Christians of the NHL Part 4 (S-Z)

This is Part 4 of a four part series designed alphabetically. The lists include hockey people (both past and present) who have made a public profession of their faith in Jesus Christ. I plan to add mini-bios next to each name as time permits. Many thanks goes to Hockey Ministries International (HMI) for their support of these players in their team chaplaincy programs, hockey camps and social media presence. 

Whether it’s the vocally reserved culture of most hockey players, a possible frowning upon of outspoken faith in the league or just a more secular media coverage in Canada than in the U.S., you don’t hear as much about an athlete’s personal faith in the NHL. The “PDF” (Public Display of Faith) is a bit rarer in the good ol’ hockey game.

And that’s not always a bad thing. It is, of course, far better to walk the walk than merely talk the talk. But as I have begun to research this topic of Christianity in the NHL (both now and in the past) I have discovered a real legacy of faith amongst some of its players. This is my motivation for creating these blog posts - not to categorize or glorify the people - but to learn more about their faith in Jesus Christ and how it shapes their lives. 

In Canada, we often refer to hockey as a religion but for these players they have discovered more than just the religion of the rink – they’ve discovered the Gospel of the Cross.  

See Also:

Part 1 (A-E)

Part 2 (F-M)

Part 3 (N-R)


Sauer, Michael

Slavin, Jaccob

Smyth, Ryan

Staal, Eric

Staal, Jordan

Stastny, Paul

Thompson, Tage

Vitale, Joe

Vanbiesbrouck, John

Walter, Ryan

Welch, Noah

Wesley, Glen


Yandle, Keith

Christians of the NHL Part 3 (N-R)

This is Part 3 of a four part series designed alphabetically. The lists include hockey people (both past and present) who have made a public profession of their faith in Jesus Christ. I plan to add mini-bios next to each name as time permits. Many thanks goes to Hockey Ministries International (HMI) for their support of these players in their team chaplaincy programs, hockey camps and social media presence. 

Whether it’s the vocally reserved culture of most hockey players, a possible frowning upon of outspoken faith in the league or just a more secular media coverage in Canada than in the U.S., you don’t hear as much about an athlete’s personal faith in the NHL. The “PDF” (Public Display of Faith) is a bit rarer in the good ol’ hockey game.

And that’s not always a bad thing. It is, of course, far better to walk the walk than merely talk the talk. But as I have begun to research this topic of Christianity in the NHL (both now and in the past) I have discovered a real legacy of faith amongst some of its players. This is my motivation for creating these blog posts - not to categorize or glorify the people - but to learn more about their faith in Jesus Christ and how it shapes their lives. 

In Canada, we often refer to hockey as a religion but for these players they have discovered more than just the religion of the rink – they’ve discovered the Gospel of the Cross.  

See Also:

Part 1 (A-E)

Part 2 (F-M)

Part 4 (S-Z)



Naslund, Whitney

Neilson, Roger

Osborne, Mark

Pieterangelo, Alex

Poehling, Ryan

Prentice, Dean

Price, Carey

Pronovost, Jean

Prosser, Nate

Reimer, James

Resch, Glen “Chico”


Rupp, Mike

Christians of the NHL Part 2 (F-M)

This is Part 2 of a four part series designed alphabetically. The lists include hockey people (both past and present) who have made a public profession of their faith in Jesus Christ. I plan to add mini-bios next to each name as time permits. Many thanks goes to Hockey Ministries International (HMI) for their support of these players in their team chaplaincy programs, hockey camps and social media presence.

Whether it’s the vocally reserved culture of most hockey players, a possible frowning upon of outspoken faith in the league or just a more secular media coverage in Canada than in the U.S., you don’t hear as much about an athlete’s personal faith in the NHL. The “PDF” (Public Display of Faith) is a bit rarer in the good ol’ hockey game.

And that’s not always a bad thing. It is, of course, far better to walk the walk than merely talk the talk. But as I have begun to research this topic of Christianity in the NHL (both now and in the past) I have discovered a real legacy of faith amongst some of its players. This is my motivation for creating these blog posts - not to categorize or glorify the people - but to learn more about their faith in Jesus Christ and how it shapes their lives.

In Canada, we often refer to hockey as a religion but for these players they have discovered more than just the religion of the rink – they’ve discovered the Gospel of the Cross. 

