Team Canada alumnus Chris Pronger and former Hockey Canada president Bill Hay will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2015.

Pronger will be enshrined on Nov. 9, alongside Nicklas Lidstrom, Sergei Fedorov, Phil Housley, and Angela Ruggiero in the Player category.

Hay was elected in the Builder category. He’ll be joined by Peter Karmanos Jr.

Pronger, a native of Dryden, Ont., made seven appearances for Team Canada on the international stage. As a member of Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team, he won a silver medal at the 1991 Phoenix Cup. Two years later he won gold with Canada’s National Junior Team at the 1993 IIHF World Junior Championship.

The defenceman’s first time representing Canada at the senior level – the 1997 IIHF World Championship – ended with a gold medal, as well.

Pronger participated in four straight Olympic Winter Games (1998, 2002, 2006, 2010) and holds the record for most games played (25) by a member of Canada’s Men’s Olympic Team. He served as an alternate captain in his last three appearances and captured gold in 2002 and 2010. Both gold-medal-winning teams have since been inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame.

The Hartford Whalers selected Pronger second overall in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft. Over an 18-year career he played 1,167 games and recorded 698 points (157 goals, 541 assists) for the Whalers, St. Louis Blues, Edmonton Oilers, Anaheim Ducks and Philadelphia Flyers.

He won both the James Norris Memorial Trophy, as the NHL’s top defenceman, and the Hart Memorial Trophy, as the league's MVP, in 1999-2000, making him the first defenceman to win both awards since Bobby Orr in 1971-72.

In 2007 Pronger won the Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks and became the 19th member of the IIHF Triple Gold Club (Stanley Cup, Olympic gold, IIHF World Championship gold).

Hay served as president of Hockey Canada in the 1990s. A firm believer in grassroots development, Hay was instrumental in helping build the Canadian Hockey Centre of Excellence model, which has since found its way into the Hockey Canada Regional Centres, hubs of initiation activities for those looking to get in the game.

Hay, along with Murray Costello, then president of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA), led the discussions and negotiations to merge Hockey Canada and the CAHA into the Canadian Hockey Association (later to be called Hockey Canada) in 1998.

He also played a significant role in working with the Seaman Hotchkiss Hockey Foundation on special projects, including Hockey Canada’s Officiating Program of Excellence, the Ed Chynoweth Internship Program and the National Coach Mentorship Program.

As a player, the Saskatoon, Sask., native spent eight seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, winning the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's rookie of the year in 1960 and the Stanley Cup the following season.

In 1998 he was appointed chairman and chief executive officer of the Hockey Hall of Fame, a role he held until 2013. Hay sat on the Hall’s selection committee for 17 years and on the Board of Directors for 18 years, serving as chairman for 15 of them.

CHRIS PRONGER

Sheldon Kennedy, who played for Canada’s National Junior Team at the IIHF World Junior Championship in 1988 and 1989, was officially invested as a Member of the Order of Canada during a ceremony May 8 at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, Ont.

Kennedy was announced as of 95 new appointees by the Governor General's office on Dec. 26.

He was a member of the Canadian contingent that travelled to Moscow to win Canada’s third World Juniors gold medal in 1988 and returned the following year, finishing fourth in Anchorage, Alaska.

The Elkhorn, Man., native played three seasons with the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League, helping the team win the Memorial Cup in 1989, when he was named to the tournament all-star team.

He was selected 80th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft, and played 10 NHL seasons with Detroit, the Calgary Flames and Boston Bruins, recording 107 points in 310 games.

Kennedy’s playing career ended in 1998 and he turned his attention to off-ice issues, where unquestionably he has made his biggest impact on Canada’s game, and on the country as a whole.

In 2004, he joined with Wayne McNeil to found Respect Group, an organization that works to empower people to recognize and prevent abuse, bullying, and harassment, both in the arena and in their community.

Respect Group celebrated a decade of making a difference this year, and its programs continue to prosper.

The activity leader program is used by national sport organizations from coast to coast to coast, from hockey to gymnastics, and it is mandatory for all coaches in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

In addition to its parent program, there are respect programs for the workplace and the classroom, meaning Kennedy has and his organization have the opportunity to affect Canadians in so many walks of life.

