In 1930 Hamilton, Ontario, Canada was the site of the very first Commonwealth Games, then known as the British Empire Games. The Games came to Hamilton as a result of the efforts of Melville Marks Robinson,[1] and were Canada's first major international athletic event, and bid unsuccessfully for the Commonwealth Games in 2010, losing out to New Delhi in India.[2] On 7 November 2009, in Guadalajara, Mexico it was announced that Toronto will host the 2015 Pan Am Games after beating out two rival South American cities, Lima, Peru and Bogota, Colombia. The city of Hamilton will be co-hosting the Games with Toronto. Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger said "the Pan Am Games will provide a 'unique opportunity for Hamilton to renew major sport facilities giving Hamiltonians a multi-purpose stadium, a 50-metre swimming pool, and an international-calibre velodrome to enjoy for generations to come.'"[3]
William Sherring, winner of marathon race at 1906 Summer Olympics
Other noteworthy Olympians, Commonwealth Games and Pan American Games participants from Hamilton include; Lisa Buscombe, Archer, won the women's World Field archery Championship title in 1984 and in 1985 won the World Games Field Archery Title. Inducted into the Canadian Amateur Sports Hall of Fame in 1985. In 1999 coached silver Canadian medallist in Men's Archery at the Pan Am Games;[4]Toller Cranston, (1949–2015 ), Canadian Figure skater- Bronze medal 1976 Winter Games;[5]Bryce Davison, (1986– ), Canadian figure skater, competes in the pairs event with Jessica Dubé. Member of the Hamilton Skating Club;[6]Ray Lazdins, (1964– ), a retired discus thrower from Canada, who represented his native country twice at the Summer Olympics; Irene MacDonald, (1931–2002), Diving, she reigned as Canada's champion diver from 1951 to 1961. She won medals at the 1954 and 1958 Commonwealth Games and in 1956 she won Canada's first Olympic diving medal, a bronze;[4]Joanne Malar, (1975– ), Former freestyle and medley swimmer, who competed in three consecutive Summer Olympics;[7]Pat Messner, (1954– ), Water skiing, 1972 Summer Olympics Bronze medal winner;[4]Linda Thom, (1943– ), Woman's shooting (25m Pistol) Gold at 1984 Summer Olympics;[4] and Tonya Verbeek, silver medallist at the 2004 Summer Olympics in women's wrestling in the 55kg category – Canada's first woman to medal at the Olympics in wrestling. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, she won Canada's third medal overall, and third Canadian medal ever in women's wrestling,[8] by winning a bronze in the 55kg class.[9][10] In the year 2000 Hamilton was the first city in the western hemisphere to ever host the International Children's Games. Over 2500 athletes from 35 countries and 5 continents participated in the largest sporting and cultural celebration in games history. The games opened on 1 July, Canada Birthday hosting a large cultural festival parade and opening ceremonies broadcast across Canada. The games were considered Canada's premier millennium event and the event left an international legacy where as now over 100 countries and almost a thousand cities worldwide have participated in this international sporting event recognized by the IOC. Hamilton successfully hosted the World Cycling Championships in 2003. It was only the fourth time the World Cycling Championships was staged in North America, and the second time ever in Canada (Montreal 1974.) Igor Astarloa of Spain was the winner.[2]
The Hamilton Golf and Country Club has hosted the Canadian Open golf championship four times, most recently in 2003 when Bob Tway won and again in 2006 with Jim Furyk the winner.[1] The traditional course layout, designed by famed course architect Harry Colt, proved very popular with touring pros. Florence Harvey, (1878–1968), Hamilton golfer, was the Ontario Ladies Amateur Champion 1904, 1906, 1913, and 1914 and the Canadian Ladies Champion in 1903 and 1904. She founded and served on the executive of the Canadian Ladies Golf Association and is a member of Canada's Golf Hall of Fame.[4]
