We’re Overdue

Welcome to the most recent addition of the Golden Bears Hockey Alumni Newsletter.

Keep reading to stay informed on all important updates on the Golden Bears Alumni Association and indulge in a few interesting stories below.

Thank you for your continued support!


Hey – hold on a second!

We’ve got a lot in store for you today – Short Shift Notes, Bears in The Brick, A Partner Profile, an update on GBHA jacket order deadlines, George Kingston, old-school equipment pics, thoughts on Golden Bear culture – but first of all, there’s something you should know about.

Take a minute and scroll backup to the banner just above. Don’t read any further until you do.

Done? Did you notice anything different? If not, go back up again before you read further.

If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll have noticed two new logos on the upper LH and upper RH corners on our list of Partners Circle sponsors for the Bears’ 2025-26 season: the 1974-75 Bears and the 1985-86 Bears.

That’s because those two teams followed Bruce Crawford’s initiative to support the Bears this year as Partners by donating $10K from each team towards scholarship funding for the team.  So that $20K joins the $50K contributions from each of Kiwetinohk Energy and Everyday People Financial as well as the $10K donations from each of Eupraxia Pharmaceuticals,  Volatus Aerospace and All West Demolition. This all totals $150,000 to the Bears’ 2025-26 program. This may likely be one of the largest annual corporate sponsorships the Bears have ever seen.

If you add the $60,000 that came in last year from Kiwetinohk and Eupraxia, and that’s now a total of $210,000 committed to the Bears from new GBHA initiatives in the past 12 months alone.

We’re doing our job. We now want these funds to help the team bring home another national title in 2026. We’re overdue.

That’s right – we need a national championship win this year and a new banner up at The Drake. If we go much longer without a national title, it would appear that maybe our best years are behind us. We can’t let that happen.

Prior to last year, the longest stretch between any Bears national championship win was seven years. That happened twice: 1968-75 and 1992-99. In 2025-2026 we’re now entering the 8th year without a national championship. Our GBHA and corporate sponsors have stepped up in a big way now. Scholarship funding for the team this year is now topped up. Work from our GBHA group at the casino adds even more money to the kitty. GM Stan Marple has done his usual great work selling program and rink board advertising as well as in-kind contributions for services and supplies for the team. Finally, as you’ll see further below, Stan and GBHA President Graeme Craig have sold out our 2025 GBHA Golf Tourney and attracted a strong line-up of corporate sponsorship once again. Huge kudos to both guys for this stellar effort.

So, we’re all doing whatever we can to support the team. Our Alumni are stepping up in a big way this year. Now it’s over to the team to deliver the results we all want.

Yes – we’re expecting a national championship this year. Nothing less. High expectations are part of our Golden Bear culture. They are woven into our DNA. Further below you’ll see thoughts from GBHA members Craig Styles and Dale Henwood on Golden Bears culture – that draw a straight line from keeping that culture alive off and on the ice and winning championship banners in doing so. It’s not enough for our GBHA to support the team – we have to let them know we’re expecting them to win. High levels of Alumni support bring with it high expectations. And, rightly so.

Our Partners Circle corporate sponsors have leaned in to support the team in a big way this year. They have a full package of benefits for joining us. Our two GBHA teams, for their part, will have the following rink board put up on the Bears’ players bench side of the rink, in full view of the Alumni seated in Section H:

It’s not too late to have other teams join this rink board if any of you want to further support the Bears this way. Who will step up to the challenge?

Kevin Primeau is working on bringing together a joint contribution from the 1978-79-80 teams that won three national championships in a row. He’s looking for contact info for these team members:  Kevin Bolton; Dave Hindmarch; David Inch; Mike Proch; Dale Ross; Greg Skoreyko; Nick Sanza; Danny Arndt; Duncan Babchuk, Joel Elliott; Steve Gagnon; Brad Hall; Arthur Lee; Terry Lescisin; Greg Tennant; Rod Tordoff.

