Al Hackner Men's Curling Rink (1982)
Al Hackner Men's Curling Rink (1982) was a men's curling team from Thunder Bay that won the Canadian and World championships in 1982. The team was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1988.[1]
Overview
- Sport: Curling
- Season: 1982
- Achievement: Canadian and World Champions
- Inducted: 17 September 1988[1]
Season
The 1982 season marked a historic milestone for Curling in Northwestern Ontario as the Al Hackner rink secured the Air Canada Silver Broom, representing the world championship. The team, consisting of skip Al Hackner, third Rick Lang, second Bob Nicol, lead Bruce Kennedy, and fifth man Al Fiskar, began their journey by earning the right to represent Thunder Bay at the Northern Ontario Tankard. In the provincial final, they defeated the Jack MacFarlane rink from Sault Ste. Marie with a score of 8–4.[1]
Following their provincial success, the group advanced to the Labatt Brier, the national men's championship held in Brandon, Manitoba. Having finished as runners-up the previous year, the rink secured the title with a 7–3 victory over the Brent Giles rink from British Columbia. This win was only the second time a team from Northwestern Ontario had captured the Canadian Men's Curling title. The national victory qualified the squad to represent Canada at the World Curling Championships in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, West Germany.[1]
At the global tournament, the Al Hackner rink reached the final against the defending champions from Switzerland, skipped by Jurg Tanner. Entering the tenth end with an 8–7 lead, Al Hackner executed a draw to the button to finalize a 9–7 win. This achievement was the first world title for a Northwestern Ontario rink and only the second time a Canadian team had won the event in ten years. For their success, the team was honored with the Sports Excellence Award from the Government of Canada, named the 1982 Ontario Sport Team of the Year, and inducted into the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame in 1988.[1]
Roster
The names below come from the Hall of Fame profile and its team photograph caption.[1]
| Name | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Al Hackner | skip | |
| Rick Lang | third | |
| Bob Nicol | second | |
| Bruce Kennedy | lead | |
| Al Fiskar | fifth |
Honours and achievements
- 1982 World Men's Curling Champions (Air Canada Silver Broom)
- 1982 Canadian Men's Curling Champions (Labatt Brier)
- 1982 Northern Ontario Tankard Champions
- Recipients of the Government of Canada Sports Excellence Award
- Named 1982 Ontario Sport Team of the Year
- Inducted into the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame in 1988[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 "Hackner [Al] Men's Curling Rink", team profile, Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, https://www.nwosportshalloffame.com/team-profile/f6a46d16-a938-44bb-97ba-453429300e2a (accessed 31 October 2026). Archived copy on datum.locker.