Hamilton has hosted the Brier, the Canadian men's curling championship, a total of 3 times, in 1949, 1991 and the 2007 Tim Hortons Brier.[11]
Hamilton is twinned with Flint, Michigan, and its amateur athletes compete in the CANUSA Games, held alternatively there and here since 1958.[1] Flint and Hamilton hold the distinction of having the oldest continuous sister-city relationship between a U.S. and Canadian city, since 1957.[12] Hamilton hosted the games' 50th-anniversary in 2007.[13] Special events included the 30th annual golf tournament at King's Forest. The tournament was dedicated to the memory of well-known Hamilton broadcaster and longtime CANUSA volunteer Bill Sturrup.[14]
The 6,000-seat Ronald V. Joyce Stadium is primarily a football stadium with officials at McMaster University suggesting it may be the best soccer venue in the Golden Horseshoe after Toronto's BMO Field, and it has taken steps to try to position the stadium for extensive soccer use. Extensive renovations were also done to the gym at the Ivor Wynne Centre. Total cost of the upgrades was $54-million. University officials have also noted that previous successful Pan Am and Commonwealth Games in Winnipeg, Victoria and Edmonton have utilized university facilities. Mac officials are also aiming to make the university one of the athlete villages.[17]
Kenesky Sports on Barton & Wellington Streets is the site where Emil Kenesky (Emil "Pops" Kenesky) invented the hockey goalie pads in 1917. His new pads were cricket pads, modified, and widened to approximately 12 inches. The new pads caught on extremely quickly, and this style of pad was used by a majority of pro goalies right on to the 1970s. Hockey Hall of Famers like Johnny Bower, Jacques Plante and Terry Sawchuk having worn them. Kenesky's company became the best-known manufacturer of hockey equipment in Canada.[20] Kenesky Sports also has a hockey school for goalies of all-ages. Alumni include NHL netminders Ray Emery and Dwayne Roloson.[21]
Charlie O'Brien, a former major league baseball catcher, after getting smashed in his mask by two consecutive foul-tip balls in a game, O'Brien had the idea for a new catcher's mask (a helmet, actually) while he was watching a hockey game. He worked with Van Velden Mask Inc., of Stoney Creek, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, to develop his idea. The new design, called the All-Star MVP, was approved in 1996 by Major League Baseball. The company is a maker of hockey goalie masks and equipment and was named after the owner of the company, Gerry Van Velden.[22]
Amateur, junior, professional, and semi-professional teams
Hamilton Select is a fast pitch league containing teams from across the city. It is a league for the ages of 19 and under. It is a relatively unknown league to the public, but is highly scouted. It is a very competitive league that has each park trying to be regarded as Hamilton's finest team. Hamilton select consists of 28 teams in the Hamilton region but East Hamilton is where the top teams are found. The league originated in 1997. The team to win earns an entry into Regionals to play against Niagara's, Ottawa's, and Toronto's top teams. There has only been one team to win Regionals representing Hamilton: Gage Park 1999. Over the past 12years there have only been 6 different teams to represent Hamilton: Gage Park (5), Rosedale (3), Scott Park (2), Roxborough (1), and Berrisfield (1). It is like a community within the community, although it is a highly competitive league it is a tight group of competitors.
