Dave Leaderhouse
Special to the Herald
There is a huge void in Prince Albert following the passing of Mark Odnokon on the weekend.
The long-time hockey enthusiast and local educator lost his brief battle with cancer, but his legacy will live on forever.
Odnokon wore many hats during a 60-year association with hockey, but he will be largely remembered for his dedication and success with the Prince Albert Raiders.
Aside from legendary head coach and general manager Terry Simpson there is only one other person that was involved in all four Centennial Cup championships the team won from 1977-82.
When the Raiders won their first national Junior A title, Odnokon was a stick boy for the club and two years later he was a late-season call-up and helped the team reach the top of the mountain once again.
The next three years saw Odnokon play a huge role on teams that were not just dominant, but forced the organization to seek membership in a higher league which ultimately happened following the 1981-82 season when the Raiders joined the Western Hockey League after winning their fourth Centennial Cup in a six-year span. (They had lost the 1980 Abbott Cup final to Red Deer before winning consecutive national titles in 1981 and ‘82.)
From there he went to the University of Minnesota-Duluth for four years and while there he helped that school win two national titles. Armed with an education degree upon graduation Odnokon next tried his hand at the professional level and in his one-year of semi-pro hockey he helped Salt Lake City claim a Turner Cup, emblematic as champions of the now defunct International Hockey League.
It was here that Chrons afflicted him and for the remainder of his life he battled with the intestinal disease where numerous times he would need surgery to remove infected portions of his body.
Odnokon’s grit always won out and despite having the illness he continued with his passion for hockey. After leaving Salt Lake City he became the Melfort Mustangs first head coach when that organization relocated from Lloydminster and when he was relieved of his duties there after two seasons he became an assistant coach with the Raiders.
Odnokon then worked as a scout for about a decade with the Anaheim Ducks before finally putting his education degree to work. For more than two decades Odnokon taught a variety of subjects, but his biggest success came when he brought a hockey program into the Carlton Comprehensive High School curriculum.
Odnokon also initiated a hockey school that unofficially started the next season when players young and old would hit the ice in early August. He was back with the Raiders when they won the WHL championship in 2019 and was still with the team this year as a skills development coach. In fact he was at the games early in the recent playoff run, but his latest battle had him sidelined for the latter rounds.
From a personal perspective I’ve known Mark for more than 50 years. I remember back in 1975 my father was coaching a pee wee team out of the East Hill Community Club and they had been accepted to compete in the prestigious Weyburn invitiational event.
I was a year older than Mark so I was already playing at the bantam level, but I went to Weyburn with the team and to bolster their lineup Dad brought in three recruits from Crescent Heights with one of those being Mark.
They didn’t win the tournament, but Mark was named the tournament’s most valuable player and his prize was this fully loaded bicycle complete with all the bells and whistles from that era. I still remember that bike taking up the middle aisle of the bus on the trip home.
I, too, have Chrons and while my illness is far milder than what most who are affected by it have to deal with I remember when I was first diagnosed I went to see Mark and he was so supportive and informative of what to expect that the fear mostly disappeared. Over the years he would occasionally check in with me and see how I was doing and you just can’t put a price tag on that level of concern.
I’m proud to have called him a friend, but there are so many more that were closer to him and I sincerely pass on my condolences to his numerous teammates, students, friends, partner, brothers and sister, children, grandchildren and work colleagues.
I know it is an often-used phrase at times like this, but honestly one would be hard pressed to find a nicer person. His mind and humor were exceptional, but when he talked to you, you just knew it was genuine.
Thanks Mark for being you. Rest in Peace.
