Estevan is hosting the annual SJHL Hall of Fame event on March 2, and this year's inductees have been announced.
Bill Shinske, Ray Frehlick, Terry Simpson, Ron Dunville, Bruce Firth and Alan May, who were all players and/or builders with the Bruins, will be enshrined in the Hall.
Shinske, affectionately dubbed "Billy Bruin," was the team's general manager from 1968-71 and again from 1989-95 and is one of the most popular figures in Bruins history.
Frehlick was the president of the Old Bruins for several years and when that team left for New Westminster, he was instrumental in getting the New Bruins off the ground in the SJHL, both as president and manager.
Simpson played for the Bruins from 1960-64 and went on to a wildly successful coaching career, including a dominant stretch of 12 years with the Prince Albert Raiders. He also coached the New York Islanders and Winnipeg Jets. Since the Raiders are no longer in the SJHL, Simpson's work there is being recognized as part of his induction.
Dunville is the New Bruins' all-time leading scorer, with 181 goals and 349 points in 190 games. He played here from 1978-81 and is the third-leading goal scorer in SJHL history.
"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," said Dunville. "When the call came (Thursday), it was a surprise for me. 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."
Firth also put up numbers during his stint from 1977-81, with 128 goals and 304 points putting him 19th on the SJHL's all-time list. He also was a long-time executive member and accountant for the Bruins.
May was a Bruin from 1982-85 and was a key member of the New Bruins' first championship team in 1985. He went on to play 393 NHL games over parts of eight seasons, mainly with the Washington Capitals.
The Hall of Fame event will not be accompanied by the traditional game, as no weekend could be found where the Bruins played at home and SJHL president Bill Chow could attend. That is also the reason why the event was delayed from last fall to March.
For more on this story, see Wednesday's Mercury.