Hamilton is also home to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame museum. The museum hosts an annual induction event in a week-long celebration that includes school visits, a golf tournament, a formal induction dinner and concludes with the Hall of Fame game involving the local CFLHamilton Tiger-Cats at Ivor Wynne Stadium.[23][24]
On Wednesday, 3 November 1869, in a room above George Lee's Fruit Store, the Hamilton Football Club was formed. The club was first referred to as the Hamilton Tigers in their first game against the Toronto Argonauts in which Hamilton wore black and yellow for the first time, hence the nickname "Tigers." Hamilton Football Clubs have captured the Grey Cup in every decade of the 20th century, a feat matched by only one other franchise in the North American Major Leagues, the Rochester Red Wings. In 1908, the Tigers won the "Dominion Championship", a year before the Grey Cup was presented. The only time that football was interrupted in Hamilton as a spectator sport was during the First and Second World Wars. After World War II the Hamilton Tigers Football Team started competition once again. During WWII, a new group in the City had been formed and they became known as the Hamilton Wildcats. The competition for fan participation was so great that both teams were unable to operate on a sound financial basis. It was decided that the two Clubs should amalgamate and form one representative team for Hamilton. The present name, Tiger-Cats, and what is known as the modern era of football started in 1950.[25]
Hamilton based football teams have captured the Grey Cup a total of 15-times, which is second best among Canadian cities (Toronto teams have won 21-times). The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have won eight, the Hamilton Tigers have won five and the Hamilton Flying Wildcats and the Hamilton Alerts each won once. The Hamilton Alerts were the first team from Hamilton to win the Grey Cup back in 1912 against the Toronto Argonauts in Hamilton at the old A.A.A. Grounds.[26] The city of Hamilton has hosted the Grey Cup Finals a total of 10-times, the last one being in 1996 (84th Grey Cup) in the "Snow Bowl" where the Toronto Argonauts defeated the Edmonton Eskimos by a score of 43–37.[27] This was also the only Grey Cup game in Hamilton that did not feature a Hamilton-based team.
Ivor Wynne Stadium is the home of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The stadium originally known as Civic Stadium was constructed in 1930 to host the 1930 British Empire Games; Canada's first major international athletic event, held in Hamilton from 16 to 23 August 1930.[28] Notable residents and former players include "King Kong" Angelo Mosca.
The CFL's annual Eastern Division Labour Day Classic pits the Hamilton Tiger-Cats against perennial rivals the Toronto Argonauts. This particular weekend, typically the tenth or eleventh week in the season, is known for its fixtures that do not change from year to year. Oddly, for many years before his death, Harold Ballard owned both the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Toronto Maple Leafs, the National Hockey League (NHL) franchise in rival city Toronto. The team's prowess has fallen dramatically from its glory days in the 1960s and early 1970s, when it was a powerhouse.[29]
Hamilton and area pro football players and personalities over the years include;[1]
Less Browne (1959– ), was a CFL defensive back for Hamilton, Winnipeg, Ottawa and B.C. He holds the CFL and all-pro records for most interceptions in a career with 87. Resides in Hamilton.[30]
Henry Waszczuk (1950- ), was an all star center for Hamilton. The seven-time All Star played from 1975 to 1984. As a Ti-Cat, Henry was awarded the Tom Pate Memorial Award for his contribution to the team, his community and the league. He also was chosen as the Rothman’s Outstanding Lineman on three occasions and was also nominated for the Schenley Awards three times. Henry was also selected to the all-time Hamilton Tiger Cat “Dream Team”.
Bob Cameron (1954– ), Played 23 seasons (1980–2002) with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League.
Russ Jackson (1936– ), Canadian Football quarterback, all-time pass leading Canadian quarterback, 3 Grey Cups with the Ottawa Rough Riders.[36]
Joe Krol (1919–2008 ), Canadian Football quarterback (1932–53), Lou Marsh Trophy winner as Canada's top athlete in 1946.[1]
Ron Lancaster (1938–2008), Former football player, coach and general manager in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and sports announcer for CBC Television.[37]
Jesse Lumsden (1982– ), former running back with Hamilton, Edmonton, and Calgary of the Canadian Football League and McMaster University alumnus.[36]
Mike Morreale (1971– ), award-winning receiver in the Canadian Football League.[38]
Hamilton has also produced a couple of noteworthy mixed martial arts fighters. One of two most noteworthy is Jeff Joslin, who has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Romero "Jacare" Cavalcanti, and a 4th degree black belt in Wado RyuKarate. He has also trained in wrestling and boxing.[44] The other noteworthy fighter from steeltown is Samir Seif. He is a world-class Muay Thai kickboxing champion.
