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Hall of Famers

Hall of Famer

Joe Kryczka

Inducted in 1990

Member Details

Date of Birth: June 4, 1935
Place of Birth: Coleman, Alberta
Date of Passing: January 11, 1991
Sport: Ice Hockey
Member Category: Builder

Career Highlights

1963

Began association in provincial hockey

1971

President CAHA

Director, Hockey Canada

1972

Chief Negotiating Officer, 1972 Summit Series

1981

Winter Olympics Bid Team member

Hall of Famer Joe Kryczka
Sport

Story

Like many a great executive or builder of hockey, Joe Kryczka would have preferred to play at the highest level. In his case, though, a serious shoulder injury while playing university hockey in Alberta ended those aspirations, so he had to stay in the game as a non-athlete. Kryczka earned his law degree in 1958 and moved to Calgary to open his practice. He also coached and refereed hockey at the grassroots level for the next few years, and in 1963 he was made an executive of the Alberta Amateur Hockey Association, a position which he maintained for four years. In 1967, he became its president and two years later became vice-president of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA). In 1971, he was named CAHA president for a two-year term, running concurrently with his directorship of Hockey Canada. Kryczka was named chairman and chief negotiating officer for the Canada-Soviet Summit Series in 1972, a job he carried out with such distinction that the International Ice Hockey Federation (IHF) asked him to run for its presidency a few months later. He declined but continued to work nationally and internationally in hockey. As the Canadian Olympic Association made a push to host an Olympic Games, Kryczka was instrumental in putting together the COA's bid for Calgary for 1988, a bid that proved successful and gave Canada its first Olympic Winter games. After the success of those games, he became director of the Canadian Olympic Development Association for three years until the time of his death.