
darrell sheehan memorial trophy
In July 1995, Darrell Sheehan was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain tumor. After a short and courageous battle, he passed away on November 20, 1995 at the age of 39. He left behind a wife of 14 years, Donna Sheehan, and 6 children: Trisha, Trevor, Brendan, Neil, Kyle and Erin ages 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 and 2. Darrell played in the Family Hockey Tournament on the Sheehan/Fitzgerald team but could have played for the Boddez, Perrott, Kluthe and Soetaert teams as well. The Family Hockey Tournament was a weekend that he looked forward to each year. For Darrell, it wasn’t only a chance to play hockey but also a great opportunity to visit with family and friends.
At the 1996 Family Hockey Tournament, a trophy was anonymously donated to be presented each year to the most sportsmanlike player in memory of Darrell Sheehan. While the trophy was intended to be presented to the most sportsmanlike player, over the years the Darrell Sheehan family has chosen recipients based on a broader definition of sportsmanship. While Darrell was an avid hockey fan and usually a sportsmanlike player in the game, he also contributed some of his time to the community of Riviere Qui Barre. A strong community cannot exist without a solid group of volunteers and we are very fortunate to have such a group. While some of these volunteers have changed over the years, amazingly, there are always more willing to step up and take the reins.
If you look at the list of recipients, you will notice that not all are even hockey players in the tournament. Some recipients were chosen based on their sportsmanship in the game and others were chosen for their contributions to the Family Hockey Tournament and/or community involvement within the Riviere Qui Barre area. Some recipients are both sportsmanlike and important contributors to our community. Each year, it is with great honour that the Darrell Sheehan family has the opportunity to recognize an individual that truly understands both the purpose of the Family Hockey Tournament and the importance of family and community.

1956
1995
Darrell Sheehan's family with 2018 award winners Dale Soetaert and Jeff Borle

1996
O'Neil, Joel & Maurice Chevalier
1997
Victor & Phillip Soetaert
1998
Henry Kieftenbeld
1999
Loran Bokenfohr
2000
Mike Sheehan
2001
Kevin Boddez, Ken Borle, Joe Sheehan & Dennis Fitzgerald
2002
Todd Kluthe
2003
Gerald Soetaert
2004
Joe Dwyer
2005
Kory Perrott
2006
Sandra Kieftenbeld
2007
Jim Boddez
2008
Dave Sheehan
2009
In memory of Mel Boddez, Ron Falls, Jack Kinsella & Vic Soetaert
2010
Don Kieser
2011
Travis Brenneis
2012
Ryan Sheehan
2013
Clay & Dane Paton
2014
Bob Boddez
2015
Greg & Mike Borle
2016
Perrin Kieftenbeld
2017
Trevor, Brendan, Neil & Kyle Sheehan
2018
Dale Soetaert & Jeff Borle
2019
Ben Van De Vliert
2020
Doug Kinsella
2021
No recipient due to Covid
2022
Tom Soetaert