Hamilton has hosted some high-profile professional wrestling events. Copps Coliseum was the venue for the World Wrestling Federation's first-ever Royal Rumble on 24 January 1988, which was broadcast live in the United States on the USA Network, and for the Breakdown: In Your Housepay-per-view event on 27 September 1998. In addition, the WWF taped its syndicated television program, WWF All-Star Wrestling, which aired as Maple Leaf Wrestling in Canada, at the Hamilton Convention Centre in October 1984 (two tapings that month), November 1984, and January 1985.[46][47] From 1987 to 1992, occasionally matches at Copps Coliseum would be taped and shown on WWF Prime Time Wrestling. On 1 June 1992, the WWF's flagship syndicated television program, WWF Superstars, was taped at Copps Coliseum.[48]
Hamilton is also home to a wrestling school called Wrestlecorps Pro Wrestling Academy found on Kenilworth Avenue North near Barton Street and has a rich and colourful history of producing a number of well known pro wrestlers. Some of these include:
Angelo Mosca, (1938– ), was a Canadian Football League player between 1958 and 1969 with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, but he was better known for his pro wrestling career.[25]
The Hamilton Tigers played in the NHL during the early 1920s but then the team folded after a player's strike. Tigers owner Percy Thompson of the Abso Pure Ice Company of Hamilton then sold the players rights to New York City bootleggers and the new team was then named the New York Americans and became the first pro sports team to play out of the newly built Madison Square Garden in downtown Manhattan, New York. Hockey Hall-of-Famer Joe Malone was a player/manager for the Tigers hockey club in the 1921–22 season. The team's home rink was the Barton Street Arena.[55] After the team left, a minor-league Hamilton Tigers team was formed, eventually becoming the Syracuse Stars and Buffalo Bisons.
Andy Brown, (1944– ), credited with being the last pro goaltender to play barefaced. Last played his NHL hockey for the Pittsburgh Penguins.[59]
David Brown, (1985– ), Notre Dame Fighting Irish hockey goalie, named team MVP in 2006, named (CCHA), Central Collegiate Hockey Association's Player-of-the-week 3-times in 2007 and favorite to win the 2007 Hobey Baker Award which is awarded to the top collegiate player in the United States. A Pittsburgh Penguins draft pick in 2004.[60]
Ken Dryden, (1947– ), retired NHL hockey goalie, elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983.[58]
Dave Dryden, (1941– ), retired NHL hockey goalie, 201-NHL games for Buffalo, Edmonton, Chicago and NY Rangers. Also serves the distinction of creating (as well as being the first goaltender to employ) the modern day goaltending mask consisting of a fiberglass mask with a cage.[58]
Cecil "Babe" Dye, (1898–1962), NHL hockey winger, NHL's top goal scorer of the 1920s, inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1970. He was nicknamed "Babe" because he was considered to be 'the Babe Ruth of hockey.'[58]
Murray Oliver, (1937– ), retired NHL hockey player, played in 1,127 NHL games.[58]
George Owen, (1901–1986), retired NHL hockey defenceman for the Boston Bruins. Served as the Bruins captain in the 1931–32 season. The first player credited with wearing a helmet in his rookie season in 1928.[58]
Keith Primeau, (1971– ), retired NHL hockey player. Born in Toronto, grew up in Hamilton.[58]
Danny Syvret, 1985– ), NHL hockey defenseman, who spent his junior career with the London Knights of the OHL, eventually being named team captain. In his final year of junior hockey, he was captain of a powerhouse team that broke numerous junior hockey records and won the 2005 Memorial Cup. (Millgrove, ON)[62]
John Mitchell, (1985– ), Canadian professional ice hockey centre currently playing for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted in the fifth round, 158th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.
