Lethbridge's Earl Ingarfield Sr. is set to be inducted into the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame. (Photo courtesy Hockey Alberta)

By Justin Goulet

Lethbridge’s Earl Ingarfield Sr. to be inducted into Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame

Mar 1, 2023 | 6:51 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – A Lethbridge-born athlete is being inducted into the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame.

Earl Ingarfield Sr. was born in Lethbridge on October 25, 1934. He played for the Lethbridge Native Sons in the Western Canada Junior Hockey League from 1952 to 1955. Ingarfield played four years of junior hockey, with his first year being in Medicine Hat, and led the league in goals the last of his two seasons. In his final season of junior play, Ingarfield led the league in scoring.

His professional career began with three seasons with the Saskatoon Quakers and Winnipeg Warriors. Ingarfield then played for the New York Rangers for nine seasons from 1958 to 1967.

In 1967, Ingarfield became the first player selected in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ expansion draft, when the team joined the National Hockey League (NHL). He was named captain of the Penguins for the 1968-1969 season, but was traded to the Oakland Seals late in the 1968-1969 season. Ingarfield retired with the California Golden Seals in 1971.

Following his retirement, he coached the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League (WHL) for one year. Ingarfield served as a scout for the New York Islanders in 1972 and halfway through the 1972-1973 season, he took over the role of coach for the last 30 games of the team’s inaugural season. After this, he scouted for two more years before concluding his career as a coach for the Lethbridge Broncos in the WHL. With the Broncos, Ingarfield also served as assistant general manager, and was a part owner of the team when they moved to Lethbridge.

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Ingarfield was inducted into the Lethbridge and Southern Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 1985. In 2002, he was inducted into the New York Rangers Alumni Hall of Fame and was enshrined in the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.

Ingarfield will be inducted into the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame on Sunday, July 16, 2023 at a ceremony in Canmore. The other members of the 2023 Hall of Fame include:

• Charlie Huddy
• Tim Hunter
• Karen Kost
• Bobby Olynyk
• John Utendale
• The Edmonton Chimos Hockey Club

Full biographies of each inductee are available Hockey Alberta website.

Read more local sports at Lethbridge News Now.