Canadian Slovenian Historical Society ~ Vol. 11 ~ Winter 2021

Vesel, zdrav in blagoslovljen božič ter srečo in zdravje v novem letu!

Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year!

Join us for our Annual General Meeting to be held via Zoom on Saturday, February 12, 2022, at 10 AM
We welcome your participation. Please register at cshistorical@gmail.com

PROFESSIONAL CANADIAN HOCKEY PLAYERS with SLOVENIAN ROOTS
Compiled and composed by Stane Kranjc and Miriam Čekuta

With the onset of winter, ice hockey season begins in
earnest and many Canadians turn on their TVs to watch the
seemingly endless numbers of games played by professional and
amateur teams. Many of us used to gather every Saturday night to
watch “Hockey Night in Canada” hoping that the team we were
cheering for would be victorious and waiting to hear what “words
of wisdom” would be spoken by Don Cherry and Ron MacLean.
Thus, Slovenian Canadian hockey families/fans came into being,
and youngsters of all ages began to “lace up” skates, play
neighbourhood hockey, and dream of a future hockey career.
The origins of ice hockey are a challenge to ascertain,
and it is debatable whether the game originated in Canada or
somewhere else in the world. What is known is that over time ice
hockey has been recognized as our Canadian national winter
sport with Lacrosse deemed our national summer sport.
In Slovenia, ice hockey has become a popular sport. It
blossomed in the late 1920’s after Slavko Bloudek brought
hockey equipment to Slovenia from neighbouring countries.
Initially there were very few hockey clubs, and little to no
competition for the Slovenian players. Over the years other
Yugoslavian republics as well as individual cities in the region
formed their own teams. As the numbers multiplied, so did the
numbers of Slovenian players and the enthusiasm for the sport.
These regional teams often made up of Slovenian players began
competing against other European teams. In 1968, under the
banner of Yugoslavia, Slovenian hockey players took part in the
Olympics, group B. Following the independence of Slovenia, in
1991 the Slovenian Hockey League was formed. In 2014 the SHL
participated in the Sochi Winter Olympics. Our small country of
Slovenia became popular and was recognized worldwide,
especially after they defeated the USA in overtime. Ice hockey

has become more prominent in Slovenia and the League has
produced many high caliber players over the years.
Most Slovenian fans are aware of Anze Kopitar, a
Slovenian who has been playing in the NHL since 2005. His
skills and knowledge of the game are a big contributing factor to
the LA Kings. He has earned many awards and won several
cups. He has been the captain of the LA Kings for many years.
Other players of Slovenian descent that have been drafted by the
National Hockey League are Jan Mursak, Marcel Rodman,
Edo Terglav, and Jure Perko.
In Canada we too have had several Canadian Slovenian
hockey players drafted by professional teams and some have
even played for several NHL organizations Stan Smrke was the
first known Slovenian Canadian who played for the Toronto
Maple Leafs and then Montreal Canadiens in the late 1940’s and
50’s. The most recent player of Slovenian descent is Matt Stajan
who was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2002 and later
played on the Calgary Flames team. John Jakopin was drafted
by the Detroit Red Wings in 1993 and later played for the
Florida Panthers. Additional hockey players of note who were
born in Canada and have Slovenian roots are: John Smrke,
William Hajt, Ed Kastelic, Steve Bozek, Ken Lovsin, Wade
Belak, Randy Velischek, Dean Malkoc, Chris Hajt, Greg
Kuznik. Their hockey stats and profiles are available online.
It is expected and it should come as no surprise to
hockey families/fans that young women and men with Slovenian
connections will join the ranks of the above luminaries in the
near future. The CSHA - Canadian Slovenian Hockey
Association may be grooming a few candidates for this
eventuality.

OUR VISION and MISSION STATEMENT
VISION:

To preserve the records of Slovenian immigration, cultural heritage and continued contributions to Canada and establish the legacy as
Canadian Slovenians for future generations.

MISSION:

Canadian Slovenian Historical Society will:
archive and preserve the history of Slovenian immigration, its evolutionary heritage and contributions to Canada;
gather, record, maintain and augment relevant collections of artifacts reflecting Slovenian cultural traditions, practices and contributions;
establish, save and maintain a collection of publications, reports and manuscripts in digital, printed and oral format from Slovenian
sources/organizations across Canada;
 promote academic and literary research of Canadian Slovenians in Canada;
 create/build a display setting of museum format for archives and artifacts;
 raise awareness, provide access and promote education of the workings and relevance of the CSHS, and strive for community engagement.

