YORKTON – The Saskatchewan Hockey Hall of Fame induction dinner is set to happen this Friday, June 24, and will see another member of the 92-93 Mallers recognized.
Wayne Henley, the manager for the team that year, will be recognized for his services to the sport.
"Henley was heavily involved in Yorkton Minor Hockey for over 20 years. He served as president and founding member of the South Saskatchewan Hockey League, president of the Yorkton Minor Sports Association and manager of the Yorkton Mallers Midget “AAA” hockey team," read an article on the SHHF's website.
Henley worked with the organization until January 2014 and would pass away later that year, according to his obituary.
"I worked for that hockey team as well for years – I always felt that he did a lot more than he got credit for," said Rick Henley, the son of Wayne Henley, in an interview with Yorkton This Week.
Rick went on to reflect on his father's hard-working demeanour.
"Game day was always stressful for him because he thought the only way to get something done right was to do it himself," said Rick.
"So he'd be running around getting the line-ups ready, he'd be printing the programs for the game, he'd be actually writing out the game sheet – and he did all that to the point where I'd start showing up earlier and tried to take some of that away from him so he didn't have so much to do," said Rick.
"Plus – as the manager of the hockey team – he'd also had to deal with the parents, he had to deal with the kids, he had to deal with the coaches – he was a very busy guy for a guy that was retired," said Rick with a laugh.
"I remember when I was nine or so – Saturdays was [going] to the rink...we'd go at eight in the morning and basically open the place up and he spent all day there – and if there was a Terrier game he spent all night there," said Rick.
Rick recognized that his father dealt with other sports and not just hockey.
"He spent years before there was a Mallers – before there was a triple A midget league – as the president of Yorkton Minor Sports," said Rick.
"He was a very even-tempered guy – he hardly ever got mad – he might show a second of anger and then he'd back off and he'd think about it," said Rick, adding, "he was always very busy – there was always a parent to talk to, a player to talk to – he was usually the guy that if someone got injured and had to go to the hospital, he was the guy who took him."