See Also: 

Part 1 (A-E)

Part 3 (N-R)

Part 4 (S-Z)

Falk, Justin

Fehr, Eric

Fisher, Mike

Gartner, Mike

Geoffrion, Bernie “Boom Boom”

Glendening, Luke

Hamhuis, Dan

Henderson, Paul

Iginla, Jarome

Jarvis, Doug

Johnson, Mark (Miracle on Ice)

Kea, Ed

Marvin, Gigi

Miller, Kevan

McQuaid, Adam

Christians of the NHL Part 1 (A-E)

This is Part 1 of a four part series designed alphabetically. The lists include hockey people (both past and present) who have made a public profession of their faith in Jesus Christ. I plan to add mini-bios next to each name as time permits. Many thanks goes to Hockey Ministries International (HMI) for their support of these players in their team chaplaincy programs, hockey camps and social media presence. 

Whether it’s the vocally reserved culture of most hockey players, a possible frowning upon of outspoken faith in the league or just a more secular media coverage in Canada than in the U.S., you don’t hear as much about an athlete’s personal faith in the NHL. The “PDF” (Public Display of Faith) is a bit rarer in the good ol’ hockey game.

And that’s not always a bad thing. It is, of course, far better to walk the walk than merely talk the talk. But as I have begun to research this topic of Christianity in the NHL (both now and in the past) I have discovered a real legacy of faith amongst some of its players. This is my motivation for creating these blog posts - not to categorize or glorify the people - but to learn more about their faith in Jesus Christ and how it shapes their lives. 

In Canada, we often refer to hockey as a religion but for these players they have discovered more than just the religion of the rink – they’ve discovered the Gospel of the Cross.  

See Also:

Part 2 (F-M)

Part 3 (N-R)

Part 4 (S-Z)


Backes, David

Former St. Louis Blues captain and current alternate captain with the Boston Bruins, Backes won Olympic Silver in 2010. David is also a pilot and an advocate for animal welfare having founded Athletes for Animals with his wife, Kelly, in 2013. 

Here is an interview he did with HMI:  

Bassen, Bob

Bob played in the NHL from 1985 to 2000 and is the son of former NHL goaltender and Christian, Hank Bassen. He is currently the Director of Alumni Relations for the Dallas Stars.

“At first I was angry at God that He’d brought me to the NHL and then taken it away. But it is during times like that when you learn the most about your faith and get to know God the most. You have no choice but to lean on Him. It’s almost like He’s reminding you that His plans are not your plans.”  (from chapter 6 of “The Edge: Courage & Inspiration from the Ice”.)

Beagle, Jay

Beagle won a Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals in 2018 after also having won championships in the ECHL and AHL. He is known by his coaches and team mates as an exceptionally hard worker. Jay is currently a member of the Vancouver Canucks.

From HMI’s Twitter Account

Booth, David

Boschman, Laurie

Budaj, Peter

Bure, Valeri

Butters, Billy

Carlo, Brandon

Crombeen, B.J.

Cullen, Matt

Dion, Michel

Doane, Shane

Duchesne, Matt

Ellis, Ron

Kalamalka: Looking Into the Mysterious Origins of the Name

Note: Dr. Duane Thomson’s article on this topic has been extremely helpful and I encourage you to read it on the Lake Country Museum’s website. I was also graciously given a copy of “Q’Sapi: A History of Okanagan People as Told by Okanagan Families” to help further expand the indigenous perspective on Kalamalka.

When I moved to Vernon 15 years ago I was soon struck by the ubiquitous presence of the name “Kalamalka” or simply “Kal”. It was, of course, the name of one of the most beautiful lakes I had ever seen but also lent its name to a provincial park, a historic hotel, a high school, various neighbourhoods, a nationwide tire chain and many other local businesses and places. 

The Indigenous name for this lake was originally “Chilutsus” (meaning “long lake cut in the middle”). By 1851 though, the White settlers were referring to the northern lake as Long Lake and the southern one was known as Pelmewash Lake (thus the name of the new parkway). The name of Pelmewash Lake was later changed to Wood Lake in honour of Thomas Wood, an Eastern Canadian who moved from Vernon and settled there.

We know that the current name of Kalamalka belonged to a respected Okanagan Indian chief who lived at the north end of the lake. In 1892, the main hotel in Vernon was renamed in the Chief’s honour and it seems that there was a push by some business men to have Long Lake renamed as Kalamalka as well. The local radio station even began referring to it as Kalamalka Lake. The name change was made official in the early 1950's. 

For more information on this chief please see “Who Was Chief Kalamalka?”

But what about the etymology of the name Kalamalka? Where did it originate? What does it mean? 