Let us know if you’ve got contact info for any of them and we’ll pass that along to Kevin.

Anyone else want to step up and lead their team effort as well?


Short Shift Notes:

  • Sold Out!! 24th Annual Golden Bears Hockey Alumni Golf Classic on Thursday, September 4th event at Blackhawk Golf Glub is SOLD OUT! Thank you so much for all your support. Any further enquiries for late registration or sponsorships, please connect with Stan Marple stan.marple@ualberta.ca .And, a reminder from Stan that if you can’t make it out to the tournament, you can still support the GBHA by buying an online 50-50 ticket here:  https://www.rafflebox.ca/raffle/gbht-sept42025
  • Ken Hitchcock GBHA Alumni Luncheon Fundraiser –  We’ve reconfirmed with Ken that he’ll be a part of our event planned for October. He’s still doing scouting work for St. Louis and we’re waiting to see the NHL schedule release likely later this week before being able to nail down a firm date. AND – we’re looking at adding two more names to the speaker roster. Stay tuned.
  • Harvey Poon sent along a message to us on the weekend notifying us of the recent passing in Sidney, BC of Barbara Couves, beloved wife of former Bears captain Dave Couves (1968-73). As Harvey reminded us, Barb was around the team a lot and struck up many friendships with the players and their wives/girlfriends during Dave’s time with the Bears. Our heartfelt condolences to Dave and his family on behalf of the entire GBHA community.
  • July 30thdeadline for GBHA jackets and parkas: Alison Merrick from Elite Promo Marketing has given us until  Thursday, July 30th to complete the orders for these very sharp-looking jackets. We’re not yet at the 12 jacket minimum order for the $290 melton-and-leather jackets, so let’s see if we can make that happen in the next two weeks – Darrell Zapernick and I will be upset if we can’t get our orders filled.

Alison already has orders for both the $195 Stockholm Parka and the $135 Stavenger Thermal Jacket. There are no minimums on those two items and they will be produced and delivered no matter how many get ordered. We expect to see a lot of these in Section H at The Drake this winter!

Once Alison closes the online store on July 30th, we can count on four weeks delivery time – so September 1 is possible!

Here’s how you can place your order: https://gbhalumnijackets.itemorder.com/shop/sale/.

Any questions you can reach Alison Merrick at alison@elitepromomarketing.com  or 780-454-9932.


Bears in The Brick

There are literally hundreds of stories about Golden Bear Hockey Alumni members giving back to their communities. That’s one of the amazing things about what we’re doing here at the GBHA E-News, is uncovering them and spreading word.

There is one of our GBHA members whose contribution to a single cause and the community over the years stands out as one of the Best of the Best.

Thirty-six years ago, Craig Styles – a member of the 1974-75 Bears national championship team –helped launch the very first of what has become an iconic hockey tournament that attracts the best 9-10 year-old players from across North America.

As Tournament Chair of The Brick Invitational Hockey Tournament Craig and tournament co-founder Andy Wigston took charge of an initiative by Bill Comrie and the executives of The Brick Warehouse Corporation in 1990 that pulled together eight teams over a three-day weekend tournament.

This past Sunday, July 6th, Craig presented The Brick Cup for the 35th time since 1990 – missing only the 2020 tourney, which was cancelled because of COVID. Toronto Pro Hockey took home the hardware for the sixth time in tournament history at the end of this year’s seven-day event that brought together 14 participating teams. The final game between the Toronto squad and BC Junior Canucks ended in a thrilling2-1 second OT Toronto win. Here’s a link to the overtime winning goal – an amazing effort from a young Hudson Burke, whose slick moves to fend off a back checker and then deke out a defenseman and the goalie reminded me of a young Bears teammate named Craig Styles of 50 years ago.

You can read a lot about the tournament online, with details about the number of young players who’ve gone on to pro careers or played in highly competitive leagues, including at the university level. Former Edmonton Journal sportswriter Terry Jones has a book in the works to be titled When They Were TenThe Remarkable Story of The Brick Invitational. Details in the link.

