Four former Calgary Stampeders teammates were announced on Monday as part of the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame’s Class of 2016.

Brothers John, Tom and Joe Forzani along with Basil Bark are the co-recipients of the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame’s Achievement Award.

The quartet played a combined 32 seasons for the Stamps including a three-year period from 1973 to 1975 when they were all on the team together. The players earned a combined total of six all-star nominations — including three by Tom — and Joe, John and Bark were all teammates on the 1971 Stamps squad that won the Grey Cup.

Bark wound up rooming with each of the brothers at one time or another, was frequently invited to the Forzani household for Italian feasts and became an honourary family member.

“He was a brother,” Joe told the Calgary Herald. “He was very close. Even to this day, we get together all the time, sharing the most intimate thoughts and feelings about our lives, our families. So absolutely he’s a family member. It’s a real honour to have four of us go in.”

“It’s sort of a package rather than as a team . . . very unique,” Tom said. “I just enjoy the fact that we’ll all be there — as one case. Wonderful.”

“Very special,” agreed Bark. “To be by myself — or them without me? Kind of not a great feeling. But this is nice.”

The mass induction is bittersweet because of the absence of John, who passed away in 2014.

“I know he’d be honoured to be with us,” said Joe. “As a family, as loyal teammates, he would probably be the most honoured of all of us. I wish he was here right now. Everybody really misses him, you know.”

All four men remained in Calgary at the conclusion of their careers and added to their legacy with the Stamps. In particular, John was part of a local group that purchased the club in 2005. Upon the arrival of the new ownership group, the franchise’s fortunes immediately improved as the team went from 4-14 in 2004 to 11-7 in 2005 and overall the Stamps have had a winning record in 10 of 11 seasons since the purchase.

Bark, for his part, was owner of the Stamps Store from 2005-12 while Tom’s son Johnny extended the family tradition by being a member of the Stamps for three seasons.

In addition, John was founder and chairman of the board of The Forzani Group Ltd. (FGL). What began as a single sporting goods store became a national chain with more than 500 outlets.

The Forzani family strongly supported the community and the Forzani Group raised millions of dollars for charitable causes. The Forzani Mother’s Day Run and Walk began in Calgary 38 years ago to raise funds for health programs, equipment and charities.

Also part of this year’s Alberta Sports Hall of Fame class is journalist Graham Kelly, who receives the Bell Memorial Award. A long-time fixture in the McMahon Stadium press box, Kelly has covered CFL football for the Medicine Hat News for more than four decades. He has written seven books about Canadian football and has covered 39 Grey Cups.

The formal induction ceremonies will take place in Red Deer on June 3.