Well first we must admit an unpopular truth – there is no evidence that Kalamalka means “The Lake of Many Colours.” While a lake of many colours is certainly an apt description of Kalamalka Lake it does not appear to be the meaning of the word but rather a nickname that has been picked up along the way and (understandably) stuck. As Dr. Duane Thompson points out though: "One problem with the name Kalamalka is that it has no known or remembered N'syilxcen (Okanagan language) meaning." (Lake Country Museum blogs, comments section, Aug 21 2015).

There is a poem by A.C. Despard published in 1944 that appears to be the first mention of the term "Lake of Many Colours" to refer to Kalamalka Lake. Since there is no evidence that the origin of the name "Kalamalka" means "Lake of Many Colours", then perhaps this is where we first got that particular nickname for the lake. 

See his poem here: The Lake of Many Colors (Commonly called Kalamalka): Poem by A.V. Despard 

So what is the origin of the name “Kalamalka”? There are two main theories – one that it is derived from an Okanagan Indian word and another that it comes from a tropical destination. 

An Okanagan Indian Word? 

According to the book B.C. Place Names by Akrigg and Akrigg, “The word Kalamalka can be identified as an Okanagan Indian man’s name, making very suspect a theory that it is a Hawaiian name…”. 

In a 1979 interview with Jimmy Antoine (a descendant of Kalamalka) in the Vernon Morningstar (January 25th, 1990) Judy Gosselin records: "… (Jimmy) stated that the lake was named after an area chief, by the white people. Speaking through an interpreter in his native language the 90 year old Antoine said that his great grandfather, whose name sounded like “Kalamalka”, served as guardian to the head of the lake area and was leader of the people there.”

“Kalamalka” may be a form of the Okanagan Indian word “Kenamaska” which refers to the soft velvet of a deer’s antlers. “The word in reference to the Chief, meant he was a mild mannered man, well respected by his people” (See previous source). 

A Hawaiian Word?

During the fur trade years it was a common practice for the Hudson’s Bay Company and other fur companies to bring over native Hawaiians from their island paradise to work in the Pacific Northwest. These Hawaiians called themselves “Kanakas” which meant human being or person in their native tongue. 

A Kanaka Family in British Columbia

It is through this Kanaka connection that the Indian chief and our beautiful Kalamalka Lake may have been honoured with a Hawaiian name that is said to mean “Sun of the Americas”. This translation is from a 1949 letter from Margaret Titcomb, Librarian at the Bernice P. Bishop Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii with assistance from a translator named Mrs. K. Pukui. F.M. Buckland, in a very informative article in the 1950 Report of the Okanagan Historical Society, says Mrs. Titcomb thinks: 

“Our Kalamalka is probably "Kalamaleka", the Sun of America”. He then quotes her as saying: "Perhaps some Hawaiian liked a family there so well that he called them 'Kalamaleka'—Ka (the) la (sun) Meleka (America)."  (OHSR Vol 14: 35-43)

In regards to the lake name having a Hawaiian connection, Dr. Thomson states: "...that is also possible because Hawaiians were present in the interior of BC in the fur trade era and could easily have married into the Indian population."

Chief Kalamalka

So how did Chief Kalamalka come upon his name? As was mentioned several Kanakas came over from Hawaii and worked throughout what is now Oregon State, Washington State and British Columbia. It was common practice for them to take a native wife and raise a family with her thus having children who were part First Nations and part Hawaiian. They have left several Hawaiian place and personal names throughout this vast territory. 

 Goestamana, son of Chief Kalamalka, with Ellen Ellison. Photo Credit FlyOK.ca 

The main theory regarding a Kanaka connection to Kalamalka is through a man named Louis Peon (Pion). Peon is recorded as a French Canadian in the HBC records, however F.M. Buckland records “But the family say, "No". The first Peon, a man of some distinction, came to the Okanagan from a tropical country.” It is widely believed he came from Hawaii and there is also another famous Kanaka that we know for sure of who was called Peon Peon (Peeohpeeoh) at Ft. Langley. 

Louis Peon was in Fort Astoria ( in Oregon) around 1811 and is then reported to have wintered at the Head of Okanagan Lake, befriending the Okanagan Indian Chief Huistesmetxe, about 1814. Buckland tells us that one of his daughters, Mary “Sukomelk”, married a man named Peon, most likely Louis Peon. Buckland further asserts:

“In our opinion we can hold Louis Pion responsible for the introduction of Kanaka words from his island home, and for applying to one of his children or his family the name Kalamalka (a name the next generation carried as a surname)…” (OHSR Vol 14:38)

Kalemaku?

