January 1, 2022
The number of head coaches who guided a team at the CCAA National Hockey Championships enshrined in a provincial sports hall of fame will increase by one later this month.
Ken Babey, who received the call to the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015, enters the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame as a builder in a virtual ceremony on January 30th. On March 5, 2010, the seven time ACAC Coach of the Year eclipsed Clare Drake’s mark of 427 regular and post season victories to become Canada's all time win leader among men's post-secondary hockey coaches. The current head coach of Canada's Para Hockey Team departed the SAIT Trojans in 2014 following 534 wins, 260 losses, 43 overtime losses and 12 ties.
As SAIT athletic director for 17 years, the institution received an unprecedented three CCAA Community Service Awards in 2004, 2007 and 2013. As Trojans head coach for 27 seasons, the 2000 CCAA Coaching Award of Excellence recipient guided SAIT to a CCAA National Hockey Championship in 2000 and a pair of runner up finishes at CCAA sanctioned events in 1992 and 1997.
Babey follows in the footsteps of another CCAA gold medal winning coach and CCAA Coaching Award of Excellence honoree, Dr. Carl (Bucky) Buchanan. The Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame welcomed Buchanan as a builder, who coached the (University) College of Cape Breton Capers to a record nine CCAA National Hockey Championship appearances, in 2010.
A pair of CCAA Coaching Award of Excellence Award recipients entered provincial sports halls of fame as coaches of teams. Terry Bangen, who guided the Cariboo College Chiefs to a record five consecutive CCAA National Hockey Championship appearances, served as an assistant coach on the 1994-95 Memorial Cup champion Kamloops Blazers that were a part of the 2016 BC Sports Hall of Fame class. Perry Pearn, who coached the NAIT Ooks to a record 18 CCAA National Hockey Championship victories, went into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 2017 with the 1984-85 CCAA champion Ooks.
Nick Harbaruk, who guided the Seneca College Braves to three podium finishes at nationals, was a forward on two teams that are in provincial sports hall of fame. The Ontario Sports Hall of Fame enshrined the 1963-64 Memorial Cup champion Toronto Marlies in 2003 while the BC Sports Hall of Fame inducted the 1968-69 Western Hockey League champion Vancouver Canucks in 2006.
Of the five, Pearn and Buchanan entered the CCAA Hall of Fame in the coach category, while Bangen and Harbaruk are currently eligible for induction in the coach category. Babey is not currently eligible in either the coach category or the builder category due to the criteria in place.