News Release

SHIPPAGAN (GNB) – The names of the six new members who will be inducted into the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame on June 4 in Shippagan were announced today.

“These dedicated, sports-minded New Brunswickers are being recognized for athletic excellence and leadership in promoting active living in our province,” said Tourism, Heritage and Culture Minister Bill Fraser. “Their commitment to sport inspires individuals and families to take part in physical activities in their communities for better health, improved quality of life and a stronger province.”

The members will join the hall when it holds its induction ceremony at the Centre des congrès de la Péninsule acadienne de Shippagan on June 4. The inductees will increase the number of honourees to 249.

“We are proud to announce that these five distinguished athletes and one sports builder are to be inducted into the hall of fame,” said Clem Tremblay, chair of the hall’s board of governors. “We are also excited to have Shippagan host this year's event, and we look forward to honouring these worthy New Brunswickers.”

The new members are:

Patty Blanchard of Moncton

Patty Blanchard runs because it makes her feel light and free. She holds six provincial running records and seven Canadian Masters records. Her passion for running started at a young age and has led her around the world. She competed for Team Canada for eight years, with her first event taking place in Morocco. Blanchard is an inductee of the Run NB Hall of Fame.

David Foley of Saint John

David Foley is a former professional soccer player who played with the Winnipeg Fury Soccer Club. He was the franchise’s leading goal scorer when he retired in 1991. Foley played his youth soccer in Hampton, where his team won the club provincial title. He was captain and most valuable player of the Varsity Red Shirts men’s soccer team at the University of New Brunswick. He is the first soccer athlete inductee in the New Brunswick Hall of Fame.

Kevin Foran of Dalhousie

Kevin Foran achieved his highest success in hockey while attending Mount Allison University. He became the leading scorer in Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union (CIAU) hockey history in 1983, a record he still holds. Foran was selected to the pre-Olympic team, which played a cross-county tour against a team representing the former Soviet Union.

Darren Ritchie of Saint John

Darren Ritchie was the first and only Maritimer to win the Canadian Amateur Golf Championship (1992). His victory was made even more impressive by the fact that he had been diagnosed with melanoma three months prior to competing. From 1990 to 1992, Ritchie placed either first or second during 12 provincial golfing competitions.

Bernard DeGrâce of Shippagan

Bernard DeGrâce officiated 980 hockey games from the minors to professional hockey. DeGrâce is a person who likes challenges – an attribute that led him to be the first New Brunswicker and Acadian referee/linesman in the National Hockey League (NHL). He officiated 350 NHL games from 1989 to 2002.

Eldridge Eatman of Saint John

Eldridge Eatman was one of New Brunswick’s greatest sprinters. He began his athletic career in the early 1900s. In Saint John, Eatman defeated Tom Keen, who was the world 120-yard champion at the time and later a United States Olympic coach. Eatman won the prestigious Powder Hill title for the world’s 120-yard championship at Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1906.

Tickets for the induction ceremony may be purchased in Shippagan or at the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame, 503 Queen St., Fredericton. They may also be purchased by calling the hall of fame, 506-453-3747, or online.

The New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit organization located in the historic Garrison District in downtown Fredericton. It honours achievement in competitive sport and functions as a seasonal museum. It has an interactive virtual sports system and more than 240 original portraits. It also hosts numerous exhibits.