Craig is not the only Bear to be involved in The Brick Invitational  – there are too many GBHA members to list here, as players, coaches, organizers and managers – but I was thrilled to meet a few of them when I went over to West Edmonton Mall to catch up with Craig and see some of the action this year: Andy Wigston, tournament co-founder along with Craig and Bill Comrie and pictured above,  was responsible for organizing the 2006 CIAU Hockey championships in Edmonton. Mike Fiorillo, one of the coaches of Team Brick Alberta, played for the Bears in2011-12. Mike’s brother Umberto Fiorillo, was an assistant coach of the Bears in 2016-18 and is the head coach of the Team Brick Alberta. Umberto also was assistant coach at NAIT from 2014 to 2016 under Head Coach Mike Gabinet, Clare Drake’s grandson.

One of the things that stood out for me while spending time with Craig at WEM was how amazingly smooth the whole tournament ran. The tournament volunteers were all so very impressive –professional, helpful, courteous, calm under pressure and able to keep things moving on time with crowds of kids, parents and fans all together.

We’ve all been to tournaments as kids and then later as adults either as spectators or organizers, and we know how many balls there are to juggle and keep together. Craig’s team handles this so very well. The Brick Invitational’s social media game was simply outstanding – kudos to Craig’s daughter Lauren who has helped pull this together over the years. After leaving WEM on Day 3 of the tournament, I followed highlights of every single game on Instagram and loved watching not only the plays, but the young fans and parents.

As always, Craig is modest to a fault in taking credit for the success of this tournament. I asked him to send along for us lessons he learned as a Golden Bear that have helped him in his professional career at The Brick – where he retired in 2021 after 39 years-  and that he’s applied as the Tournament Chair of The Brick Invitational over the years. Here’s what he said:

“We all remember the very impactful saying on our dressing room wall – “It’s amazing what can get done when nobody cares who gets the credit” – and that applies to our Brick Tournament Committee  of nine individuals who all work hard without worrying about taking credit.

“Watching coach Drake (many times because I was sitting beside him on the bench) showed me that the way to achieve success was to be prepared with lots of practice and structure and then sit back and watch it unfold. Our monthly Brick Tournament organizational meetings serve as our practices so keeping everyone focused and engaged is as important as putting the right people in the right spots, no different than the way a successful hockey team is run.

“The Bears have been a great supporter of our tournament having run a skills competition for over 30 years when Dan Bouwmeester first got involved and Stan Marple took over organizing that up until 2022 when I gave him the wrong date and we ended up doing an All -Star game, which has since been the case. Billy Moores was exceedingly helpful when we interviewed coaches and managers for the Team Brick Alberta job seven  years ago. Those coaches are still  with us thanks to Billy’s direction  and we could not be happier.“

And, as Bears GM Stan Marple knows, Craig and The Brick are longtime supporters of the Golden Bears with sponsorship contributions to our annual Golf Tourney. Over the years The Brick Invitational has made significant donations to the U of A to set up the Brick/Golden Bears Hockey Alumni Novice Tournament Scholarship Award.

“This is an Endowment Fund that currently sits at $136,000, with scholarships going annually to Bears and Panda hockey players,” said Craig. “We are all very proud to have been able to give back and help many players, including some of them having played in our Tournament.”

Huge kudos and thanks to Craig and The Brick. This is leadership and community support from a GBHA member at its best.


Over the course of this next season GBHA Feature Writer Caprice St. Pierre will be putting together profiles of some of the key people behind our 2025-26 Partners Circle supporters. Today’s profile of Sue Kue the of Kiwetinohk Energy is the first one.

Partner Profile: Sue Kuethe, Kiwetinohk Energy

By Caprice St. Pierre

Kiwetinohk Energy was a proud $50K sponsor for the Golden Bears last season, and thanks to a successful partnership with the team and Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation, among other relationships, Kiwetinohk will be continuing their support of the Bears’ program through the 2025-26 season.

