2 Time Challenge Cup Champion (S37, S44)
Ron Mexico Trophy Nominee (S41)
Jeff Dar Trophy Winner (S41) and Nominee (S37, S38)
Aidan Richan Trophy Nominee (S37)
Anton Razov Trophy Winner (S37)
900 Games Played, 279 Goals, 396 Assists, 675 Points
Just before this ceremony, The Winnipeg Jets announced they were going through a rebrand to the Winnipeg Aurora. The Jets have now been officially retired and their story has been finished. No matter where the Winnipeg team goes from here, you cannot tell their story without arguably their most beloved player, Corey Bearss. Corey spent his entire 17 season career in Winnipeg, he would become the franchise's defining face. In those 17 seasons, Corey just about did it all for Winnipeg. Helping them claim two challenge cups, winning the Jeff Dar as the league’s best two-way forward and lifting Winnipeg to its 5th Challenge Cup the same year he earned playoff MVP.
When you think of players that will be honored by their teams till time immemorial, Corey Bearss certainly fits that bill.
3 Time Challenge Cup Champion (S41, S43, S47)
Anton Razov Trophy Nominee (S43)
900 Games Played, 331 Goals scored, 395 Assists, 726 Points
A fellow West Kendall player alongside Trevor Wilson, Alex Light would spend his entire career with the Platoon and would help contribute to a run of consistency and excellence rarely seen in professional sports. He would bring the Platoon to new heights, helping them achieve 5 finals appearances in 10 years, 3 times in which he would lead the team to the Challenge Cup. A man who would always be the hardest working man in the building no matter where he played, Alex would achieved his finest seasons in 42 and 43, where he would achieve back to back 50 point seasons and be a nominee for Playoffs MVP during the Platoon’s championship run in Season 43.
2 Time Challenge Cup Champion (S46, S48)
Jeff Dar Trophy Winner (S46) and Nominee (S47, S48, S52)
Aidan Richan Trophy Winner (S46)
Sarmad Khan Trophy Winner (S46)
Anton Razov Trophy Nominee (S48)
790 Games Played, 294 Goals, 345 Assists, 639 Points
Viktor Marius spent his entire 15 year career in Buffalo. While the time he spent playing with the Stampede was shorter than other careers on this list, the mark he would leave on Buffalo fans will never be forgotten. His finest moments came in Season 46. The Stampede had waited and waited so long for the Challenge Cup to finally come to Buffalo and, led by Viktor Marius all star season, they finally got the job done. As the main contributor to that success, Viktor would be awarded the Jeff Dar trophy and the Sarmad Khan trophy, presented to the player voted as MVP by his peers. He would lead Buffalo to another cup in Season 48 where would be a finalist for playoff MVP.
3 Time Challenge Cup Champion (S41, S43, S47)
Anton Razov Trophy Nominee (S43)
900 Games Played, 331 Goals scored, 395 Assists, 726 Points
A fellow West Kendall player alongside Trevor Wilson, Alex Light would spend his entire career with the Platoon and would help contribute to a run of consistency and excellence rarely seen in professional sports. He would bring the Platoon to new heights, helping them achieve 5 finals appearances in 10 years, 3 times in which he would lead the team to the Challenge Cup. A man who would always be the hardest working man in the building no matter where he played, Alex would achieved his finest seasons in 42 and 43, where he would achieve back to back 50 point seasons and be a nominee for Playoffs MVP during the Platoon’s championship run in Season 43.
West Kendall will forever thank you, Alex.
RIP. 1 last shot at this next season. But it's not looking good.
Thank you to all the players who I have mentioned. To even be here and earning votes from the committee is to your everlasting credit. You are a credit to not only yourselves but to the sport we all love. Once again, I thank you for your contributions and wish to express my gratitude in helping pave the road for me to have a future career in the SHL.
And now, Ladies and Gentlemen without further ado, allow me to introduce the Hall of Fame Class of Season 57.
