Tsuut’ina, Alta.- The Saddledome ice almost looked small as it was walled in by more than 17,000 screaming fans on May 7, 1999.
Fresh off of winning the then-President’s Cup for the first time in franchise history, the Calgary Hitmen had streamed onto the ice in celebration.
There was an extra roar from the crowd as fan-favourite Brent Dodginghorse- who had assisted Brad Stuart’s Championship-winning goal- lifted the trophy with one hand, with the other extended to point to the crowd.
It’s a moment he still cherishes all these years later.
“When I got to lift the Cup, it was unreal,” Dodginghorse recalled. “I just saw my family way up in the stands where they usually sit, and that was truly an awesome moment to sort of look back and remember. We had such a special team in Calgary. It was a good blend of Europeans and goal scorers and two-way forwards and guys that could do everything.”
Dodginhorse went on to make history as the Hitmen’s first-ever goal scorer at the Memorial Cup, though the talented Calgary squad would fall to the Ottawa 67s in overtime in the final match, and went on to play professionally in the ECHL while attending training camps with the Calgary Flames and Tampa Bay Lightning before injuries forced an early retirement.
The 47-year-old member of Tsuut’ina Nation looked back on his long hockey career, which had stretched from Junior A in British Columbia to minor pro in Florida, as a 95 percent positive experience.
But that other five percent weighed heavily.
Racist comments that saw people freeze, unsure of how to react.
Dodginghorse and other indigenous and BIPOC players not wanting to speak up for fear of being labeled difficult, or, for some, leaving the sport altogether.
It was just seen as another hurdle in the game.
But when it happened to his daughter, Cayda, Dodginghorse felt driven to spark a change while celebrating his culture.
“She wanted to quit hockey, and I promised her that we would make a positive situation out of that unfortunate situation,” Doddinghorse said. “That’s how the DH Ranch Diversity Program started.”
Dodginghorse and his wife, Sonya, who are also key figures in the rodeo community, hold kids camps and team-building sessions on their 25-acre ranch just outside of Calgary, blending Indigenous culture with interactive activities and sharing lived experiences in hopes of building deeper bonds and broadening perspectives.
He works with the 7 Chiefs Hockey Program with his cousin Kyle Dodginghorse, helped develop the Western Hockey League’s first-ever diversity policy, and, in a full-circle moment, works as a consultant for the Calgary Flames and, by extension, his former junior club.
“Brent was a fan favorite when he played in our league, but just the influence that he’s had on the community in general… He’s an ambassador of the sport,” Stacey Meyer, the WHL’s Manager, Education Services & Respect Programming, added. “He just has a special way of pulling that all together into a really thoughtful and meaningful story that makes everybody proud.
The really important part of these conversations is that we’re making progress. To make progress, you have to listen very carefully, and you have to listen to the areas that are uncomfortable, that aren’t always the easiest to address or talk about, and then have a plan.”
Dodginghorse is one of three finalists for the NHL’s Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award, which recognizes the commitment of those who are improving lives and strengthening their communities through the game of hockey. Each year, one winner in Canada and one winner in the United States receive a $25,000 prize to be donated to a charity of their choice, with four other finalists receiving a $5,000 donation to their chosen charity.
“I had to hold a Willie O’Ree puck to motivate me and remind me that I’m just telling my story and giving them tips to walk through diversity,” Dodginghorse recalled. “It’s so heavy to talk about… But it’s good to get it off your chest, and it’s good to talk about it, because I don’t ever come at it in an angry way, I always come at it as a learning lesson or awareness session. Let’s learn from this and let’s be better. I think it’s been rewarding for me to talk about because I haven’t (before). I was taught not to talk about this and don’t ever bring it up.
We have to encourage people to just speak up and say, ‘Hey, that wasn’t right’, or ‘Hey, I didn’t appreciate that language’. It’s as simple as that, and a lot of people didn’t have those tools because it was accepted behavior amongst teams, or parents -or even coaches. So I think it’s just empowering allies. Having a conversation about diversity is so important, not only in the sports world, but in the work world and the school world.”
Dodginhorse says he’s grateful and humbled to be nominated for the prestigious award, and hopes the platform can help spread the message of inclusivity and uplift others in hockey.
Voting for the 2025 Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award is open until May 25, 2025.
The winner will be announced in June.