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V spomin: Slavka Stajan
V čast: Mia Ferkul
Mia Ferkul (Aug. 11, 1927 - Sept. 24,
2021) often recited the proverb: “Po
dobrem delo boste jih spoznali” (By
their good deeds you will know them).
To her, life was simple. You either
lived for yourself or you lived for
others. This selflessness is a common
characteristic in the many people
responsible for establishing our
Canadian-Slovenian community in
Toronto.
Mia was born in Ljubljana
and fled her war-torn country shortly
after the war. She met her future
husband, Tone Ferkul in a displaced persons camp in Austria, before
arriving in Canada. She didn’t talk much about life in camp, but she did
say that it provided her with the most impactful education in her life.
During that time she witnessed the very best and the very worst in
people - an experience that would shape how she wanted to live.
Guided by her faith, Mia served her community through
numerous organizations, including Ženska Liga (Catholic Women’s
League), several youth and community groups, and the local widows
club, all while raising ten children, working part time and serving on
the board at the Slovenian Credit Union, where she appointed herself
chief teller and marriage counsellor, dispensing free financial advice to
all her friends. Every December, Mia was known to serve homemade
hot chocolate to the angels and other participants of Sveti Miklavž*.
She supported numerous missionaries, priests, nuns and choir members;
regularly hosting them in her home when they visited Toronto.
Like many of her contemporaries, Mia was part of an
inspirational generation of Slovenians who helped carry on our cultural
traditions, and represents the legacies of those we aim to preserve at the
Canadian-Slovenian Historical Society.
Mia Ferkul’s oral history was recorded in February 2019 and
is preserved in the CSHS archive.
If you or any of your family members have a story to share
about your experience as a Slovenian living in Canada, reach out to us
to contribute to the "Povejte Nam Kaj” oral history project and be a part
of our collective history.
*The tradition of Sveti Miklavž (St. Nicholas) bringing gifts to children on
the eve of December 6 is a popular Slovenian folk tradition.
It was first cited in written records in 1839.

OUR STORY is published by:
Canadian Slovenian Historical Society
Kanadsko slovensko zgodovinsko društvo
52 Neilson Drive, Toronto, ON M9C 1V7
For information contact: Miriam Čekuta
ourstorymcek@gmail.com

To commemorate her contributions to our community, we
published this poem by Slavka Stajan (Feb. 14, 1927 - Jul. 21, 2021),
which describes her thoughts and feelings at having to leave her home
country of Slovenia in search of a better life in Canada.
Slavka was born in Otočec. She was a teenager when World
War ll began and as with many from that generation, she experienced
tremendous hardship. Her family risked punishment, by bravely
offering their home as a refuge to young men, whose lives were in
danger. Shortly after the war ended, Slavka met her husband, Ludvik.
In 1950, she made her escape to Austria, and spent two years in a
refugee camp, before making her way to Canada, where she raised five
children.
Giving back to the community was not a choice for Slavka.
She was a willing and active member of Our Lady of the Miraculous
Medal parish and farm. She was amongst the original members of
Ženska Liga (Catholic Women’s League). This group of women
banded together and their charitable efforts contributed immensely to
parish upkeep while preserving Slovenian culture. At the
encouragement of Father Franc Sodja, Slavka also volunteered her time
at Dom Lipa. It brought her immense joy and personal fulfillment,
resulting in over 20 years of service.
Slavka’s poetry gives us a rare glimpse into her personal
experience. The artifacts preserved in the CSHS archive tell stories and
uncover hidden truths of those that came before us. Should you or your
family members have any written materials that highlight the intimate
experiences of a Canadian-Slovenian, we’d appreciate you reaching out
to us for more information on how to donate these artifacts to the
archive.
Slovo od rojstnega kraja
Dolina prelepa v njej je moj dom,
v njem sem živela, a zdaj več ne bom.
Prišel je trenutek, trenutek slovesa
se dom je preljubi mi zgubil iz očesa.
Adijo planine, gozdovi prostrani,
s srcem in dušo, sem živela z vami.
Zdaj daleč, predaleč moram oditi
od vseh vas predragih se posloviti.
So leta minula, leta mladosti
in z njimi żivljenje, polno radosti.
Ostali so mi, sedaj le spomini
ne bom več hodila po domači dolini.
Zalijejo grenke mi solze oči,
ko avijon v neznane kraje hiti.
Še enkrat adijo preljubi moj dom,
Mogoče nikdar več te videla ne bom.
For an electronic version of OUR STORY, please email us at
ourstorymcek@gmail.com
We encourage you to visit us on our website
www.slovenianhistorical.ca
or follow us on Facebook
www.facebook.com/cshzgodovina