Al Hackner Men's Curling Rink (1985)
Al Hackner Men's Curling Rink (1985) was a men's curling team from Thunder Bay that won the Canadian and World championships in 1985. The team was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1988.[1]
Overview
- Sport: Curling
- Season: 1985
- Achievement: Canadian and World Champions
- Inducted: 17 September 1988[1]
Season
The Al Hackner rink represented Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario during the 1985 Curling season. The team began their championship run at the Northern Ontario Tankard held in Dryden. By defeating the Rollie Ralph rink from Sault Ste. Marie, the squad earned the right to represent Northern Ontario at the national level.[1]
At the Labatt Brier held in Moncton, New Brunswick, the team faced the Pat Ryan rink from Alberta in the final match. The Alberta side had established a Brier record by winning 11 consecutive games during the preliminary rounds. In the 10th end of the final, with Alberta leading 5-3, Al Hackner executed a cross-ice double take-out to tie the game. The Northern Ontario team secured the national title in the 11th end with a 6-5 victory. During this championship game, lead Pat Perroud achieved a perfect curling percentage of 100%.[1]
Following their national victory, the rink traveled to Glasgow, Scotland, for the World Curling Championships, then known as the Air Canada Silver Broom. They faced the Stefan Hasselborg rink representing Sweden in the final, winning the match with a score of 6-2. This victory marked the ninth world title for Canada and the second for a team from Northwestern Ontario within a four-year span. In recognition of their performance, the squad was honored as the 1985 Ontario Team of the Year.[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 | |
| Ian Tetley | second | |
| Pat Perroud | lead | |
| Bruce Kennedy | fifth |
Honours and achievements
- 1985 Northern Ontario Tankard champions
- 1985 Labatt Brier champions
- 1985 Air Canada Silver Broom World Curling champions
- Named the 1985 Ontario Team of the Year[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/24947d71-7d54-4c17-9b11-46eef131e5bb (accessed 31 October 2026). Archived copy on datum.locker.