And Respect Group is one of the major sponsors of the Hockey Canada Century Tour, meaning millions of Canadians will learn about the organization, and about its goals and vision for a bullying-free Canada.

“For these issues to be represented and understood and to be recognized at this level, to me, is absolutely huge” Kennedy told CBC at the time of his appointment in December. “My message is really about hope, and that you're not alone. Our country is a lot more understanding of these issues today than we were even 10 years ago, and to me that should give people confidence to come forward.”

The Order of Canada was established in 1967 to “recognize outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation.” More than 6,000 people have been named members since its inception.

Two legends of Canadian hockey will add yet another honour to their growing list of achievements this fall; Paul Coffey and Danielle Goyette have been announced as part of the Class of 2015 to be inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.

Coffey, a native of Weston, Ont., was one of the greatest defencemen of his generation, and represented his country on five occasions, including three Canada Cups (1984, 1987, 1991), one IIHF World Championship (1990) and one World Cup of Hockey (1996).

He helped Canada win the Canada Cup in each of his appearances, making the tournament all-star team in 1984 after putting up 11 points (3-8—11) in eight games, and finished with almost a point-per-game average (24 points in 25 games) in the best-on-best event.

Coffey’s lone appearance at the world championship came in 1990, when Canada finished fourth, and he helped the Canadians reach the final of the inaugural World Cup in 1996 in his final Team Canada experience.

A four-time Stanley Cup champion (1984, 1985, 1987, 1991) and three-time winner of the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s top defenceman (1985, 1986, 1995), Coffey is as the second-highest scoring defenceman in NHL history (396-1135—1531), and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004.

Goyette, a native of St-Nazaire, Que., was a member of Canada’s National Women’s Team from 1991 to 2007, winning two Olympic gold medals (2002, 2006) and eight gold medals at the IIHF World Women’s Championship (1992, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2007).

In all, she earned 20 gold and four silver medals at major international competitions, including the Olympic Winter Games, IIHF World Women’s Championship, 3 Nations/4 Nations Cups and Pacific Rim championships, and retired as the second-leading scorer in Team Canada history, with 114 goals, 105 assists and 219 points.

Goyette was also Canada’s flag bearer for the Opening Ceremony at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin, Italy. It marked the first time that a Canadian hockey player had carried the flag since Hubert Brooks did it at the 1948 Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland.

A 2013 inductee into the IIHF Hall of Fame, Goyette will become just the fourth women’s hockey player to earn enshrinement in Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, alongside former teammates Cassie Campbell-Pascall (2007), Angela James (2009) and Geraldine Heaney (2014).

Joining Coffey and Goyette as part of this year’s induction class are Susan Auch (speed skating), Michael Edgson (para-swimming), Sharon and Shirley Firth (cross-country skiing), Craig Forrest (soccer), Nicolas Gill (judo), Jennifer Heil (freestyle skiing), Lori-Ann Muenzer (cycling). Jocelyne Bourassa (golf) and Marina van de Merwe (field hockey) will be honoured as builders.

The Class of 2015 will officially be inducted during the Canada's Sports Hall of Fame 2015 Induction Celebrations Dinner on Oct. 21 at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto.

PAUL COFFEY

It is with a heavy heart that Hockey Canada acknowledges the passing of J.P. Parise, who lost his year-long battle with lung cancer Wednesday night at his home in Prior Lake, Minn., at the age of 73.

The native of Smooth Rock Falls, Ont., represented Canada only once, but it was a memorable appearance; Parise played in six of the eight games in the 1972 Summit Series, recording two goals and two assists while skating on a line with Phil Esposito and Wayne Cashman.

“J.P. Parise played an integral role in one of the greatest moments in Canadian hockey history, and his contributions to the game, both in Canada and the United States, will not soon be forgotten,” said Tom Renney, president and CEO of Hockey Canada. “We send our condolences to the Parise family during this difficult time.”

Parise played 890 NHL games with Boston, Toronto, Minnesota, the New York Islanders and Cleveland from 1965-79, finishing his career with 594 points (238 goals and 356 assists), along with 58 points (27 goals, 31 assists) in 86 playoff games.