1 Time Challenge Cup Champion (S53)
Ron Mexico Trophy Winner (S48, S54) and Nominee (S53)
Aidan Richan Trophy Winner (S45)
Sarmad Khan Trophy Winner (S48, S53, S54)
Sergei Karpotsov Trophy Winner (S48, S53, S54)
Jay McDonald Trophy Winner (S54)
650 Games Played, 294 Goals, 325 Assists, 619 Points
From the moment he was drafted, the entire league knew there was something different about Flacko Lagerfield. The way he carried himself, the way he laced his boots, the way he approached every game no matter if it was regular season or playoffs, Lagerfield was just on a different level. Throughout his incredible 13 season career, Flacko would justify those feelings in every way imaginable.
One of the finest players to only lift the Challenge Cup once, Lagerfield would become the face of three separate franchises, The Stampede, the Barracuda and the Steelhawks. No matter where he played, he would bring his incalculable greatness along with him. To list all of his achievements would take up this entire ceremony and I could go on for hours about his multiple MVP awards or how he lead the league in points scoring 3 separate times but one season stands out. In Season 50, he put Tampa Bay on his back and lead the Barracuda to their only finals berth, in a season that could only be described as one of his finest.
When you look for a player that could do it all at his position, Flacko Lagerfield should definitely be one of the first names mentioned.
3 Time Challange Cup Champion (S40, S42, S50)
Ron Mexico Trophy Nominee (S49)
Jeff Dar Trophy Winner (S47) and Nominee (S42, S43, S44, S46, S48, S49, S50)
Damian Littleton Trophy Winner (S43) and Nominee (S45, S46)
Anton Razov Trophy Winner (S50) and Nominee (S42)
Jay McDonald Trophy Winner (S49)
950 Games Played, 360 Goals, 448 Assists, 808 Points
When you are a player that is moving up through the ranks, one of the main questions the media often asks you is “Who do you model your game after?”. In preparation for this ceremony I have looked through the history of this league, at the legacy of all the great wingers that have come and gone and what they meant to their franchises. To me, the ideal left winger, and the man I model my game after… is Mike Izzy.
A Calgary Dragon from draft day to retirement, one could make a convincing argument that for over a decade, Mike Izzy was the best winger in the SHL. Rarely in his prime did he have a season where he scored less than 20 goals and even rarer a season where he did not eclipse 50 points. A man you could very well say gave his soul for this league, Izzy was always pushing himself and the Dragons to greatness. A multiple time Challenge Cup winner, a playoff MVP and a devout player through and through, it seemed like there was nothing Izzy couldn’t accomplish.
I will leave this speech off with this. The greatest two way player to ever play in this league was Jeff Dar. Now as I look through all of the SHL’s history and all of the great players, some I have talked about tonight, if one man could be compared to Jeff Dar, it would be Mike Izzy.
Thank you Mike, Calgary and indeed the entire SHL are forever in your debt.
01-28-2021, 06:39 PM(This post was last modified: 01-28-2021, 06:42 PM by JSS.)
Joe Kurczewski - 94 Votes
4 Time Challenge Cup Champion (S40, S42, S45, S54)
Ron Mexico Trophy Winner (S40) and Nominee (S41, S45)
Jeff Dar Trophy Winner (S42) and Nominee (S40, S41)
Aidan Richan Trophy Nominee (S36)
Sarmad Khan Trophy Winner (S40)
Anton Razov Trophy Winner (S42)
1150 Games Played, 403 Goals, 537 assists, 940 Points
To receive but one vote from the Hall of Fame committee is an accomplishment in itself. Joe Kurczewski received 94 votes for acceptance into the hall. I could end this speech right here and it would be fitting. But that would not be fair to this man’s legacy and not a fair measure to this man’s impact on the league.
Over a 22 season career, Kurczewski would play for 5 separate teams. He would be partners with and rivals of many of the players we have seen earlier in this presentation. He would rise to the top of whatever team he played for, and would win championships with 3 separate teams, The Dragons, The Spectors and The Blizzard. He would be named MVP by the league and then named it by his peers. He would be the best two way player in the league and a playoff MVP. Anything he set his mind to, he would achieve with incredible results.
The amount of people that have played with or influenced by Kurczewski is immeasurable and it speaks to this man’s incredible longevity and playing skill that he is but one of nine players to eclipse 900 points and one of only five players to eclipse 400 goals. This is the kind of career that we will be talking about for many years to come.
Thank you Joe, for all that you have done for us. Your place here in Toronto is well deserved
KenitohMenara
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