Captain Canada, McKeever highlight Bow Valley Sports Hall of Fame inductees

BOW VALLEY – Former Edmonton Oilers star, Captain Canada Ryan Smyth, and the country’s most decorated Winter Paralympian, cross-country skier Brian McKeever highlight this year’s inductees into the Bow Valley Sports Hall of Fame.

Six more worthy inductees also got calls for the hall-of-fame including Canada’s first heli-ski pilot Jim Davies, elite hockey players Kevin Smyth and Jared Smyth, alpine ski Olympian Pete Bosinger, and biathlon and cross-country ski visionaries Ken Davies and Norbert Meier, all of whom will be honoured during a ceremony on Sept. 17 at Banff Park Lodge.

“When you look at this list as well as previous inductees, the number of Olympians that we have inducted is probably greater than any community in Canada could boast,” said Marty von Neudegg, chairman of the Bow Valley Sports Hall of Fame.

“It's really quite something.”

Through a public nomination process, the local hall of fame honours athletes with notable accomplishments in sports, recreation and mountain pursuits, as well as sport builders, such as coaches, trainers and officials, and pioneers who helped grow sport around the Bow Valley for more than 50 years.

McKeever (Nordic skiing) and the Smyth brothers (hockey) are being inducted as athletes, Ken Davies (biathlon), Meier (Nordic skiing) and Bosinger (alpine skiing) are going in as builders, and Jim Davies as a pioneer for mountain pursuits.

A revolutionary helicopter pilot in the Canadian Rockies, Jim Davies was at the forefront of the heli-ski industry and mountain rescue scene for decades. He is credited as being the steady hand hovering above the ground during the first heli-sling rescue in Banff National Park history in 1971.

The chairman said that there are still many more pioneers in the Bow Valley who contributed so much in the early days of sport and he hopes they are recognized for years to come through the nomination process.

"I think what makes any of these nominated lists so great is that we never really seem to run out of worthy people," said von Neudegg.

Over a hall-of-fame worthy career, McKeever joined legendary status and became Canada’s most decorated Winter Paralympian having won 20 medals, including 16 gold, spanning six Paralympic Games. Appearing in one of the most talked about Super Bowl ads in 2022, McKeever is currently the head coach of Canada's Para Nordic ski team.

No. 94, Ryan Smyth retired from the NHL in 2014, scoring 386 goals and 842 points in 1,270 games – 971 wearing blue and orange. The left winger is an Olympic gold medallist and was part of the Oilers’ memorable 2006 run to the Stanley Cup finals. Those strolling down the hallways of the Fenlands Banff Recreation Centre may notice the shrine dedicated to Captain Canada.

Kevin Smyth played in many high-end leagues including the NHL, AHL and WHL. The winger played 58 games for the Hartford Whalers (now Carolina Hurricanes), scoring six goals and 14 points.

Jared Smyth played in the WHL, ECHL and AHL. With WHL teams Spokane Chiefs and Tri-City Americans, Smyth scored 33 goals and 85 points in 251 games.

Ryan, Kevin and Jared are brothers.

Former president of Biathlon Canada and Biathlon Alberta, Ken Davies has led the charge in bringing elite biathlon international competitions to Canmore for years, while simultaneously being a pivotal contact in growing the sport within Canada. 

For four decades, Meier has been putting his vision and energy into making Canmore a world-class destination for elite-level cross-country skiing, which includes hosting World Cups. In 2023, Meier was presented with the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal, presented in honour of Queen Elizabeth II.

Both Meier and Ken Davies have been key players in overseeing the development of the new biathlon building at the Canmore Nordic Centre.

A former Olympian and World Cup athlete, Bosinger has decades of experience racing internationally. As a coach, Bosinger’s depth of knowledge and first-hand experience has been vital in the development of ski careers for Banff Alpine Racers and Bow Valley Quikies athletes. He’s also coached and been in leadership roles at the national level in Canada and the United States. His late brother is Rob Bosinger, who the Bozocup at Mount Norquay in Banff is dedicated after.

"When you look at the whole thing altogether, it's great for these eight to go in and it's even greater when you look at the whole list of the people that they join," said von Neudegg.

At the ceremonies, which include a dinner and silent auction, the group raises money and a portion goes toward continuing the growth and development of sport through its Athlete and Coach Assistance Program, which anyone in the Bow Valley can apply to.