One other option to note is that of another Kanaka named Kalemaku who arrived from O’ahu on May 7th, 1845 at Ft. Vancouver (Washington State) and later worked in New Caledonia (Northern BC). It is quite possible his travels took him through the Okanagan and it is not impossible that he fathered a child with a native woman in the Okanagan and passed on a version of his name. He arrives rather late on the scene though as we estimate the first Okanagan Indian by the name of Kalamalka was born sometime around 1800. 

Conclusion:

When I first heard of the Hawaiian name origin theory I was quite skeptical. I thought it made for a great story but was highly unlikely. Now, the more information I have found on the topic, the more convinced I am that there is indeed a Hawaiian connection through the Kanakas of the HBC.  Perhaps the story is too good not to be true? I’ll leave that up to you. We can all certainly agree on the beauty of the lake we know as Kalamalka. 

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by your name;

You are Mine..." Isaiah 43:1

Who Was Chief Kalamalka?

Note: Dr. Duane Thomson’s article on this topic has been extremely helpful and I encourage you to read it on the Lake Country Museum’s website. I was also graciously given a copy of “Q’Sapi: A History of Okanagan People as Told by Okanagan Families” to help further expand the indigenous perspective on Kalamalka.

We hear the name “Kalamalka” so often in the Okanagan Valley but to whom did this name belong? Did a person named “Kalamalka” even exist?

A beautiful hand-tinted postcard shows the head of Kalamalka Lake
where the Chief was said to reside.

We know that he was an indigenous chief that resided at the head of what is now Kalamalka Lake or “N’Inkamuplux” (Head of the Small Lake) roughly where Kal Beach is now located. Q’sapi also tells us that: “The name Kalamalka was a prominent surname of the Okanagan Band before the turn of the century. Although now extinct, the name is well recognized and remains at Head of the Lake (Okanagan Lake) through … present surnames …” (Q’sapi p.135).

Although there are no known birth or death records for the indigenous chief known as Kalamalka, the records we do have definitely indicate not only his existence but also his profound influence on the history of the North Okanagan Valley. Historical writings also tell us that he was a man of noble reputation among both the Indigenous Peoples of the Okanagan Valley and of the early European settlers. 

A pair of moccasins originally cut out for the son of Chief Kalamalka
on display at the Greater Vernon Museum 

Historian Frank M. Buckland gives us this brief description of the chief:  “The first Kalamalka was known as a good hunter and brave man who shot a great grizzly bear at close quarters…”  (OHSR 1950, p.40). We also know that he was so popular that one of the first (and most famous) hotels built in the Valley was named after him and, eventually, one of the most beautiful lakes in the country. There is a colourful story of how Kalamalka sought to become a Christian in his later years (*see bottom of article).

Perhaps the most important document regarding Kalamalka’s existence is the obituary of his granddaughter, Katrine Bercier (aka “Coldsteam Kate”), in the February 25th, 1926 issue of the Vernon News (pg. 3). In this reference we are told that Katrine was the daughter of Chief “Goestamana” (or “Cohastimene”) who was, in turn, the son of the famous Chief Kalamalka. It also records that Chief Kalamalka was highly regarded and owned much land in the area. As an interesting side note, Katrine and Forbes George Vernon (the namesake of the city of Vernon) had a child together named Louise. Louise then married George Tronson whose father, E.J., helped lay out a town site for Vernon in 1885 (calling it “Centreville” at the time).

  Goestamana, son of Chief Kalamalka, with Ellen Ellison. Photo Credit FlyOK.ca 

As far as dating the life of Chief Kalamalka, Duane Thomson writes this: “From census data we know that Katrine was born about 1847, and Quo-hast-a-mayna about 1822. If twenty-five years also separated Quo-hast-a-mayna and his father, Chief Kalamalka, the latter was born just before 1800. He would have been about 68 years of age when the first settlers arrived in Priest’s Valley (Vernon).” Duane Thomson: Lake Country Museum blog, August 21/2015). There are also some indications that the name "Kalamalka" and perhaps even the Chief himself may have had some connections to the Hawaiian Islands - but that is a subject for another blog post. 

So it seems quite clear that a man named Kalamalka did exist and influenced the peoples and history of the Valley. In a 1979 interview with Jimmy Antoine (a descendant of Kalamalka) in the Vernon Morningstar (January 25th, 1990) Judy Gosselin records: 
"… (Jimmy) stated that the lake was named after an area chief, by the white people. Speaking through an interpreter in his native language the 90 year old Antoine said that his great grandfather, whose name sounded like “Kalamalka”, served as guardian to the head of the lake area and was leader of the people there.”

