2015 induction ceremony & awards gala magazine

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015WESTIN HARBOUR CASTLE HOTEL

2015 INDUCTION CEREMONY & AWARDS GALA

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The Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper, P.C., M.P.OTTAWA2015

I am pleased to extend my warmest greetings to everyone attending the 20th anniversary Induction Gala of the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame.

This evening, you have gathered to pay tribute to several remarkable individuals who call Ontario home. In doing so, you are continuing a tradition that began twenty years ago, when outstanding achievements and contributions to sport were first honoured by the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. With this recognition, the inductees take their place alongside other distinguished members whose stories are testimony to the province’s proud sports heritage.

I would like to join with you in commending Roberto Alomar, Garney Henley, Sharif Khan, Laurie Graham, Shawn O’Sullivan, and Bill Symons, as well as tonight’s Special Award winners, Brooke Henderson, JoeCarter, Roy MacGregor, the late Tim Horton, and Zeke O’Connor for their exemplary contributions to Canadian sport. Their accomplishments will inspire others to achieve their dreams.

Please accept my best wishes for a memorable ceremony and anniversary.

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ChairmanBruce Prentice

Executive CommitteeGary Dickens, Alan Good, Mark Gravett,

John McCaughey, Dale Neilly

Board of DirectorsPeter ConacherGlenn Crouter

Dan Giantsopolous LLMBrad Kinsella

Rajeevan MangaleswaranAllan McNinchKevin MidghallScott Morrison

Nick RossiJoe Tilley

Phillip Wiener CPA

Board of AdvisorsHon. William Davis

Cam ChurchBarb DiGulioNick Eaves

Paul GodfreyPeter Grills

Dave HodgeBob HunterPete Martin

Bob NicholsonMike PowerKen Shaw

Ted SievenpiperBrian WilliamsTed Woloshyn

PatronsTom AnselmiPaul BeestonJoanne Flint

David Wilmot

2015 Event ChairmanMark Gravett

Program EditorAlan Good, Rajeevan Mangaleswaran,

John McCaughey

Program Contributors OSHOF: Alan Good, Rajeevan Mangaleswaran

Toronto Sun: Ashley Courtis, Donna Donaldson, Bill Pierce, Richard Vel

2192 Queen St. E, Suite 91Toronto, Ontario, M4E 1E6

www.oshof.ca

Premier of Ontario - Première ministre de l’Ontario

September 24, 2015

A PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM THE PREMIER

On behalf of the Government of Ontario, I am delighted to extend warm greetings to everyone attending the induction and awards gala of the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame.

I am proud to join you in honouring our distinguished athletes and builders. The accomplishments of our sports heroes are part of our collective history. Their achievements provide valuable life lessons and inspiration for young people, future athletes and sports fans.

I commend everyone involved with the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame for their commitment to honouring and recognizing our great athletes and sports builders.

Please accept my best wishes for an inspiring celebration.

Kathleen Wynne Premier


Time is such a fleeting thing. Time has come and gone so fast that at times I barely remember what happened over the hall of fame years. From 1978, creating the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame sitting in that blue polka dot chair my son David remembers so well, to seeing a void here in Ontario and finding people who believed in the concept and the Ontario Sports (Legends) Hall of Fame was born.

A person may have an idea, a thought, and tries to put that thought or idea into action, but it takes people, sometimes many people, to jump on board and make things happen. The right people. People who believe in the concept and are willing to give of themselves and the time necessary to bring the idea to fruition.

There have been so many caring people over the years; first baseball, from Randy Echlin, David Crichton, Fergie Olver, brothers Dave and Bob, to Ray McNeil, Paul Beeston and Pat Gillick, Bill Gleed, Harvey Trivett to Al Lewis and many others who contributed to making the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame a living entity in St. Mary’s, Ontario.

