Two new members inducted into Ringette Canada Hall of Fame

Ottawa, Ontario – October 23, 2019 – Ringette Canada today announced the induction of two new members into its Hall of Fame. The new inductees include the late Kevin Lee in the officiating category and Karen (Duguay) Bunting in the athlete category. The Ringette Canada Hall of Fame recognizes outstanding contributions to the development of the sport of ringette and the outstanding achievements of ringette athletes, coaches, officials and administrators across Canada.

“It is our absolute pleasure to recognize the hard work and longtime dedication that both Kevin and Karen have demonstrated to our sport,” said Angie Milbury, president, Ringette Canada. “A Ringette Canada Hall of Fame induction is our sport’s highest honor and both Kevin and Karen are very deserving of this recognition. Kevin was not only a consummate official, but an incredible individual; and Karen is both a phenomenal athlete and a true testament of the sport for life philosophy.”

Kevin Lee began his officiating career in the mid 1980s and quickly rose through the ranks as a well-respected official. Kevin’s ability to skate, along with his calm demeanor on the ice, provided him with the special skills that make an extraordinary official. He was widely regarded as one of the premier officials in the sport, he was known as a leader among his peers both on and off the ice, and he was a mentor for many younger officials. He officiated provincial championships for more than twenty years and national championships for ten years. On the international stage, Kevin represented Canada at the first World Club Championships in 2008 and he was one of two Canadian officials selected to officiate at the 2010 World Ringette Championships in Finland. Sadly, Kevin passed away in November 2017 and has left a huge hole in the hearts of the ringette community.

Karen (Duguay) Bunting started playing ringette in Sudbury in 1979 at the age of four. By age eight, she had made her first provincial ringette team and went on to successfully compete on the provincial, national and international ringette stage. Her skating ability and understanding of the game made her a tough defender and someone who could be relied on to constantly show up and be the solid defender that was needed in any game. Highlights of Karen’s ringette career include competing at two World Club Championships, being a member of Team Canada during the 1998 and 2000 World Ringette Championships, competing in 15 Canadian Ringette Championships between 1991 and 2015 and competing in the 1991 Canada Winter Games. Since retiring from the National Ringette League in 2015, Karen continues to play ringette in Richmond Hill and also coaches her twin daughters on their Barrie U12 provincial ringette team.

About Ringette

Ringette is a Canadian sport that was invented in 1963 in North Bay, Ontario by the late Sam Jacks. There are currently nearly 32,000 players on nearly 2,000 teams across Canada, with over 1,500 officials and nearly 8000 coaches. Internationally, it is played in more than a half a dozen other countries around the world. Ringette has been designated a Heritage Sport by Sport Canada and as part of the Sport for Life movement, ringette is well advanced at adapting Sport Canada’s Long Term Athlete Development model. For more information, please refer to the Ringette Canada Web site at www.ringette.ca.

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For more information, please contact:

Alayne Martell
Media and Public Relations | Relations de presse et publiques
Ringette Canada | Ringuette Canada
National Ringette League | Ligue Nationale de Ringuette
Phone | Téléphone : (613) 748-5655, ext. 226
Cell : (902) 308-1067
alayne@ringette.ca
@: www.ringette.ca
@: www.nationalringetteleague.ca

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