Buccaneers Select Five for Hall of Fame

Press Release

The Des Moines Buccaneers are proud to announce the franchise’s newest inductees into the team’s Hall of Fame as selected by a volunteer committee of fans.

Former head coach Scott Owens will join players Peter Fregoe, Trevor Lewis, Scott Purpur, and Peter Sejna in the team’s Hall of Fame during a special ceremony held during Hall of Fame Reunion weekend March 8-9 at Buccaneer Arena.

The 2013 Class is the team’s first since the Hall of Fame was brought back from a long dormancy this last summer.

Peter Fregoe – An all-time Buccaneer legend from 1995-1998, he scored 130 goals and had 153 assists in 236 career games.  In 1999 he was named the USA Hockey Junior A Player of the Year and USHL Player of the Year.

Trevor Lewis – A member of the Bucs last Clark Cup title team in 2006, Lewis played two years in Des Moines beginning in 2004.  He had 48 goals and 65 assists in 119 career games.  He helped the Los Angeles Kings win the Stanley Cup last spring.

Scott Owens – He was the Bucs' head coach from 1995-1999 and guided the team to 146 regular season wins, two Anderson Cups, a Clark Cup and a Gold Cup.  After winning the Gold Cup in 1999, he accepted the position of head coach at Colordado College which is where he remains to this day.

Scott Purpur – A standout player in 1983-1984, he scored 51 goals and had 60 assists for 111 points in 48 games.  Purpur was named to the All-USHL First Team following the season and went onto play college hockey at Northern Michigan.

Peter Sejna – From 1998-2000, Sejna was a scoring machine for the Bucs.  He collected 96 goals and 87 assists in 133 games.  He was named the USHL Forward of the Year in 2000.

A complete list of current Hall of Famers inducted prior to 2002 can be obtained at bucshockey.com under the “Hall of Fame” tab. Further details on the March 8-9 Hall of Fame Reunion Weekend will be announced in January.

With over 30 years of memorable moments and unforgettable personalities, the Des Moines Buccaneers have achieved a level of tradition and nostalgia not afforded to many sports franchises shy of the big-league level.  Fans can rattle off names from the past with the fondness of a grandparent speaking of their grandchild and as they speak their mind takes them back to the sights, sounds and smells of that very moment.
It’s with this passion in mind that the Des Moines Buccaneers’ management made the decision this past spring to bring back the long-dormant Hall of Fame.  Started in the 1990s, the Hall of Fame had yearly inductions until a series of personnel changes led to it simply becoming forgotten starting in 2002.

“As we were discussing ideas, bringing back the Hall of Fame seemed like a natural thing to do,” said Director of Communications Scott Montesano.  “There is definitely no shortage of players worthy of being enshrined by the team and keeping that connection to the past is something that is important to us as an organization.”

Since the summer, a handful of Buccaneer fans have volunteered their time to come up with a selection and nomination process and ultimately decide upon the first induction class since 2002.

“From the start this is something that belongs to the fans, so having a group come forward and volunteer their time to put this together has been very important,” added Montesano.

The committee decided upon the eligibility requirements and also made the decision to limit the number of inductees each season to honor this exclusive club of alumni.  Players considered must have been out of a Buccaneers’ uniform for at least five seasons.

The committee will now go to work on tracking down former Buccaneer players to invite them to the Hall of Fame Reunion weekend March 8-9.  It is the organization’s goal to turn this event into an annual homecoming for the team’s hundreds of alumni and an opportunity for fans to connect with their past.
The Des Moines Buccaneers are currently playing in their 33rd consecutive season in the United States Hockey League.  Since 1980, the Buccaneers have produced hundreds of NCAA Division I players and dozens of professional alumni.


 (Nathan can be reached at nathanfournier@mainehockeyjournal.com)