Six added to Skate Canada Hall of Fame By QMI Agency

Canada's Jeffrey Buttle performs during the men's free skating program at the World figure Skating Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden on March 22, 2008. (REUTERS)

Former world figure skating champion Jeffrey Buttle is among six new members inducted into the Skate Canada Hall of Fame.

Buttle and Brian Pockar will be inducted into the athlete category, skate maker John Knebli and 1914 Canadian men's champ Norman Scott will go in as builders and Kerry Leitch and Lori Nichol will be honoured as professionals.

In addition to his world title, Buttle, a Sudbury native, won the Canadian championship on three occasions and was the bronze medallist at the 2006 Olympics in Turin, Italy. Pockar, from Calgary, died in 1992 at age 32 after a career that included three Canadian titles and the 1982 Olympic bronze medal.

Leitch, from Waterloo, coached 23 Canadian champions, including Lloyd Eisler, Katherine Matousek, Christine (Tuffy) Hough, Cindy Landry, and Lyndon Johnson. Nichol, from London, Ont., was a choreographer for Jamie Sale and David Pelletier, Joannie Rochette and Patrick Chan.