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Local hockey players going into Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame

Four local women who played for the Alberta girls hockey team at the 1991 Canada Winter Games in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island are to be inducted into the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame in Red Deer July 22.

Four local women who played for the Alberta girls hockey team at the 1991 Canada Winter Games in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island are to be inducted into the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame in Red Deer July 22.

Included in the induction line-up is Erin Francis, a junior high school teacher at Athabasca's Edwin Parr Composite School, Boyle resident Stacey Welsh, Thorhild grain farmer Jackie Vetsch, and Trish Sury, who grew up in Newbrook and now lives in Leduc.

Francis said while it is an honour to be selected, she was a little surprised by the news.

"It was quite a few years ago now that we had that team together, and I was only 14 at the time," Francis said. "For the team, it was well-deserved. It was an exciting time, and I am really glad that we are being recognized."

Francis, who played left-wing for the team, remarked that at the time her team won the gold medal 2-1 over British Columbia, it was the first time in history a female hockey team had ever participated in a Canada Winter Games.

"Going into those games, the eastern Canadian teams were heavily favoured," she continued. "Quebec and Ontario were expected to be the gold and silver medalists. But then, B.C. and Alberta totally disrupted that. B.C. took out Quebec in one semi-final, while we took out Ontario in the other semi-final. And so, we ended up playing against B.C. in the finals, and we won. It was such an exciting time."

Scoring the game-winning goal was a young 12-year-old forward named Hayley Wickenheiser, who would go on to participate in five Olympic games and 13 world championships, winning either gold or silver at each one.

"She was such a little girl back then," Francis remembered. "The first time I had met her was at the hockey camps prior to the games, and I would end up on the ice with her, either as a teammate or an opponent, for the rest of the time I played competitive hockey."

"You could tell from her talent back then she was no ordinary player," Vetsch, who was 18 at the time, said about Wickenheiser. "We knew she would have the opportunity to continue on to the next levels of competition."

Welsh was 15-years-old when the team played in 1991, and said she is looking forward to seeing he teammates again.

"It is very exciting that we are being inducted July 22," she said. "I still remember all the friends I made from the tournament, and there was a lot of excitement. I even got to play with Hayley Wickenheiser a few times before she went to the world championship."

Francis remarked that a lot of the team is going to be in Red Deer for the induction ceremony.

"One of our players actually lives in New Zealand now," she said. "And she is confirmed to be coming up to the event, so it's great to see."

After moving to Athabasca, Francis got involved in coaching several sports, including hockey, swimming, and track and field.

"I coached the Athabasca Hawks girls hockey team for the past three years," she said. "My daughter Claire played for the team during that time, but we have both recently took a step back to concentrate on her swimming for the Athabasca Rapids swim club."

Francis still plays the sport now and then. She remembered when the Montreal Canadiens alumni came up to Athabasca for the first time.

"That would have been a couple of years ago," she said. "That was pretty neat to play against those legendary players, including Guy Lafleur."

Welsh, who played defence for the team, has also coached since she played.

"I coached the mixed novice team for the Boyle Blazers for the last couple of years," Welsh said. "While I do not actually play myself as much as I used to, hockey is still very much a part of my life."

Vetsch, the team's oldest player, lived in the Thorhild community back in 1991 and still lives there today. Vetsch said she still keeps in contact with her fellow players.

"We are all pretty excited about the ceremonies, and I still keep in touch with my fellow players," Vetsch said. "I still do play the sport myself, but usually I just support my children in what they are doing as well, even helping to coach hockey when they played."

Besides the 1991 Alberta girls hockey team, the 1999 Alberta boys hockey team is also getting inducted for winning gold during their year. Other inductees include sportscaster Ron McLean, former Stanley Cup-winning goaltenders Grant Fuhr and Mike Vernon, and former hockey coach Wally Kozak.

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