Battleford’s Wall of Fame inducts two family duos

Sweetgrass First Nation natives, son and father, Blair and the late Roy Atcheynum were inducted into the Wall of Fame after illustrious careers in which they served as trailblazers for Indigenous athletes across the province and country.

“There was a lot of struggles. I know we’ve had conversations over the years when he was still alive and what he went through to get to where he wanted to be. I was fortunate to surpass his playing levels,” said Blair.

“He went to the IHL, and I was fortunate to make the NHL, but he always said I loved it more. He didn’t love the game like I did, but it was something that gave him a purpose and a path.”

Roy Atcheynum spent his junior days as a standout defenceman for the Estevan Bruins, leading them to a Memorial Cup final in 1968.

Meanwhile, Blair played 196 NHL games, spending time with the Ottawa Senators, St Louis Blues, Nashville Predators and Chicago Blackhawks.

When asked about the team he looks back on the most fondly, Blair had one simple answer.

“St. Louis. We had a really good team, and we went two years in the playoffs. We lost to Detroit in the second round in six games, and they won the cup. The next year we lost to Dallas in six games in the second round, and they won the cup. They were that close. That was probably one of the highlights and one of the best experiences.”

Though many of his accomplishments came away from Sweetgrass First Nation, Blair has always held home close to the heart.

“You just don’t seem to cross paths with these people that were from my childhood. And for them to come out and support the event, it was an honour to go in with my dad,” he said.

“Made it extra special for me personally and to have my relatives from Sweetgrass all come in. Obviously, my dad’s brothers and sisters and my cousins and it just made it that much more special.”

After his hockey days, Atcheynum has made an impact as a father as well.

“I don’t think I’ve ever felt more proud as a daughter getting to say that Blair Atcheynum is my dad. The Wall of Fame will forever recognize the athlete that you are, but I’ll forever be grateful for the father that you are,” said Blair’s daughter, Anna, in a speech at the ceremony.

After his time in the NHL, Blair also spent time as an assistant coach with the Battlefords North Stars from 2012 to 2017.

“I had the time to do it and enjoyed every minute of it. We had some down years, and we had some really good years,” he said.

“I still got a few guys in town that I coached many years ago. They’re still good friends of mine and we’re still in touch.”

Getting inducted into the Wall of Fame with his father, Blair spoke about a life lesson he learned from Roy that he carries with him every day.

“Be kind, be respectful, and work hard. You put your mind to something, you go all in. Anything worth doing is worth doing right.”

As he reflects on his career, Atcheynum gave one simple lesson to kids everywhere trying to reach the level that he did.

“Chase your dream. It doesn’t matter what it is. If you really love something and you think you have success at it and you want to keep working at it, chase it till the end. If you’re fortunate enough to make a living out of it, then you’ll never work a day in your life.”

Mark and Ken Wheler – Builder Category

(Image Credit: Ryan Lambert/battlefordsNOW staff)

Brothers Mark and Ken Wheler were inducted into the Wall of Fame after making significant impacts as referees across the province.

Ken Wheler began refereeing at the age of 14 and refereed at every level up to the NHL.

He primarily served as a referee in the Western Hockey League (WHL), which included the 1980 Memorial Cup.

After retiring from refereeing in 1987, Ken joined the WHL officiating supervisory team. He later became an NHL officiating manager, which he still is today.

Ken’s brother, Mark Wheler, made more of a mark wearing the stripes on the ice.

Mark refereed more than 1,500 NHL games, including the 2004 Stanley Cup final and the 2011 Heritage Classic.

He said the most pressure-packed game he ever worked was Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final between the Calgary Flames and Tampa Bay Lightning.

“This is the game you dream about working since you’re a kid because there’s no other game in town. I can hardly remember any of the game itself, but it was a very cool moment. Just to know that you got the opportunity to be there and you survived it, was just kind of a peak experience in the game,” he said.

Mark also worked Game 6 of that final, which included a controversial no-goal call that led to a Lightning victory.

He said neither he nor any of the other officials thought twice about it until after the fact.

“After the third period, somebody came and said they’re saying that the puck might have been in and all three of us said, what are you talking about?”

Doing the 2011 Heritage Classic at McMahon Stadium in Calgary was also special for Mark, with his family being there for the game.

“They happened to be in the stands where the wind was blowing right at them. My wife still says it was the coldest she’s ever been. But it was a fun game. It was a neat atmosphere. I can’t believe they’re still doing those games, but I guess enough people want to go,” he said.

Other big events he worked included the 2017 Winter Classic at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, as well as the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

On Feb. 20, 2015, Mark worked his 1,500th NHL game between the Dallas Stars and Calgary Flames with a handpicked crew alongside him. He eventually retired after working his final game on March 16, 2018, also at the Saddledome.

While his career took him elsewhere, Wheler is happy to have a celebration of his career in his hometown, where he is quick to clarify that he is from Battleford, not North Battleford.

“It just shows how much of a community this is. When I was talking with people that say that you’re from North Battleford and I’d say no. I’m from Battleford. One of my brothers said that today too,” he said.

“It’s a town where I’ve known nothing but support from my family and from friends and some people I haven’t seen for years. I still say we’re going home when we’re coming to Battleford, and we haven’t lived here full time since 1983.”

After the second annual Wall of Fame ceremony, the plaques are on display at the Battleford Arena, where people can learn more about the impact the Atcheynums and Whelers made on the community and the hockey world.

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Ryan.Lambert@pattisonmedia.com

by Ryan Lambert

Battleford’s Wall of Fame inducts two family duos

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