LeRoy Johnson
How does a small college in a rural Alberta city of just over 12,000 people become host to the finest hockey players in the world? Now a part of the University of Alberta, Camrose Lutheran College was challenged to compete against larger city colleges. Through persistence in following a vision, the school and the community embraced the potential of the Viking Cup in 1980, opening their doors to the world of hockey through this unique international exchange program. Outside, the Cold War was raging but barriers seemed to melt as the love of hockey played on. By the time the Cup had its last hurrah in 2006, the NHL had drafted more than 400 players from its ranks. The Viking Cup, memoirs and stories of the program’s founder, is a joyful account of an important chapter of Canada’s hockey history.