Ontario? Who would have believed the biggest province in the country had no sports hall of fame. Not I, until doing a little research realized every other province had a hall of fame, but not Ontario. Once again, bouncing the idea

around, a few people said “hey, how can I help?” So it was off into the wild blue yonder once more, and again it has taken people, good people, who believed in the idea. Nao Seko, John Brosseau, Doug Hobbs, Fred Ketchen, George Ludgate, Ian Smith, Dr. Al Fruman, Harry Wilson and the late newscaster, Mark Daley.

And so time has come to lay down the gauntlet and pass the torch to my successors, who will look after the hall of fame’s daily operations, beginning in 2015. But I will not be far away. I will remain Chairman of the Board as a consultant and advisor.

What can anyone say other thank you. I owe each and everyone of you a debt of gratitude for keeping the hall on the move; the Executive Committee, Dale Neilly, Gary Dickens, Al Good, John McCaughey and Mark Gravett, and the extremely dedicated Board of Directors listed on the front panel of this magazine. A special thanks must go to Brian Williams for his friendship and continual belief in the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame.

I have been ask many times why I do what I do, and the answer is found in a quote by Robert Kennedy: “some men see thing as they are, and say why; other men see things as they could be and say, why not.”

TIME: 1995 -2015

We are excited to welcome you to the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, Induction Ceremony and Awards Gala!

Whether you purchased an individual ticket, as a major partner, a table sponsor or a guest who wants to celebrate sport achievement, your participation provides valuable support enabling all of us to celebrate Ontario's greatest athletes, past or present, amateur or professional, coaches and sports media professionals as they become icons in Canadian sports.

This year's OSHOF Gala will be unlike any other. With a special focus on celebrating our 20th Anniversary, you will gain a deeper understanding of the enduring impact of our celebrated inductees and awards recipients. Of course, you will indulge in a fabulous evening of food and drink, unforgettable entertainment from award winning young artists, and opportunities to win prizes and explore our silent auction table - all

while networking and socializing with Ontario's Class of 2015 Inductees and Award recipients and their families, top business, community and philanthropic leaders.

As Event Chairman for our 20th Anniversary celebration, I extend my deepest thanks to our volunteers and to my fellow Executive Committee and Board of Directors for their tireless efforts to make this year's gala our best and most memorable yet!

I look forward to seeing you on this special night.

Cheers!

Mark GravettEvent ChairmanExecutive Committee and Board of DirectorOntario Sports Hall of Fame

WELCOME:FROM YOUR EVENT CHAIRMAN

MARK GRAVETT

BRUCE PRENTICEChairman

Ontario Sports Hall of Fame


The two golf carts pulled up to the caddy shack outside the Orlando golf course Dec. 5, 1990.

Bill Murray wasn’t there to greet the golfers, but in a scene out of the movie Caddy Shack it unfolded like this:

“Did you guys hear about the big trade?” asked the caddy unloading the first golf bag.

Scott Sanderson, a free-agent right-hander, and Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Jay Bell asked who was involved as the caddy talked news dominating ESPN. This was in pre-Internet and Twitter days.

“Who was in it?” Joe Carter asked the guy lifting the bag.The caddy read the name tag on the bag and said: “Ah ... I don’t think I

should be the one to tell you, but it was YOU!’’ A year to the day after he was dealt from the Cleveland Indians to San

Diego for Sandy Alomar, Sandy’s younger brother, Robbie would be dealt with Carter to the Blue Jays for Tony Fernandez and Fred McGriff.

Carter came to Toronto and stayed for almost seven seasons, playing 1,016 games, hitting 203 homers and knocking in 736 runs.

The reason Carter is being honoured with the Ferguson Jenkins Heritage award by the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame is not for anything he did during the regular season.

Long ago in another century, in a building known as the SkyDome, the Blue Jays headed into the bottom of the ninth down 6-5 in Game 6 of the 1993 World Series.

