The Western Canada Professional Hockey Scouts Foundation welcomed 30 new inductees to its Wall of Honour before a sold-out and appreciative crowd of close to 400 at its second annual induction dinner in Okotoks on Tuesday evening (July 29).

Originally, the Class of 2025 contained 29 inductees, but that number increased with the inclusion of Duane Sutter, who was unaware that he was to be inducted before arriving for the dinner.

With the evening having been billed as A Night With the Sutters, the non-profit foundation’s board of directors had decided earlier in the year to include Duane, who had a long and fruitful scouting career.

He was one of seven Sutter brothers who were in attendance — the six who played in the NHL took part in two hot stove sessions. Gary, the eldest brother, watched from a seat in the audience. The Sutters on stage — Brian, Darryl, Duane, Brent, Rich and Ron — were joined by longtime coach and family friend John Chapman, who was a 2024 Wall of Honour inductee.

It’s fair to say that Darryl, in the second session, stole the show when he said of their mother, Grace: “Our Mom’s 89! How the frick isn’t she in the Hall of Fame?”

Hmm, that certainly would seem to be food for thought for the Hockey Hall of Fame’s selection committee, don’t you think?

The evening also included the presentation of the Ace Award, which is named in honour of the late Garnet (Ace) Bailey, a longtime scout who perished on United Airlines Flight 175, the second plane that was flown by terrorists into the World Trade Centre on Sept. 11, 2001.

The 2025 Ace Award went to veteran scout Mike Penny and the late Barry Fraser, who was the Edmonton Oilers’ director of scouting during their memorable run in the 1980s. Fraser’s widow, Tina, was on hand to accept the award and say a few words.

Penny wasn’t in attendance, but the award capped quite a month for him as he had been inducted into the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame in Penticton on July 12.

Dean Malkoc, the Boston Bruins’ director of amateur scouting, and Jesse Wallin, the Detroit Red Wings’ head amateur scout, received the Two Glens’ Honourarium. The award is in honour of long-time scouts Glen Cochrane and Glen Dirk, both of whom were taken by cancer in recent months.

As well, Bob Ridley, the retired play-by-play voice and bus driver for the Medicine Hat Tigers, was there to say a few words about the Bob Ridley Golden Microphone Honourarium. He was introduced by a couple of former Tigers stars — Ken Holland and Don Murdoch. The award went to former Portland Winter Hawks’ radio voice Dean Vrooman. Erin Ginnell, the foundation’s president, actually presented the award to Vrooman at a regular-season game in Portland a while back.

Another highlight was the playing of the In Memoriam video as produced by associate director Billy Melville. The crowd was totally involved as the video played and then, as it ended, erupted in a standing ovation in tribute to those no longer with us.

Under the guidance of the golden-throated Dennis Beyak, the foundation’s emcee and an associate director, the Wall of Honour inductions ran smoothly. Inductees were called two at a time and they or a family member came forward to receive the much-cherished belt buckle that is presented to each. There was a brief pause for a photo with presenters Mike Barnett, Jim Crosson, Ron Delorme and Bryce Thoma, each of them a director or an advisor to the board with the foundation.

There also were various auctions held, with perhaps the neatest involving two works by artist Russell Thomas of Birdsong Studios in High River. While folks were eating, he produced a wonderful painting of Ace Bailey as a player with the Boston Bruins. Thomas also came up with a terrific Sutter group portrait that the brothers all signed before the night was done.

And what a night it was!

Keith Wilson, one of the 30 inductees, summed things up nicely in a Wednesday email to Garth Malarchuk, the foundation’s chairman of the board:

“Just wanted to congratulate you and your fellow members on a bang-up job last night. First-class all the way. Was very entertaining and enjoyable.”

It was all of that and more, and the good news is that we’ll do it all over again in 2026.

Gregg Drinnan
Editor/Historian, WCPHSF