Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame Dinner

A crowd of 830, a complete sell-out, attended the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame 2009 induction dinner at Canad Inns Polo Park on Winnipeg, Oct.3.

Six players were inducted including two Stanley Cup winning goalkeepers. Eddie Belfour played for Chicago, San Jose, Toronto and won the NHL championship with Dallas. Ken Wregget won a Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh and also guarded the nets for Toronto, Philadelphia, Calgary, Detroit and the IHL Manitoba Moose.
Also entering the Hall are former Winnipeg Jets Bill Lesuk and Ray Neufeld, Bruno Zarrillo, a Winnipegger who starred in European hockey for 16 seasons, and Murray Wilkie, who played junior, senior, intermediate and professional hockey in Manitoba and for a dozen minor league teams during a long career.
Jill Mathez, who had success as both a player and a coach, was inducted in the builders category, becoming the first woman to enter the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame.
Brandon native and former NHL coach Fred Creighton, one-time USA Hockey coach Murray Williamson, who grew up in Winnipeg, and Greg Lacomy, a long-time Winnipeg minor and University of Manitoba coach, also join the Hall of Fame as builders.
Pat Ginnell, who played for and later coached the Flin Flon Bombers, and Heavy Evason, involved in junior hockey for 20 years as a scout, coach and manager, were inducted posthumously as builders. Ginnell was born in Dauphin and Evason in Swan River.
Four teams entered the Hall at the dinner. Canada's National Team, based in Winnipeg during the 1965-69 period, St. Boniface Canadiens, Western Canadian junior champions and Memorial Cup runners-up in 1952-53, and two champion Intermediate teams from 1956-57, Pine Falls Paper Kings and Poplar Point Memorials were honoured.
Ed Belfour came in from his ranch in Texas to attend the dinner, Fred Creighton attended from Sacramento, with Cal. and Murray Williamson travelling from the Twin Cities. Members of the teams being inducted attended from a great many locations.