Rickey Henderson worked a four-pitch walk from Mitch Williams and danced off first. An out later Paul Molitor singled to centre on a 1-1 pitch. Now, the tying run was at second and the Jays had their clean-up man stepping to the plate.

Carter swung at a 2-2 pitch and was badly fooled. Still worried, about Henderson, Williams threw the next pitch -- his 21st pitch of the inning. Mighty Joe swung and the ball landed in the Jays bullpen, shy of the auxiliary press box for a three-run, walk-off, jump-off homer against the Phillies.

Carter, the former high school quarterback from Wichita, leapt for joy on his way to first and actually missed first before coach Bob Bailor told him to retreat. And up above on the 300 Level and throughout living rooms from Revelstoke, B.C. to Summerside, PEI, fans heard the legendary Tom Cheek say:

“A swing and a belt! Left field ... way back ... BLUE JAYS WIN IT! The Blue Jays are World Series champions as Joe Carter hits a three-run home run in the ninth inning and the Blue Jays have repeated as World Series Champions!”

Cheek said both as an announcer and a coach, “Touch ‘em all, Joe! “You’ll never hit a bigger home run in your life!”His homer landed at 11:37 p.m. and the replay was shown on the

Jumbotron four or five dozen times. Yonge Street was jammed with a parade of honking cars until 5 a.m.

Walking downstairs with our Steve Buffery, I asked if he could have seen anything that exciting at a hockey game.

He replied overtime.You can’t come from behind to win in overtime.So, five things you might not have known about Jumpin’ Joe Carter.* Had his first base hit in the majors off Steve Carlton in the second inning

Aug. 1, 1983 against Jody Davis in a 2-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies at Veterans Stadium.

* Was in demand at the 1992 winter meetings in Louisville. Both the Kansas City Royals and the Jays had interest in the free agent Jim Turner, Carter’s agent, had shown Pat Gillick Carter’s prepared thank you to Jays fans. It was that close. Both were offering similar cash ($25 million), but the Royals offer contained a no-trade clause and a $10-million payout up front. Carter said seeing Devon White in a dream helped him decide on the Jays.

* Went deep off Williams to send the Jays into champagne celebrations in 1993. That night his brother Larry Carter was in Salem, Oregon, playing in

JOE CARTER

a slo-pitch tournament. Larry reached a tavern to watch the final four innings on TV. Later, driving his ‘90 Jeep Cherokee home, a clip of the homer was the lead item in the radio. Larry pulled over ... “it hit me, what Joe had accomplished, first to win a Series with a homer when his team was losing, finally he was going to get the recognition he deserved,” said Larry, who parked and started jumping up and down on the hood of his Cherokee.

* Was standing in left during batting practice in spring training of April 1995 when someone called him from foul ground, told him to go inside the clubhouse, look at CNN and call home.

The federal building in Oklahoma City where he grew up, where his parents and relatives live, had been bombed.

“Why bomb Oklahoma City, there’s nothing there?” Carter asked.* Signed with the Baltimore Orioles as a free agent in 1998 and that July

was dealt to the San Francisco Giants. At the time Carter was using a maple bat given to him by Sam Holman, the Ottawa bat maker. Carter took his Sambat model with him to the Giants clubhouse, Barry Bonds gave it a try, fell in love with the bat and used it to set the single-season home run record in 2001.

--BOB ELLIOTT, TORONTO SUN


There were 18 stories totalling 8,993 words and 48,950 characters on ‘The Trade’ in the Toronto Sun on Thursday, Dec. 6 1990.

That was the day Stand Pat Gillick shed his image becoming Trader Pat as the Blue Jays moved shortstop Tony Fernandez and first baseman Fred McGriff to the San Diego Padres for second baseman Robbie Alomar and outfielder Joe Carter at 3 o’clock Wednesday afternoon in Chicago.

Yet, of all those words, opinions, expert analysis the most accurate, most memorable come from Buck Rodgers, who managed the Montreal Expos. Rodgers was at the Winter Meetings lobby in Chicago hours after the deal was made and arguments were in full discussion.