Sue Kuethe, the Executive Vice President of Land and Community Inclusion at Kiwetinohk, remarked on the impact that the partnership had on the youth at Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation, as well as the professional relationship between herself and Bears’ General Stan Marple, as big reasons for continuing their sponsorship.

“I did ask the chief and counsellors, and they all suggested they did think it was worthwhile and that they’d really enjoyed it,” explained Kuethe. “But I think if the University of Alberta is trying to attract some more Indigenous students too, this also might be a win for the university, a win for the Golden Bears, a win for the community and a win for us.”

In essence, the sponsorship between Kiwetinohk Energy and the Golden Bears involves a monetary donation to the Bears’ program and community involvement from the team.

Some examples from this past season include a trip from Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation students to the University of Alberta, a get-together with Dr. Randy Gregg, and a Bears game with Dr. Wilton Littlechild, renowned Canadian lawyer in Indigenous rights, Cree chief, and former Golden Bear.

“It was kind of a magnificent thing,” began Kuethe. “And I kept overhearing different kids talking to different kids saying, ‘Hey, yeah, you know I could come here, I could do this.’ So it felt kind of nice.

“The other thing we did was the Golden Bears went up to the reserve. I think everybody was highly appreciative to see people have made the effort to come from Edmonton up to the reserve. And I think it was really well received. We did floor hockey one day and we did ice hockey on our ice arena the next day.”

Prior to earning her degree in anthropology and subsequently pursuing a career in the oil and gas sector, Kuethe had wanted to study marine biology.

“I had really hoped to be a marine biologist, but that didn’t pan out, because at the time, they didn’t allow women on research vessels, which I couldn’t even believe, but it was the truth,” began Kuethe.

“That was 1970, so then I thought, well, look at Margaret Mead, she’s an anthropologist. Nobody told her where she could go.”

Last year at about this time, Sue and the Kiwetinohk Energy leadership team connected with the Golden Bears, and the rest is history.


Dale Henwood has been a strong contributor to our GBHA E-Newsletters since we first launched them. His perspective and insight into our past, present and future – with a strong focus on leadership – are always topical and well-researched.

Here are two great posts from him below: the first, with help from GBHA member George Kingston, is a look at “old-school” equipment and thoughts on how that has obviously changed alongside the rapid development of the game over the years. And in his second post he looks at the Golden Bear culture, which we’re all working at preserving and keeping constant over the years.

Flashback: How the Game Has Changed

By Dale Henwood

It is widely accepted that today’s hockey players are faster, fitter, and stronger than those from previous generations. But it’s not just the athletes who have evolved — so has the equipment. Technological advancements have transformed hockey gear, making it significantly lighter, more protective, and far more durable. The result? A faster, safer and more demanding game.

To offer a glimpse into the past, we are sharing some remarkable photos of equipment from the 1950’s, generously provided by George Kingston and recently donated to the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame for all to enjoy. George is a former Golden Bears player and contemporary of the legendary Coach Clare Drake. He went on to enjoy a distinguished coaching career at the University of Calgary and with several National Hockey League and European teams. These artifacts, preserved for decades, tell a powerful story about how far the game has come.

George Kingston – Yesterday and Today – and 1950-60 era Golden Bear gear!


It is hard to imagine what hockey would look like today if players were still wearing the same gear as in the late ’50s and early ’60s. Would the pace be as blistering? Would players take the same risks? Would the game even look the same?

As you explore the images, take a moment to reflect on the grit of those early players—and how innovation continues to shape the sport we love.

The ‘Golden Bears Culture’ – A legacy of high expectation

By Dale Henwood

The Golden Bears have established a unique culture that focuses on discipline, teamwork, and a commitment to excellence both on and off the ice. This culture has become a hallmark of the GBH program, attracting top student-athletes who excel academically as well as athletically. There has been an unwavering commitment to a high standard.

Over the years, there have been many quality coaches in the GBH program. Since the start of the Clare Drake era, coaches include: Clare Drake, Brian McDonald, Billy Moores, Peter Esdale, Rob Daum, Eric Thurston, Ian Herbers and Serge Lajoie.