Following his retirement, Parise spent nine seasons in the Minnesota North Stars organization, as an assistant coach with the North Stars and head coach of their AHL affiliate in Salt Lake City.

He was also a coach and director of hockey at Shattuck-St. Mary’s School in Faribault, Minn.

Hockey Canada sends its condolences to Parise’s wife Donna, and sons Jordan and Zach.

Ask Dean McAmmond what he remembers most about winning a gold medal at the 1993 IIHF World Junior Championship and the first thing that springs to mind has nothing to do with what happened on the ice.

“I (felt like) Santa Claus on Christmas Day because it was the first time I was away from home,” he says. “Our team doctor dressed up.”

The hockey part was pretty memorable, too.

“(We were) a bunch of young-faced hockey players who were just in the beginning parts of their budding careers,” he says. McAmmond himself would go on to play 18 seasons in the NHL, reaching the Stanley Cup Final with the Ottawa Senators in 2007.

As the medal round for the 2015 World Juniors plays out in Toronto, Ont., over the next few days, members of the 1993 and 1994 teams have been reunited in recognition of their golden achievements.

“I think everyone at Hockey Canada and the Hockey Canada Foundation recognizes the importance of celebrating the game and the successes we’ve had,” says Chris Bright, executive director of the Hockey Canada Foundation. “It’s part of the mandate for the foundation to celebrate Canada’s hockey heritage.”

Some of the alumni hadn’t seen each other in 20 years.

“We’re talking about minor hockey and about our kids and grandkids and how they’re playing,” says Jos Canale, who was an assistant coach in 1993 and the head coach in 1994. “It’s nice to be part of a winning tradition. When you win you become a very close family.”

Brent Tully was also a member of both teams. In 1993 he was named to the tournament all-star team; the following year he served as Canada’s captain.

After winning in 1994 Tully proudly called his team “a bunch of no-name hockey players” in a televised interview. The team was an underdog, he says now, and wanted to prove they were better than people pegged them to be.

The team went undefeated but it wasn’t until the dying minutes of the last game against Sweden – medals were awarded after an eight-team round-robin – that the gold was iced.

“Aaron Gavey made a play with his stick that was unbelievable – a blind pass that would’ve been an empty net goal for them,” he says. Shortly after, Rick Girard scored an empty-netter and made it 6-4 Canada.

That was the first of three World Juniors gold medals for Jason Botterill. The groundwork for the team’s success, he says, was laid in Switzerland in the lead up the event.

“I think the support that guys felt on the bench, whether they played a lot or not, really started at that training camp,” he says.

Now in his role as associate general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Botterill watches and evaluates his team’s prospects from all the countries.

He wants to see future Penguins succeed, just not necessarily their teams.

“You’re always a fan at heart,” he says. “You’re certainly cheering for the maple leaf.”

The 1993 team didn’t wait as long to clinch its medal: it was secured with two games still to play.

“We luckily had a lot of time to enjoy our championship because we still had over half a week left of hockey,” says Adrian Aucoin. “It was probably a lot more fun than it should have been.”

The alumni have been kept busy in Toronto. In addition to the celebratory brunch on Friday, the players were recognized during Canada’s quarter-final game against Denmark, and they’ll make appearances at the McDonald’s Fan Zone and help launch a new public rink that was built with funds raised by the Hockey Canada Foundation.

But their weekend kicked off Thursday night when they meet and mingled with Canada’s current National Junior Team. The alumni talked to them about facing adversity and staying confident in the team. Mostly, though, the players simply shared their love of hockey.

Current defenceman Josh Morrissey told Aucoin about watching him play with the Flames when he was growing up in Calgary, Alta. And McAmmond and Morrissey talked about playing their junior hockey with the Prince Albert Raiders.

The players may have been meeting for the first time, but in the small world of hockey they quickly learned there’s far fewer than six degrees of separation.

“I’ve been on the ice with (Curtis) Lazar’s little brother,” says McAmmond, who coaches minor hockey in Lazar’s hometown of Vernon, B.C. “He’s a Peewee, same age as my son, so we connected on that level.”

The popularity and visibility of the World Juniors has grown considerably in the past two decades. But what hasn’t doesn’t change is the pride one feels in playing for his country.

