More than 200 people packed the Temple Gardens Centre Curling Centre on Friday night to celebrate Saskatchewan hockey history and honour the newest inductees into the Ted Knight Saskatchewan Hockey Hall of Fame.
Six individuals and one team were recognized during the annual induction ceremony.
The 2026 inductees included Ed Staniowski, Brenden Morrow, Kelly Bechard and Doug Smail in the Player Category, Jim Large in the Grassroots Category, William “Kent” Stuart in the Official Category and the 1984-85 Moose Jaw Generals (Senior AA) in the Team Category.
Player Category
Ed Staniowski
Moose Jaw’s own Ed Staniowski was inducted into the Player Category following an impressive career that began with the Moose Jaw Canucks of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.
Staniowski later joined the Regina Pats of the Western Canada Hockey League, now known as the Western Hockey League, where he played four seasons.
During the 1973-74 season, Staniowski and the Pats captured the Memorial Cup, with the goaltender earning the Canadian Hockey League’s first-ever Player of the Year Award.
In the 1978-79 season, he was named the recipient of the Charlie Conacher Humanitarian Award.
Staniowski went on to play 219 games in the NHL with the St. Louis Blues, Winnipeg Jets and Hartford Whalers.
Following his hockey career, he spent nearly 30 years serving with the Canadian Armed Forces, eventually reaching the rank of lieutenant-colonel.
Doug Smail
Moose Jaw product Doug Smail was also inducted into the Player Category following a successful career both in Saskatchewan and at the professional level.
Smail won the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s Most Valuable Player award and scoring title with the Moose Jaw Canucks during the 1976-77 season.
That performance helped earn him a scholarship to the University of North Dakota, where he played three seasons and helped the team capture an NCAA Division I national championship. Smail was also named tournament MVP.
Following his collegiate career, Smail played 13 seasons in the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets, Minnesota North Stars, Quebec Nordiques and Ottawa Senators.
He is also tied for the fastest goal scored from the start of an NHL game, finding the back of the net just five seconds into a game.
Brenden Morrow
Carlyle, Sask., product Brenden Morrow began his hockey journey in a small Saskatchewan community, where he developed his passion for the game.
Morrow credited his success to the sacrifices made by his parents and the support he received growing up.
“I think it really takes you back to your early days, mom and dad driving you to the rink, long road trips to away games, and the sacrifices that they’ve made for us, my brother and I, to be able to play a sport that we love,” said Morrow.
“The hardworking culture that our family was raised with and a lot of the similar things from my friends and their families, it just kind of got me set on a good path, and I think work ethic was probably my superpower if there was ever anything.”
Morrow left home at a young age to continue his hockey career, eventually joining the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL.
During his time in Portland, he recorded 284 points in 265 games and helped the Winterhawks win the 1998 Memorial Cup.
In the 1997 NHL Draft, Morrow was selected by the Dallas Stars in the first round, 25th overall.
He went on to play 16 seasons in the NHL with the Dallas Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, St. Louis Blues and Tampa Bay Lightning.
Morrow also won a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
“I won pretty much everything at every level but the Stanley Cup. That one was a little elusive. I got an opportunity, went to Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final in my rookie year, and then the same thing in my final season in Tampa.”
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Kelly Bechard
Kelly Bechard is one of Saskatchewan’s most decorated women’s hockey players.
After spending years away from the province following high school, Bechard said returning home for the induction ceremony was special.
“It’s always just great to return home, and this will always be home for me, and it’s a great opportunity to spend time with my family and just enjoy the moment because it’s special, because Saskatchewan was a great place to grow up, and I really had a ton of fun.”
Growing up in Sedley, Sask., Bechard began playing hockey at a young age before attending the University of Calgary, where she played five seasons with the Dinos.
She represented Canada’s national team from 2000 to 2008, winning Olympic gold at the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, along with four IIHF World Championship titles.
After retiring as a player, Bechard transitioned into coaching her alma mater and was behind the bench when the Dinos won the 2012 national championship, the first in program history.
Bechard said she is excited to see how far women’s hockey has grown at the collegiate, professional and international levels.
“Whether it’s the PWHL or they have aspirations in U Sports or heading to the United States for NCAA, there are just so many opportunities that I think weren’t there when I graduated from university. So, it’s exciting to see where the sport’s coming and all those steps were because of the people that are being inducted tonight and part of the process.”
Grassroots Category
Jim Large
Originally from Provost, Alta., Jim Large spent two seasons with the Weyburn Red Wings, winning two Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League championships and appearing in a Memorial Cup final.
Large said being inducted into the Hall of Fame is a tremendous honour.
“I think, especially in Saskatchewan, because we have such a rich history of hockey in this province, and the players that have gone on to play professionally and so on.”
After his playing career ended, Large moved into coaching, beginning with the Saskatchewan Polytechnic men’s hockey team.
He later coached his five children in minor hockey before shifting his focus toward growing women’s hockey in Moose Jaw and across Saskatchewan.
In 1995, Large established Moose Jaw Minor Hockey’s first female hockey program.
He was also named Saskatchewan’s Southern Volunteer of the Year and later coached the U18 AAA Warriors and the Western Hockey League’s Moose Jaw Warriors.
Official Category
William “Kent” Stuart
The late William “Kent” Stuart was inducted into the Hall of Fame under the Official Category.
Stuart served as referee-in-chief for the SJHL and was selected as a linesman for the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, N.Y.
He also served as the goal judge during the historic United States and Soviet Union game, which became known as the “Miracle on Ice.”
Stuart played a key role in strengthening Saskatchewan’s officiating system and was recognized with the Sask Sport Volunteer Award.
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Team Category
1984-85 Moose Jaw Generals
The 1984-85 Moose Jaw Generals had a historic run at the Senior AA level.
The team appeared in two consecutive national championships, winning the title in 1985.
The Generals also captured league and provincial championships during that stretch and remain the only Saskatchewan team to win a national Senior AA championship.
The championship victory was made even more memorable as the team lifted the 1985 Harty Cup on home ice in Moose Jaw.
The 1984-85 Moose Jaw Generals.