Note: Tim Horton, retired NHL hockey defenseman, opened his first Tim Hortons Doughnut Shop in Hamilton, Ontario in 1964.[63]
Copps Coliseum Arena was the home ice for the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League from 1996 to 2015. When the Edmonton Oilers announced plans to suspend operations of the previous Hamilton Bulldogs franchise in 2002, local interests in conjunction with the Oilers, Montreal Canadiens and the AHL secured ownership of the Quebec Citadelles and relocated the franchise to Hamilton assuring the continuation of the Bulldogs team. The team's primary affiliates were the Edmonton Oilers from 1996 to 2003 and the Montreal Canadiens from 2002 to 2015. The Bulldogs reached the final of the Calder Cup Championship in 1997 and 2003 only to lose in the finals on both occasions and then finally winning it all, their third attempt, in 2007 defeating the Hershey Bears.[64][65]
In 2015, the Montreal Canadiens repurchased the Bulldogs franchise from team owner Michael Andlauer with the intention of relocating their affiliate to become the St. John's IceCaps. In response to losing his AHL team, Andlauer purchased the Ontario Hockey League's Belleville Bulls franchise and made a new Bulldogs team, albeit in a major junior league.
Hamilton also hosted the 1987 Canada Cup, which featured dynamic duo Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux combine forces to defeat the Soviets. Hamilton also hosted the 1991 Canada Cup where Canada won the tournament once more, this time against Brett Hull and the Americans.
In recent decades, Hamilton has shown interest in an NHL franchise and built the Copps Coliseum (now the FirstOntario Centre) in anticipation. It has been continually disappointed, and voted against by nearby Buffalo and Toronto, who potentially could lose revenue if Hamilton had an NHL franchise.[citation needed] Hamilton arguably came closest to landing an NHL franchise in 1990, when 14,000 Hamilton hockey fans made Non-refundable downpayments for season's tickets in less than 24 hours. However, according to Phil Esposito, the bid was blocked by Seymour Knox III (then owner of the Buffalo Sabres) and the Toronto Maple Leafs organizations.[67][68] Out of all the bids submitted, the Hamilton bid, led by Tim Horton's co-founder Ron Joyce, became the only group to meet all the necessary criteria established by the NHL.[citation needed] However, the NHL awarded Ottawa and Tampa the new expansion teams, as the two cities were the only applicants who could pay the full expansion fee of US$50 million dollars. Joyce could not afford to pay upfront, and instead proposed annual payments.[69]
One of the biggest endorsements for Hamilton's quest for an NHL team came from hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, who was quoted as saying that "Hamilton and the Southwestern Ontario region could definitely support a National Hockey League team" and also that "there is a lot of red tape but these kind of things have a way of working themselves out and both the corporate and commercial support would be there for a team in Hamilton".[70] An NHL team based out of Copps Coliseum would make it the closest NHL rink to Wayne Gretzky's hometown of Brantford, Ontario.
On 21 November 2013, the MLL announced that the team would not participate in the 2014 season, with most of the players being transferred to the expansion Florida Launch. The team is expected to attempt to rejoin the league for the 2015 season once construction of the new Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton is completed, much like the Rochester Rattlers did for the 2011 season.[72]
On May 11, 2021, the Toronto Rock of the National Lacrosse League announced that the Rock would relocate from Scotiabank Arena in Toronto to FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton with a 5-year arena lease with an option to extend the agreement afterwards. Their relocation will commence in time for the beginning of the 2021-22 NLL Season in December and the team name will not be changed despite the relocation to Hamilton for branding reasons.[73]
Racing sports
Auto racing
