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
The other 2023 inductees on display in the SHHOF are the King family in the builder/grassroots category and the 2005-06 and 2007-08 Meadow Lake Stampeders in the teams category.
The King family is recognized for significant contributions to the development of hockey in Saskatchewan, especially in their hometown of Meadow Lake. The family includes former NHL player Dwight King, who won the Stanley Cup twice as a member of the Los Angeles Kings in 2012 and 2014.
The Meadow Lake Stampeders is inducted in recognition of their dominance during two seasons in Saskatchewan Senior A hockey. They won their first provincial banner in nearly four decades during the 2005-06 season, claimed another provincial title in the 2007-08 season and also won the 2008 Wild Goose Hockey League championship.
Shaw noted that the wall plaques for the 2023 inductees with their details still need to be installed in the Ted Knight SHHOF.
“In the meantime, we’re really hoping the community can come in and see these new displays,” she said. “It’s nice to get a little bit of a refresh and for those who have been there before to come back and see something completely different now.”
The SHHOF is open from 4-8 p.m. on Swift Current Broncos home game days, which is certainly when she anticipates more visitors will be checking out the new displays.
“Where we really see the draw with these new exhibits is prior to hockey games,” she said. “While fans are waiting for the games to start, we see a few more people wandering in and taking advantage of it being located right in the Innovation Plex.”
The regular hours of operation for the SHHOF are Tuesday to Saturday from 1-5 p.m. It is closed on Sunday and Monday. Shaw described the facility as a hidden gem in Swift Current.
“Everyone who comes absolutely loves the vibrancy of the displays as well as the professionalism,” she said. “The more people that visit it, the more the hidden gem becomes a popular attraction.”
There is a hockey simulator in the facility for an added experience as well as a gift shop. The SHHOF receives between 4,000 and 5,000 visitors each year. The latest data for 2023 indicates 3,275 visitors until the end of September.
“Bronco games are very good, because it brings in a hockey-driven crowd and it gives them a chance to have a look at some of the legends that played hockey in Saskatchewan,” she said. “We see visitors from all across Canada, especially in the summer months. As people are passing through, especially on that Highway No. 4 bypass, it’s really easy for them to pop into the Innovation Plex and have a good look at the exhibit, stretch their legs and enjoy a little piece of history.”
More details about the facility and past inductees are available on the Ted Knight SHHOF website at www.saskhockeyhalloffame.ca