“Twenty-some years later to be brought back – it makes you feel like you’re still part of it,” says McAmmond. “I’ve been retired for four years now; my playing career’s done but you always feel like you’re wearing the leaf on your chest.”

Canada will once again be well-represented when the International Ice Hockey Federation inducts the Class of 2015 into the IIHF Hall of Fame during the 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship next spring.

Olympic gold medallist Scott Niedermayer and women’s hockey icon Fran Rider will become the 28th and 29th Canadians enshrined when the induction ceremony is held in Prague, Czech Republic in May.

Niedermayer had a 17-year NHL career that saw him win every major North American championship at least once. The Cranbrook, B.C., native played 46 games with the Maple Leaf on his chest, recording 16 points (seven goals, nine assists).

It was undoubtedly his final appearance in the red and white of Team Canada that Niedermayer will be best remembered for – he donned the ‘C’ in his home province and helped lead Canada to the gold medal at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.

The Vancouver gold capped off a remarkable international career that saw Niedermayer win an IIHF World Junior Championship gold medal (1990), an IIHF World Championship gold medal (2004), two Olympic gold medals (2002, 2010) and a World Cup of Hockey championship (2004). He is one of just seven Canadians in the IIHF Triple Gold Club (Olympic gold, Worlds gold, Stanley Cup).

Rider established the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association in 1975, and became its first executive director, a position she continues to hold four decades later. She helped create the first national championship for women’s hockey in 1982, and played a major role in the inaugural world tournament in 1987.

The success in 1987 led to the first-ever IIHF World Women’s Championship in Ottawa, Ont., in 1990, a watershed moment in the history of the women’s game, with Rider leading the push.

Rider is the first builder to be inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame for contributions specifically to women’s hockey. Her dedication to the development and growth of the game is unrivalled, and she continues to work to make the game better, both in Canada and around the world.

Niedermayer and Rider will be joined by fellow inductees Dominik Hasek (CZE), Robert Reichel (CZE) and Maria Rooth (SWE), along with Lucio Topatigh (ITA), the first-ever winner of the Richard “Bibi” Torriani Award (for outstanding careers by players from non-top hockey nations) and Monique Scheier-Schneider (LUX), winner of the Paul Loicq Award (for outstanding contributions to international hockey).

The Class of 2015 brings the total number of IIHF Hall of Fame honourees to 200 players and builders from 23 countries.

CANADIANS IN THE IIHF HALL OF FAME (category, year of induction)
Father David Bauer (builder, 1997)
Roger Bourbonnais (player, 1999)
Mike Buckna (builder, 2004)
Murray Costello (builder, 2014)
Danielle Goyette (player, 2013)
Wayne Gretzky (player, 2000)
Geraldine Heaney (player, 2008)
Paul Henderson (player, 2013)
William Hewitt (builder, 1998)
Derek Holmes (builder, 1999)
Fran Huck (player, 1999)
Angela James (player, 2008)
Marshall Johnston (player, 1998)
Gordon Juckes (builder, 1997)
Dave King (builder, 2001)
Bob LeBel (builder, 1997)
Mario Lemieux (player, 2008)
Vic Lindquist (player, 1997)
Barry MacKenzie (player, 1999)
Seth Martin (player, 1997)
Jack McLeod (player, 1999)
Andy Murray (builder, 2012)
Scott Niedermayer (player, 2015)
Terry O’Malley (player, 1998)
Gordon Renwick (builder, 2002)
Fran Rider (builder, 2015)
Harry Sinden (player, 1997)
Harry Watson (player, 1998)
Steve Yzerman (player, 2014)

SCOTT NIEDERMAYER

It is with a heavy heart that Hockey Canada acknowledges the passing of Jean Béliveau, who died Tuesday night in Montreal at the age of 83.

Béliveau was one of the first five Distinguished Honourees of the Order of Hockey in Canada in 2012, and was the honorary captain of Canada’s gold medal-winning Men’s Olympic Team at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, B.C.

“Jean Béliveau embodied all that is right in a Canadian athlete, and with his passing we are reminded with great pride how he represented both hockey and Canada,” said Tom Renney, president and CEO of Hockey Canada. “We have lost one of the hockey’s greatest ambassadors, and the game has lost a true gentleman. We send our condolences to the Béliveau family at this difficult time.”

