Allan Cup champion South East Thunder heading to Hall of Fame

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This article was published 20/06/2024 (314 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

by CASSIDY DANKOCHIK

One of the best senior hockey teams in the region’s history is set to be remembered for the rest of time.

The 2012 South East Prairie Thunder will be inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame this year. The team won the Allan Cup, awarded to Canada’s best amateur hockey team annually. At the time of their Allan Cup victory, the Thunder were playing out of the T.G. Smith Centre in Steinbach.

The 2012 team defeated the Saskatchewan-based Rosetown Red Wings 4-1 to take home the cup, after reaching the final when Steinbach hosted the tournament in 2009.

Jared Driedger played and helped helped coach the Thunder throughout the years.

He said the Hall of Fame reached out to ask if the team would accept the honour.

“I said ‘of course we’re going to accept that bid,’” Driedger said, laughing.

“I was pumped, totally ecstatic. Because they won a couple years, and we played for so many years, I didn’t know how it was viewed. It’s not really a dynasty team, but we were national champions.”

The Prairie Thunder started in 1999 in Grunthal, amalgamating with Warrod for a few years before moving to Steinbach. They played out of Winnipeg until the team folded in 2020.

“We learned pretty fast how far below the competition we were,” Driedger said, recalling a year where a team from Saskatchewan completely blew them out despite coming to Manitoba with a much smaller roster.

“Slowly, over time, you build a reputation of being a good team and being a good place to play so you can convince ex-pro players to come out and give their time to senior hockey.”

Driedger said because the 2012 team’s roster is nearly completely different to the 2015 edition, which also won the Allan Cup, the hall decided to induct them one at a time.

“It was just a perfect mix of guys,” Driedger said, remembering the 2012 roster.

The team boasted NHL draft picks Ryan Bonni and Burke Henry, and were captained by Ryan Smith, who spent a decade playing in Europe after a prolific junior A career in Manitoba.

Terry Yake, who played more than 400 NHL games and is already an honoured member of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame, was also a member of the Thunder that year.

Devon Leblanc won the tournament’s most valuable player award and he was joined on the all-star team by goalie Justin Harris.

“For some of us who were playing for 10 or 15 years and thought this is our last chance, it was more nerve-wracking, but they were just so calming back there,” Driedger said, referring to the ex-professionals on the roster.

“We were just so steady, it just worked out perfectly for everyone.”

Drieger gave plenty of credit to team manager Marv Kornelsen for doing such a good job recruiting top level players to bolster the local roster.

“(Kornelsen) spent 15 years beating every bush trying to convince players to come out and play,” Driedger said.

“When he wanted a good player, he was just relentless to make sure they were on our team, and that made all the difference in the end.”

Senior hockey across Canada has taken a dramatic downturn since the COVID-19 pandemic and has yet to fully recover, especially in Manitoba.

“It’s kind of sad,” Driedger said.

“Every spring, every April, it should have been time for the Allan Cup, and that’s never going to happen again.”

Driedger said most of the team is eager to return for the induction ceremony, and he has been furiously sending out emails to players after the announcement.

“It’s been 12 years since a lot of us have seen each other, so it will be a good chance to catch up,” Driedger said.

In addition to the Prairie Thunder, the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame class of 2024 includes players Shane Hnidy, Duvie Westcott, Russ Romaniuk, Laurie Langrell and Brad Maxwell, builders Harvey Bolton, Wayne Deschouwer and Jack Mckenzie, official Paul Krestanowich, media member Kelly Moore and veterans Ed Reigle and Hal Winkler.

This is the first year the hall has awarded a spot in the grassroots category, with Laurent Kerbrat becoming the first-ever honoured member under that label.

The other team which will be joining the hall as part of the 2024 class are the Cartwright Clippers from 1986-1992 as a dynasty.

The induction dinner will be held at the CanadInns in Polo Park Oct. 5. The Prairie Thunder are set to join the 2003 Ile des Chenes North Stars as honoured teams. The North Stars also won the Allan Cup and were inducted into the Manitoba hall.