“The Blue Jays won the deal because they wound up with the best player in Robbie Alomar,” said Rodgers.

You mean Alomar will be the best down the road?“I mean he’s the best right now, he was the best last year, he’ll be the best five

years from now and he will have had the best career five years after they are finished.”

Rodgers was right.Alomar was the only one of the four inducted into the Hall of Fame in

Cooperstown.Already inducted into the Puerto Rico Hall of Fame, the Canadian Baseball

Hall of Fame, Alomar is the newest baseball player elected to the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame.

Fittingly Alomar was inducted into Cooperstown along with the man who brought him to Toronto -- Gillick in July of 2011.

Since then Alomar has worked as part of outgoing Jays president Paul Beeston’s posse. And he has been putting in more hours than other posse

members Cito Gaston, George Bell, Pat Hentgen and Carlos Delgado.

Alomar travels coast to coast for the Blue Jays Academy events and the Honda

Super Camps. CFO Stephen Brooks witnessed Alomar on the road last season and declared Alomar had “rock

star” status on Jays trips into the hinterlands.

He’s the commissioner of the third annual Tournament 12 (named

for his uniform number, not his number of teams). In 2013 after

attending a clinic in British Columbia, Alomar flew in

two players from Vancouver to Pearson who could not

afford the flight.Then, Alomar took it a step further going to the

Jays Care Foundation appeal ing to

make the tourney more affordable to every Canadian. It now costs $350 per player from outside Ontario.

More than one amateur coach isn’t worried about whether new team president Mark Shapiro is bringing in a right-hander, or a lefty. Amateur coaches want to see the Blue Jays commitment to amateur ball to remain status quo.

That’s the kind of impact Alomar has had. Besides the fact he’s in Cooperstown and leads Hall of Famers when it comes

to receiving thank yous from Canadians, here are 10 things you should know about Robbie, the year-round resident of Toronto as he:

10. Never lost a game against his older brother Sandy growing up, it’s the truth, according to their father Sandy, who says: “Robbie would quit any game Sandy was winning.”

9. Singled in his first major league at-bat facing the Houston Astros’ Nolan Ryan Friday, April 22, 1988, at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego. Robbie and Ryan had played catch a decade before when Sandy played for the California Angels.

8. Was with his brother Sandy and father Sandy, a coach, all wearing Padres uniform at the 1990 All-Star Game at Wrigley Field. Just a typical father-and-sons day at the ballyard.

7. Had a first-inning double off Ron Robinson of the Milwaukee Brewers for his first hit in a Toronto uniform on April 11, 1991. He had gone hitless in six at-bats with four walks in the opening series against the Boston Red Sox.

6. Hit .474 (9-for-19) as the Jays lost the best-of-seven 1991 American League Championship Series to the Minnesota Twins in five games. He had four RBIs and a .997 OPS.

5. Hit .310 in 1992 with 27 doubles, eight triples, eight homers and 76 RBIs with an .832 OPS.

4. Hit a 2-2 pitch from Dennis Eckersley with Devon White on base for a two-run homer in the top of the ninth in Game 4 of the ALCS in Oakland. Pat Borders drove in the game-winner in the 11th to give the Jays a 3-1 series lead.

Alomar threw his arms over his head in celebration after Eckersley has shot an imaginary six-gun into the Jays dugout fanning Ed Sprague. Two years ago, Eckersley asked Alomar “Why did you do what you did?” Replied Alomar, “Why did you do ... what you did?”

3. Scored the game-winning run on Candy Maldonado’s single to win Game 3 against the Atlanta Braves and he had three hits as the Jays won Game 6 in Atlanta.

2. Earned the Toronto chapter BBWAA player of the year honour both in 1991-92 -- recognized as the Jays best -- whereas Carter ranked higher in the BBWAA national vote for the MVP.