A Trois-Rivières, Que., native, Béliveau spent parts of 20 seasons with the Montreal Canadiens from 1950-71, cementing his place as not only one of the greatest Canadiens ever, but as one of the greatest players the game has ever seen.

Béliveau averaged more than a point a game during his career, scoring 507 goals and adding 712 assists for 1,219 points in 1,125 games. When he retired after the 1970-71 season, Béliveau ranked fourth all-time in goals scored, and was second in all-time NHL scoring, behind only Gordie Howe.

He was a two-time winner of the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP in 1955-56 and 1963-64, won the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s top scorer in 1955-56, and was the very first recipient of the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 1965.

He also played in 14 NHL All-Star Games, was named six times to the NHL First All-Star Team (1954-55, 1955-56, 1956-57, 1958-59, 1959-60, 1960-61) and four times to the NHL Second All-Star Team (1957-58, 1963-64, 1965-66, 1968-69).

Perhaps most impressively, Béliveau helped the Canadiens to 10 Stanley Cup championships (1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1971) second-most of any player, and was a member of seven more title-winning teams as an executive.

A legend in Montreal, Béliveau captained the Canadiens for his final 10 seasons (tied with Saku Koivu for the most seasons wearing the ‘C’), and had his No. 4 retired by the team at the start of the 1971-72 season, just months after announcing the end of his playing career.

Béliveau had the mandatory three-year waiting period for the Hockey Hall of Fame waived, and was inducted as part of the Class of 1972.

To recognize his contributions to the game, and to the country, Béliveau was made a Companion of the Order of Canada in 1998, and a Knight of the National Order of Quebec in 1988 (promoted to Officer in 2006, and Grand Officer in 2010).

It is with tremendous sadness that Hockey Canada acknowledges the passing of long-time player, coach and executive Pat Quinn, who died Sunday night in Vancouver at the age of 71.

Quinn stood behind a Team Canada bench on seven occasions, and worked as a general manager or assistant general manager on four others, helping Canada to five medals and a World Cup championship.

“We at Hockey Canada join with millions of Canadians in expressing our sincerest condolences to the entire Quinn family on the passing of Pat,” said Tom Renney, president and CEO of Hockey Canada. “Few have touched as many lives as Pat, and we are eternally grateful for the massive legacy he has left in our society of Canadians.”

The Hamilton, Ont., native got his start with Team Canada as head coach at the 1986 IIHF World Championship, winning a bronze medal in Moscow, Soviet Union.

It would be 10 years before he was involved again with a national team, serving as assistant general manager at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, but that marked the start of long relationship with Hockey Canada.

Quinn was co-general manager of Canada’s gold medal-winning entry at the 1997 IIHF World Championship, and returned to the worlds to serve in the GM’s role by himself one year later.

His most notable Team Canada achievement came in 2002, when, as head coach, he helped end Canada’s 50-year Olympic gold medal drought with a historic win in Salt Lake City, Utah.

He was behind the bench again in 2004, coaching Canada to victory at the World Cup of Hockey, and served at a second Olympic Winter Games in 2006 in Turin, Italy.

After leading Canada’s National Men’s Team to the final of the 2006 Spengler Cup, Quinn was head coach of Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team at the 2008 IIHF World U18 Championship in Kazan, Russia, guiding a team that included Matt Duchene, Jordan Eberle, Taylor Hall and Cody Hodgson to Canada’s second gold medal at the event.

Five months later Quinn stepped in as head coach of Canada’s National Junior Team and won another gold medal at the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa, Ont., Canada’s record-tying fifth consecutive World Juniors gold.

Quinn was an NHL head coach for parts of 20 seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers, winning the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year in 1979-80 with the Flyers and 1991-92 with the Canucks.

He sits fifth all-time in NHL history with 684 wins (in 1,400 games) and twice led his teams to the Stanley Cup Final – in 1980 with Philadelphia and 1994 with Vancouver.

As a player, Quinn played 606 NHL games with Toronto, Vancouver and Atlanta from 1968-77, recording 131 points (18 goals, 113 assists) and serving as captain in Atlanta from 1975-77.

