OTTAWA – The office of the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, announced 91 new members for the Order of Canada today, among whom are three notable hockey personalities. In all, there have now been only 29 people appointed because of their careers in hockey, four of whom are also members of the IIHF Hall of Fame (see below for a complete list).

Ken Dryden was made an Officer of the Order of Canada while Paul Henderson, who was recently announced as an inductee into the IIHF Hall of Fame for 2013, was made a Member of the Order of Canada along with Daniele Sauvageau.

There are three levels to the Order of Canada: Companion, Officer, Member. As well, there are three ceremonies to be held in 2013, but as of now dates for the investiture of the three are unknown.

Dryden, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, a goalie with Canada’s 1972 Summit Series, and a six-time Stanley Cup champion with the Montreal Canadiens in the 1970s, becomes the fifth member of that dynastic Montreal team inducted. Previously his coach, Scotty Bowman, and general manager Sam Pollock had been appointed to the order along with teammates Guy Lafleur and Serge Savard. Dryden is also one of six players from Canada’s Summit Series team to be honoured, including Phil Esposito, Bobby Clarke, Savard, and Henderson. Bobby Orr has also been appointed. He was on the Summit Series team but never played because of injury.

Henderson was, of course, the hero of the Summit Series. He scored the game-winning goal in the final three games of the eight-game series, the last with only 34 seconds left to play, to lift Canada to a remarkable come-from-behind victory. His appointment also recognizes his decades of volunteer work.

Sauvageau is only the second person named to the Order for her career in women’s hockey. Team Canada’s longtime captain, Hayley Wickenheiser, was named an Officer in 2011 “for her achievements as an athlete and for her contributions to the growth of women’s hockey,” the Governor General’s office stated.

Sauvageau was her coach in 2002 when the team won Olympic gold in Salt Lake City under difficult circumstances. She also coached Canada to gold medals at the 1999 and 2001 Women’s World Championship. Sauvageau is currently a Coach Mentor in the IIHF’s Ambassador and Mentor program (AMP) working with France and achieving significant success.

Of course, the Governor General’s office holds a special and important place in hockey history. It was Lord Stanley, the Governor General from 1888-1893, who donated a trophy to be competed for by amateur teams across Canada. It quickly became known as the Stanley Cup.

Order of Canada Hockey Players: Syl Apps, Father David Bauer (IIHF Hall of Fame), Jean Beliveau, Toe Blake, Emile Bouchard, Scotty Bowman, Bobby Clarke, Red Dutton, Phil Esposito, Ken Farmer, Wayne Gretzky (IIHF Hall of Fame), Gordie Howe, Bobby Hull, Gord Juckes (IIHF Hall of Fame), Red Kelly, Guy Lafleur, Mario Lemieux (IIHF Hall of Fame), Trevor Linden, George Mara, Roger Nielson, Bobby Orr, Sam Pollock, Pat Quinn, Maurice Richard, Serge Savard, Hayley Wickenheiser.

ANDREW PODNIEKS