Honoured Members Database

Recognized as one of the finest basketball players this province has ever produced, Ken Opalko dominated the sport in the 1970’s.

Opalko was an exceptional all round athlete in high school at Daniel MacIntyre from 1973-76 earning MVP accolades in varsity basketball, volleyball and track & field (athletics). He was a Winnipeg School Division All-Star all three years. In his senior year Opalko won the provincial MVP and Carl Ridd Award on route to leading his Maroons to the City title and provincial MHSAA crown.

Such an outstanding high school career garnered interest from many big name NCAA Division 1 school programs but Opalko chose to stay home and play for the University of Winnipeg Wesmen.

From 1976-81 Opalko was a scoring machine for the Wesmen in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) with his deft touch and smooth jump shot. He set a GPAC single game scoring record with 45 points against the University of Manitoba Bisons. Dubbed the Rat Year, due to circumstances that led to a squad featuring a 6’5” centre and forwards just over 6’, the 1977-78 season holds a special place in Opalko’s heart. The run and gun style of the Rat Pack earned Bruce Enns the NABC coach of the year award.

Opalko was a CIAU (now CIS) First Team All-Canadian and the university’s athlete of the year in 1978-79 leading his team to the GPAC title. The five-time GPAC All-Star retired as the Wesmen’s leading rebounder and scorer all-time with 3,603 career points… all this before the advent of the three-point line! He played in every one of the team’s 183 games during his five year university career.

Internationally Opalko played for Canada on four occasions: twice on the junior squad in Brazil and the USA, once on the B team in Cuba and once on the A squad in Argentina where he roomed with current national team coach Jay Triano. That team won bronze at the World Championship Qualifier.

Inducted into both the Manitoba Basketball (1998) and High Schools (2013) Halls of Fame, Ken Opalko gave back to the game he loved as basketball coach and athletic director at MBCI for over 25 years.

Coach Enns summed it up best: “Ken is no. 52 in our program and no. 1 in our hearts.”

Nobody played the game with more heart