Hamilton and area is also the home of two auto race tracks. The first one is the Jukasa Motor Speedway, in Hagersville, a 5/8-mile oval auto racing track which is under new ownership and currently under major renovations. The last major event there was on 2–3 September (2006); The Canadian Association for Stock Car Racing (CASCAR) Labour Day Classic which featured the Super and Sportsman series. Rogers Sportsnet televised the Super Series race. The touring CASCAR series has been staging races since 1981. Jukasa Motor Speedway was considered one of Canada's top racing venues and attracted some of racing's top drivers, including Richard Petty, Al Unser, Cale Yarborough, Dale Earnhardt, the Allisons (Bobby, Davey, Donnie and Kenny) and Benny Parsons.[74] The second auto race track in Hamilton is the Flamboro Speedway, 1/3-mile semi banked asphalt oval auto racing track. Established in 1961 and has provided excellent grass roots stock car racing action every year since – Making it one of Canada's longest running stock car tracks.[75]
Horse racing
Hamilton is also home of Flamboro Downs; Canada's fastest half-mile harness horse racing track. Set on 220 acres (89ha) on Highway No. 5 west, between highways 6 and 8, flamboro downs has grown substantially since its April 1975 opening. Races are held five days a week. A typical flamboro downs live race card will include at least 10 or 11 races, and often more. In addition to the live flamboro downs harness racing, both thoroughbred and standardbred racing from other tracks across North America are simulcast daily from 12 noon. An off-track betting network offers racing from teletheatres in Hamilton, Brantford, Burlington and Stoney Creek.[76]
Hamilton is home of the Hamilton and District Soccer Association. The H&DSA is one of Ontario's oldest soccer organizations. The Association represents many soccer organization from many surrounding communities such as Brantford, Glanbrook, Stoney Creek, Ancaster, Dundas and Hamilton.[80]
Hamilton is also home to 3 soccer leagues and they include; the Hamilton & District Multi-Jurisdictional Soccer League[82] the Hamilton & District Oldtimers Soccer League[83] and the third is the Hamilton Senior Mens Soccer League.[84]
Hamilton was previously home to the Hamilton Avalanche, a Canadian women's soccer team from the W-League. They were founded in 2006. Hamilton was also previously home to Hamilton Rage of the PDL, founded in 2011, however both teams moved to Kitchener-Waterloo following the 2012 season.
Greg Sutton, Toronto FC goalie
Hamilton has been home to or has produced a number of pro soccer players over the years. Some of these include:
Bob Bearpark, (1943–1996), was a Canadian soccer head coach.[89]
Alex Bunbury, (1967– ), Played 4 seasons with the Hamilton Steelers (CSL) 1987–90, Voted best Foreign player in the Portuguese first division club Maritimo in 1994–95 season where he scored 12-goals. Canadian Soccer Hall-of-Fame inductee in 2006.[90]
Robert McDonald, (1902–1956), was a Canadian soccer player from the 1920s and 30s who spent a decade playing for famous Scottish football club Rangers.[94]
William "Red" Wray, former scout for the New York Yankees and Houston Astros, former scout for OHL teams as the St. Michael's Majors and the Barrie Colts, and member of the Canadian Boxing Hall of Fame in the Builders category.[101]
Ivor Wynne Stadium was a Canadian football stadium located at the corner of Balsam and Beechwood avenues, two blocks west of Gage Avenue North in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The stadium was the home of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL from 1950 until it closed on October 27, 2012. The club's previous home was the Hamilton Amateur Athletic Association Grounds. The stadium was replaced by Tim Hortons Field, with a fixed capacity of 24,000, on the same property.
Lionel Pretoria Conacher, nicknamed "The Big Train", was a Canadian athlete and politician. Voted the country's top athlete of the first half of the 20th century, he won championships in numerous sports. His first passion was Canadian football; he was a member of the 1921 Grey Cup champion Toronto Argonauts. He was also a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs baseball team that won the International League championship in 1926. In hockey, he won a Memorial Cup in 1920, and the Stanley Cup twice: with the Chicago Black Hawks in 1934 and the Montreal Maroons in 1935. Additionally, he won wrestling, boxing and lacrosse championships during his playing career. He is one of three players, including Joe Miller and Carl Voss, to have their names engraved on both the Grey Cup and Stanley Cup.