Truly Chief Kalamalka was an honourable and well-loved man. It is very fitting that such a beautiful lake bears his name and that this name lives on throughout the Okanagan Valley and abroad. I believe we owe much gratitude to this man and his descendants.

Vintage hand-tinted postcard of Rattlesnake point on Kalamalka Lake

A Story of Chief Kalamalka

*A story of Chief Kalamalka and his desire to become a Christian is recorded in Kay Cronin’s “A Cross in the Wilderness” (p132-134). The same story is retold in both “B.C. Place Names” by Akrigg (p. 130-131) and in “Q’sapi” (p136). Although baptism is not a prerequisite to becoming a Christian in most denominations, it seems Kalamalka was very keen on getting baptized. Here is the story according to Akrigg: 

“In his old age, Kalamalka was very anxious to become a Christian and repeatedly asked Father Le Jacq to baptize him. Each time the good father protested that he could not do so until Kalamalka gave up his … practice of having four wives. Loyal to his wives, Kalamalka produced reasons against putting aside any of them: one was the mother of his oldest son, another was lame from the terrible frost-bite she had suffered once when saving him amid the winter snows, and so the story continued. 

At length, Father Le Jacq was so moved by the old Indian’s constancy to his wives, along with his tremendous desire to be a Christian, that he appealed on his behalf to the bishop, only to hear his own ruling repeated – Kalamalka must settle for a single wife. 

Coming back sadly from New Westminster, Father Le Jacq received from Kalamalka the tidings that at last he had only one wife. She turned out to be none of the four, but a good looking young woman! The four wives had a held a conference, decided that a new young wife could take over a lot of the work, and had sent the chief to find a new wife while they went into retirement. And so from that day on, Old Kalamalka had one wife but supported all five women, was baptized, and, presumably, was happy.”

A Brief History of Military Action On Kalamalka Lake

On the east shore of Kalamalka Lake across from Kekuli Park is Cosens Bay which was once owned by Cornelius Cosens c. 1893. This land was used for military training during WW2 and “A trench was blasted out of steep rock face near Cosens Bay” (Coldstream Nulli Secundus, Page 80). 

Kal Lake and its parks were also used for combat practice during WW2. “During the war amphibious assaults were practiced on Kalamalka Lake, with the ships launching from Kekuli Bay. Guns would be firing as they approached Cosens Bay” (Know Your Park, www.kalamalkapark.ca). Many UXOs (Unexploded Explosive Ordnances) have been found in this area since but military sweeps have cleared most if not all of them.

In the 1983 edition of the Okanagan Historical Society Report (OHSR), Walker Macneil writes firsthand as a soldier who experienced some of these military activities:

“I helped the army here search for bombs after the war, and we found some in the Cosens Bay area. We used to do a lot of firing to the south and I knew there were a lot of duds there...  At one place in the Coldstream we had a simulation of a mother ship for practicing what we did on D-Day. There were ladders to climb up and the men would come down the net and get into the boat or landing craft. This gave them an idea of what they had to do. The poles were greased, and this was where we were allowed a certain percentage of injuries to people. If they slipped off they could break a rib. There was a wall to be scaled, creeks to be waded, fire pits to be climbed over and other hazards, and we were pushing them all the time, with a Bren gun firing over their heads.  One of the assault courses was located on the Coldstream Ranch, on the north side of Highway 6, in the field where the ranch kept its bulls” (OHSR 1983 p.23). 

On the south end of the lake there is some WW1 history. Annie Trask lived on what is now Kaloya Regional Park and was one of the founding members of the Kalamalka Women’s Institute and its chairperson. The KWI was a community organization that would prove especially helpful during the Great War when “convalescent soldiers were entertained by members of the Institute at the President‟s home,—“Iris Point”.” (Tweedsmuir’s History of Lake Country p.7) 

"This cairn honours Mrs. Annie L. Trask. 

Outstanding pioneer woman who founded the Kalamalka Women's Institute in Oyama B.C., February 26th, 1914. The cairn rests on the footings of the original Trask home built in 1908. It also commemorates the 75th anniversary of the K.W.I. , 1914-1989, and recognizes their continued service for "Home and Country". 

 
Another military note regarding the lake is that the Canadian Navy launched a mine-
sweeping vessel and named it the HMCS Kalamalka in July of 1944. She was a wooden-
hulled Llewellyn Class minesweeper and operated out of Prince Rupert as a patrol vessel 
looking for possible mines during WW2.   (https://www.canada.ca/en/navy/services/history/ships-histories/kalamalka.html)

The HMCS Kalamalka