What was consistent in the team culture and traditions that set the Golden Bears apart and that allowed the teams to perform at a high level on a repeated basis? Did the coaches include rituals, team-building activities, and the leadership practices that were unique to each coach or were there practices and standards that have been passed down through generations of players and coaches?

There is a price to pay for the pursuit of excellence. Excellence takes time and there are multiple lessons along the way. For players that played with two or more of these coaches ,what was the consistency in the team culture? When I think about the GBH experience, I think, initially, about the impact of an unparalleled coach who:

  • treated people fairly
  • had a vision to develop people and win championships
  • consistently worked on fundamentals; attention to detail and preparation; with the mantra “be prepared and ready”
  • created a “care for each other” culture
  • stressed personal responsibility and accountability
  • encouraged a mindset to pursue excellence in everything – on and off the ice
  • focused on hard work and perseverance
  • stressed interdependence; relying on each other
  • stressed be on time, go to class. be responsible
  • be humble ,be a good teammate
  • demonstrate respect everyone in organization (rink attendants, support staff, bus driver, waiters, and waitresses); thank the people in the background
  • enjoy the journey as we pursue the result
  • teamwork gets things done; Others count on you and you on them
  • not worry about credit
  • it is a three-period game; play to the end; resilience to the buzzer
  • never hate your opponent but respect them, and the best revenge is success going forward

Leadership is a people-growing business. GBH experiences allowed me to develop skills that helped me be a better leader. The GBH experience (including coaches, support staff, the annual journey, teammates) had a big influence on me and how I lived my life each day and how I led in my career.

Was it a sustainable excellence culture? How was it developed? How has it been

passed through the decades? I think we would all agree that we are better in the presence of greatness. Our performance elevates.

These are lessons I learned over many years – as a player,  as an opposing coach, as a clinician, as a student, and based on informal mentorship. He has had a tremendous impact on my development, my success, and my enjoyment in life

What was your experience? Send us some thoughts – even only a few words are fine.


Thank-you again to all the following GBHA members who donated to the Bear Necessities Fund, which helps support this E-Newsletter as well as all our GBHA outreach efforts:

Adam Morrison, Austin Smith, Billy Moores, Blair St. Martin, Bob Steadward, Brett Cox, Brian Middleton, Bruce Crawford, Bruce Millar, Bruce Holder, Bruce Rolin, Bryon Baltimore, Clark Jantzie, Colin Chisholm, Colin Zarowny, Craig Hordal, Craig Styles, Dale Henwood, Dan Bouwmeester, Daniel Zarowny, Dave Jenkins, David McDermid, David Otto, Dick Wintermute, Dixon Ward, Don Darling, Frederick Halterman, George Severin, Graeme Craig, Harvey Poon, Howard Crosley, Jack Cummings, Jay Reid, Jerry Legrandeur, Jesse Gimblett, Jim Lomas, Jim Ofrim, Jim Wishloff, John Krill, Justin Wallin, Kelly Brooks, Larry Wall, Lawrence Richer, Lucas Nickles, Mark Hurley, Mike Ballash, Milt Hohol, Murray Tait, Paris Proft, Reg (Bryan) Targett, Ric Bartlett, Rick Peterson, Rick Wyrozub, Roger Kramers, Ron Heck, Ron Reinhart, Ron Vertz, Scott Adair, Scott Lindsay, Scott McDonald, Shelby Karpman, Stacey Wakabayashi, Stan Marple, Stephen Lockwood, Steve Knowles, Steve Shrum, Sylvia Ciurysek, Wayne Page.


And to everyone reading the E-Newsletter, sharing it and sending us ideas, that you so very much for your interest and support.


Go Bears!!

Rick Peterson

Vice President

Golden Bears Hockey Alumni


Copyright (C) *|2025|* *|Golden Bears Hockey Alumni|*. All rights reserved.

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