Arthur Howey Ross was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and executive from 1905 until 1954. Regarded as one of the best defenders of his era by his peers, he was one of the first to skate with the puck up the ice rather than pass it to a forward. He was on Stanley Cup championship teams twice in a playing career that lasted thirteen seasons; in January 1907 with the Kenora Thistles and 1908 with the Montreal Wanderers. Like other players of the time, Ross played for several different teams and leagues, and is noted for his time with the Wanderers while they were members of the National Hockey Association (NHA) and its successor, the National Hockey League (NHL). In 1911, he led one of the first organized player strikes over increased pay. When the Wanderers' home arena burned down in January 1918, the team ceased operations and Ross retired as a player.
Sports in Canada consist of a wide variety of games. The roots of organized sports in Canada date back to the 1770s. Canada's official national sports are ice hockey and lacrosse. Other major professional games include curling, basketball, baseball, soccer, and football. Great achievements in Canadian sports are recognized by numerous "Halls of Fame" and museums, such as Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.
Angelo Valentino Mosca was an American professional football player and professional wrestler. He was a defensive lineman in the Canadian Football League (CFL). As a wrestler, Mosca was known by the nicknames King Kong Mosca and the Mighty Hercules. He had a son, Angelo Jr., who also wrestled. Mosca was elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1987, the Hamilton Sports Hall of Fame in 2012, and the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2013.
Harry Wilfred Burch was an American-born Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Hamilton Tigers, New York Americans, Chicago Black Hawks, and Boston Bruins. Born in Yonkers, New York, Burch grew up in Toronto and scored 42 goals in 12 Memorial Cup playoff games to lead the Toronto Canoe Club Paddlers to the 1920 Canadian junior championship.
Cecil Henry "Babe" Dye was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played 11 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Toronto St. Patricks/Maple Leafs, Hamilton Tigers, Chicago Black Hawks, and the New York Americans between 1919 and 1930. Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Dye was known as an excellent stick-handler and goal-scorer.
Wilfred Thomas "Shorty" Green was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played four seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Hamilton Tigers and New York Americans between 1923 and 1927. As captain of the Tigers in 1925, he led the team on a strike with the demand that the players be paid an additional C$200 to participate in the playoffs. The league refused, suspended the team and sold the organization to New York interests. As a member of the Americans, Green scored the first goal in Madison Square Garden history, and after two seasons as a player in New York, coached the team for one before coaching minor league teams for several years. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1963.
Percivale St-Helier LeSueur, known as "Peerless Percy", was a Canadian senior and professional ice hockey goaltender and later involved in the game as referee, coach, manager and owner. He was a member of the Smiths Falls Seniors for three years, with whom his performance in a 1906 Stanley Cup challenge series attracted the attention of his opponents, the Ottawa Silver Seven. Although his team lost the series, LeSueur excelled in goal, keeping the games close. Nine days after the defeat, he joined the Silver Seven and played in a challenge match against the Montreal Wanderers. He remained with Ottawa through the 1913–14 season where he served as team captain for three seasons, and assumed coaching duties in his final season with the team.
Hubert George Quackenbush, known as Bill Quackenbush, was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played for the Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings in the National Hockey League. During his 14-year career, he was the first defenceman to win the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy. He won the award after playing the entire 1948–49 season without recording a penalty. The penalty-less season was part of a total of 131 consecutive games he played without being assessed a penalty. Quackenbush, considered to be an elite offensive defenceman during his career, was named to the NHL All-Star team five times, played in eight NHL All-Star games and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1976.
Harold "Mum" Mummery was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. Mummery played professionally from 1911 until 1923, including six seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Toronto Arenas, Quebec Bulldogs, Montreal Canadiens and Hamilton Tigers. He was a three-time O'Brien Cup champion and a two-time winner of the Stanley Cup. Mummery's six assists as an NHL rookie in the 1918 Stanley Cup Finals set an NHL-era record still unbroken.
Michael James Rodden was a Canadian sports journalist, National Hockey League referee, and Canadian football coach, and was the first person elected to both the Hockey Hall of Fame (1962) and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame (1964).