He also left his mark on junior hockey, winning the Memorial Cup as a member of the Edmonton Oil Kings in 1963, and again as co-owner of the Vancouver Giants in 2007.

Quinn served as chairman of the Hockey Hall of Fame Board of Directors, a position he took over in August 2013, and spent 15 years as a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame selection committee.

Hockey Canada sends its condolences to Pat’s wife, Sandra, and his daughters, Valerie and Kalli.

A trio of Canadians earned hockey’s highest honour on Monday night in Toronto.

Olympic gold medal-winning defenceman Rob Blake, the late Pat Burns and long-time referee Bill McCreary were officially inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2014.

They were enshrined alongside Peter Forsberg, Dominik Hasek and Mike Modano.

Blake made nine appearances with Team Canada, totaling 58 games at the IIHF World Championship, World Cup of Hockey and Olympic Winter Games.

The Simcoe, Ont., native won three gold medals in international play, at the 1994 IIHF World Championship, 1997 IIHF World Championship and 2002 Olympic Winter Games, where he helped Canada end a 50-year gold medal drought.

He also earned a silver medal at the 1991 IIHF World Championship.

Blake was twice recognized as Top Defenceman, at the 1997 worlds and 1998 Olympics.

During a 19-year NHL career with Los Angeles, Colorado and San Jose, Blake recorded 777 points (240 goals, 537 assists) in 1,270 games, won the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s top defenceman in 1997-98 and served as captain with the Kings and Sharks.

He won the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2001, making him one of just eight Canadians in the IIHF Triple Gold Club (Stanley Cup, Olympic gold, IIHF World Championship gold).

Since retiring in 2010, Blake served as assistant general manager of Canada’s National Men’s Team at the 2011 IIHF World Championship, and was general manager at the 2014 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.

Burns was twice an assistant coach with Canadian teams, at the 1987 IIHF World Junior Championship and 2008 IIHF World Championship, where he helped Canada to a silver medal on home ice.

The St-Henri, Que., native spent 14 years as an NHL head coach with Montreal, Toronto, Boston and New Jersey, winning the Jack Adams Award as the league’s top coach with the Canadiens in 1988-89, Maple Leafs in 1992-93 and Bruins in 1997-98. He is the only coach to win the award three times.

Burns led the Devils to a Stanley Cup championship in 2003.

He succumbed to cancer on Nov. 19, 2010.

McCreary’s international officiating career included three Olympic Winter Games, in 1998, 2002 and 2010. He was selected to officiate the Canada-U.S. gold medal games in Salt Lake City and Vancouver.

A native of Guelph, Ont., McCreary officiated 1,737 regular season games, 297 playoff games and one NHL All-Star Game, and refereed a Stanley Cup Final-record 44 games, including 13 straight finals from 1995 to 2007.

Rob Blake

It is with a heavy heart Hockey Canada acknowledges the passing of Team Canada alumnus Seth Martin, who died Saturday in Trail, B.C., at the age of 81.

Martin was a mainstay with Team Canada during the 1960s, appearing in four IIHF World Championships and one Olympic Winter Games; the goaltender led the Trail Smoke Eaters to a gold medal at the 1961 worlds – the last amateur team to win gold for Canada – and earned bronze with Canada’s National Men’s Team in 1966 and 1967.

Martin’s importance to Team Canada was evident with one glance at his trophy case; in the five major international tournaments he played, he was named Top Goaltender at four of them: the 1961, 1963 and 1966 worlds, and 1964 Olympics.

He played just one NHL season, teaming with Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender Glenn Hall in 1967-68 to help the expansion St. Louis Blues reach the Stanley Cup Final.

Martin’s career also included stops in the West Coast Junior Hockey League (Lethbridge, Alta.), Western International Hockey League (Trail, B.C., Rossland, B.C., and Spokane, Wash.) and Western Hockey League (Vancouver, B.C., Spokane, Wash., and Portland, Ore.).

In 1970, Martin backstopped the Spokane Jets to an Allan Cup championship, marking the first time an American team had won Canada’s National Senior Championship.

He was inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame in 1997.

Hockey Canada sends its condolences to Martin’s wife Bev, and daughters Patti, Lynn and Susan.