Six men who have entertained fans on the ice and helped keep the Estevan Bruins afloat off it will be enshrined in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League Hall of Fame on March 2.
Former players Ron Dunville, Bruce Firth and Alan May and builders Bill Shinske, Ray Frehlick and Terry Simpson will be inducted alongside other greats in SJHL history during the ceremony, which will coincide with the Bruins' annual awards night.
However, there will be no Hall of Fame Game due to scheduling conflicts. That is also why the event was postponed from last fall to March.
Frehlick has been a crucial player in helping the Bruins survive over the years. He was the president of the Big Bruins before they moved to New Westminster, B.C., and then was part of a group that acquired an expansion franchise in the SAJHL. He was the first president of the New Bruins and also served as a general manager in that era.
Frehlick has also been a major financial supporter of the team since his days in a hands-on role.
"It's a real honour. There are certainly a lot of other people deserving of that honour too. When you look back 25-30 years, I guess certainly the franchise wouldn't have been totally successful without the help of other people like Gord Tenold and Dave Matchett," Frehlick said.
He added that he reflects with pride on the fact that his Bruins kept a clean image.
"We didn't use a four-letter word in the dressing room. We used the word love. Wherever we stayed, we always got letters back thanking us for staying there and how polite our hockey players were," he said.
"The friendships you make over the years, you carry them for the rest of your life. It's a long time ago. The first year our budget was only $45,000. They spend that now on bus rental.
"I look forward to receiving this award and you can be assured that when I do say a few words, it'll be inspirational."
Shinske, who will be inducted post-humously, was the Bruins' general manager from 1968-71 and again from 1989-95, when he passed away at age 65 after a lengthy illness.
Nicknamed "Billy Bruin," Shinske was revered for his intensity and his commitment to keeping the bottom line in good shape. The SJHL's builder of the year award bears his name, as does the Bruins' Bill Shinske Ethics Award.
According to the Mercury's 50th anniversary special supplement chronicling the Bruins' history, the purpose of Shinske's second stint in the 1990s was "to bring some stability to the Bruins and make the franchise a winner again."
Melodye Pierson, a long-time Bruins secretary and billet, worked under Shinske during that second go-around. She also gave the eulogy at his funeral.
"He was just like a mentor to me, I can't even explain it," she said. "He didn't piss around. He was hard-nosed and hard-assed but one of the kindest people you ever met in your life. I just can't say one bad thing about him. He was just a pioneer."
Pierson said Shinske would go "all over town to get notepads and pens to watch the dollars," and that sense of fiscal responsibility didn't end with his own team.
"He stood up for all the franchises. He was furious when Melfort got let in the league because he said Nipawin and Melfort were too close together and it would hurt the Junior B team in Kinistino."
Shinske was also a big believer in accountability, Pierson said.
"He believed in fines. One guy, he got him three times before he stepped through the double doors at the Civic. He got him once for no hat on backwards, one for no gum and one for no (expletives)."
Dunville played with the Bruins from 1978-81 and is the New Bruins' all-time leading scorer with 181 goals and 349 points in 190 games. He sits third in league history in goals, and 12th in points.
Dunville was named the league's most valuable player in 1980-81 after leading the circuit with 138 points in 56 games
"It's a great honour. I knew The Mercury had had a poll last year and I'd heard that I received the most votes in that poll, but I really didn't think anything of it. When the call came (Thursday), it was a surprise for me," said Dunville. "When you think about the players already in there and the names going in, Bill Shinske, Terry Simpson - Ray Frehlick has been a great builder of this community and Bill and Terry are known throughout the hockey world.
While he expected his team scoring record would fall some day, Dunville admitted he's happy that it still stands.
"I never imagined that that (record) would hold up. I only played three seasons and there are people who have played four. You don't think something like that will hold up and it's just amazing to me that it has all these years. You don't want it broken," he laughed.
Dunville added that he was part of some talented teams and that his teammates deserve a lot of the credit for his success.
"I think I was fortunate enough to play with some very good players as well. It's not one person, it has to come from the players around you. I plan fully on mentioning a few of those at the induction. You can't do it by yourself, you have to have coaching, player support."
Firth is the second-leading scorer in Bruins history and 19th on the SJHL's all-time list, but he had no idea until he moved back to Estevan in 2000. He played here from 1977-81, putting up 128 goals and 304 points in 235 games.
Firth has also played a key role off the ice. He was a long-time accountant for the team and spent nearly a decade on the executive. He is now the treasurer for the Bruins alumni and was an original board member.
Firth said the recognition is "very humbling" and that he doesn't like "being in the limelight very much."
He expressed appreciation to the community for welcoming him as a player and being an ideal place to live later in life.
"As a player, you come here, you're a snotty-nosed kid who doesn't know anything. You come here and your billets treat you like family. When I had a chance to move back to Estevan, I jumped at the opportunity. Knowing the type of community it was, it was a no-brainer to come back to this area.
"I don't know how anybody could have a better life than by following their dream and enjoying life where they want to enjoy life," Firth said.
May played with the Bruins from 1982-85 and was a member of the club's first SJHL championship team in 1984-85. May was a tough customer and played a key role on that squad on a line with Serge Poulin and Wade Stubley.
May went on to play 393 NHL games, scoring 31 goals and 76 points over parts of eight seasons with the Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers, Dallas Stars and Calgary Flames.
May is currently a hockey analyst for Comcast SportsNet Washington.
Simpson played for the Bruins from 1960-64 before becoming a legendary coach with the Prince Albert Raiders for 12 years, during a period when the team won seven straight SJHL championships.
He later spent three years as the head coach of the New York Islanders and three with the Winnipeg Jets before helping to bring the Red Deer Rebels into the Western Hockey League as an expansion team.
Because the Raiders are no longer in the SJHL, Simpson is being recognized for those achievements as part of his induction.
Frehlick said Simpson's teams were nearly impossible to beat.
"We had some very good hockey clubs and we always had to play PA, which was coached by Terry Simpson at the time, and we could never get by them because they always had a tremendously talented hockey team. They ended up beating us all the time. They were similar to what Humboldt is now," Frehlick said.