The city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, has a long history of sport. It is home to a number of clubs, including the Granite Club, the Royal Canadian Yacht Club, the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club, the Argonaut Rowing Club, Toronto Argonauts football club, the Toronto Lawn Tennis Club, and the Badminton and Racquet Club. A number of heritage venues have developed in Toronto such as: Christie Pits, Coca-Cola Coliseum, Varsity Arena, and Maple Leaf Gardens. Toronto is also the location of the Canadian Football League's headquarters.
There are numerous sports teams in Erie, Pennsylvania, all of which are minor league. There are also numerous college sports teams along with high school teams. Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association District 10 high school sports are played in the area, often with close results due to the even distribution of athletic talent. Throughout history, Erie has had various semi-pro and professional sports teams. The city hosts the nationally recognized McDonald's Classic.
John Brian Patrick Quinn, was a Canadian ice hockey player, head coach, and executive. Known by the nickname "The Big Irishman", he coached for the National Hockey League's Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Edmonton Oilers, reaching the Stanley Cup Finals twice, with the Flyers in 1980 and the Canucks in 1994. Internationally, Quinn coached Team Canada to gold medals at the 2002 Winter Olympics, 2008 IIHF World U18 Championships and 2009 World Junior Championship, as well as World Cup championship in 2004.
David James Gordon Brydson was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and golf professional. Brydson played professional ice hockey from 1926 through 1933, including eight games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 1929–30 season.
There are professional teams based in Canada in several professional sports leagues. The National Hockey League currently has seven Canadian franchises and is the most popular professional sports league in Canada. The Canadian Football League is the only all-Canadian major professional sports league. Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, the National Basketball Association, and the Professional Women's Hockey League also have Canadian teams.
Bill Isaacs was a Mohawk Canadian lacrosse player born near Brantford, Ontario on the Six Nations of the Grand River, the largest reserve of the First Nations. Box lacrosse was big in the 1930s and 1940s and Isaacs was identified as being perhaps its first superstar. He won the O.A.L.A. Senior A scoring title seven years between 1935 and 1942, and was on two Mann Cup winning teams in 1942 and 1948. He ended up prestigious as a standout amongst the most exceptional lacrosse contenders amid the 1930s and 1940s and a hotshot of box lacrosse, the indoor adaptation of the amusement. He won the Ontario Amateur Lacrosse Association Senior "A" scoring trophy 7 times in 8 years in the vicinity of 1935 and 1942 and in addition winning the 1938 MVP grant. His career statistics rank him 11th in senior Canadian and professional lacrosse. Former Canadian Football League commissioner Jake Gaudaur described Bill Isaacs as "one of the most outstanding players that ever played the game in the thirties and forties, when lacrosse was a very big sport in Canada." He has been inducted into various Canadian sports hall of fames.
References
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Tigertown Triumphs". The Hamilton Spectator-Memory Project (Souvenir Edition) (Press release). 10 June 2006. pp.MP56 –MP68.
1 2 3 "Tigertown Triumphs". The Hamilton Spectator-Memory Project (Souvenir Edition) (Press release). 10 June 2006. p.MP56.
↑ "Canadians cut it too close. (Hamilton's Bryce Davison and partner Jessica Dubé in horrifying accident)" (Press release). The Hamilton Spectator. 9 February 2007.
↑ Brown, Dana (8 February 2007). "Fitnes buffs pumped up by new Mac centre". The Hamilton Spectator. pp.A10.
↑ Moko, Larry (13 September 2008). "Moving the yardsticks: New $23-million stadium a statement of McMaster's grand ambitions as it builds a total university experience". The Hamilton Spectator.
↑ Beddoes, Dick (1989). Pal Hal: An uninhibited, no-holds-barred account of the life and times of Harold Ballard. Macmillan of Canada. ISBN1-57243-390-6.
↑ Wesley, Sam, David (2005). Hamilton's Hockey Tigers. James Lorimer & Company Ltd. ISBN1-55028-887-3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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