1. Was playing at Yankee Stadium, seated beside Paul Molitor during the 1993 season, when announcer Bob Sheppard said, “Ladies and gentlemen, please extend a special Yankee welcome to Bob Hope.” Alomar asked Molitor: “Pauly, Pauly, what position did Hope play?”

Had 12 hits in the 1993 World Series, the same number as Molitor, who won the World Series MVP.

--BOB ELLIOTT, TORONTO SUN

ROBERTO ALOMAR


Think of Shawn O’Sullivan and you might think of words like: Tough, a warrior, a God-given punch, world champion, Olympic medallist.

But for those who followed the Toronto native’s pro and amateur career closely, the words kindness and graciousness certainly come to mind.

Take for example his loss in the gold medal bout in the light-middleweight class at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. O’Sullivan, fighting out of the famed Cabbagetown Boxing Club in Toronto under coach Peter Wylie, had issued American Frank Tate two standing eight counts in the second round and nearly a third (which would have stopped the fight in O’Sullivan’s favor). At the end of the three-round contest, the fans inside the Memorial Sports Arena, as well as millions watching on TV, had anticipated a verdict for the hard-punching Canadian, though many also thought Tate did enough to win. Instead, the decision went Tate’s way, prompting a chorus of boos inside the stadium, even by many American fans. Later, Tate’s trainer, the great Emanuel Steward, admitted that O’Sullivan should have been given the decision. But while anger and indignation rule the day outside the ring, afterwards O’Sullivan displayed pure class, telling reporters that the decision, while perhaps unfair, was “unfortunate” and congratulated Tate.

And that’s O’Sullivan in a nut shell. Always gracious in victory and defeat, The Cabbagetown Kid as he was known in the squared circle, absorbed the slings and arrows of one of the toughest, most unforgiving sports and emerged with his pride intact, even if the game has dealt him some tough cards over the years. O'Sullivan continues to live a happy life in Belleville, Ont.

It’s unfortunate that O’Sullivan has been forgotten by a certain segment of Canadian society because, in his day, the former world amateur champion was as popular in this country as Wayne Gretzky. The baby-faced brawler endured countless ups and downs during his

career and after he retired, but he’s still out there giving it the good fight and after all these years - 34 years after his greatest victory - he’s finally being inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. A honor

that is long overdue.The 34 years number isn’t a misprint. Yes, O’Sullivan is best

remembered for his battle in the gold medal bout at the ‘84 Olympics, 31 years ago, but his greatest achievement inside the ring - and the

bout that really put him on the map - was his victory at the 1981 AIBA World Cup in Montreal. The then-19-year-old O’Sullivan faced defending

Olympic champion Armando Martinez of Cuba in the gold medal match and after the first round, it appeared as though the tough Cuban would

walk away with the title. In the first round, Martinez hammered his teenaged opponent enough to prompt the referee to issue two-standing

eight-counts against O’Sullivan, as well as opening a cut over the Canadian’s left eye.But in a contest roundly described as one of the greatest amateur bouts

in history, O’Sullivan gallantly fought back, showing that he had a heart to match his lethal right hand. For the next two rounds, the two fighters stood toe-to-toe, hammering away in a fight that resembled a professional contest, all the while the partisan crowd screaming support for the young Canadian. In the third, Martinez, who appeared dazed and distressed in the corner between the second and third round, was issued a standing eight count. Afterwards, when the decision was announced in O’Sullivan’s favor, a Canadian mega star was born. O’Sullivan’s bout against Martinez was the highlight of his career and while he enjoyed some great moments afterwards, boxing wasn’t always kind to O’Sullivan, the youngest son of a large Irish-Canadian family from the east end of Toronto.

After his Olympic silver medal, O’Sullivan turned pro and rang off 11 straight victories, fighting all over Canada as well as Las Vegas and his parent’s homeland, Ireland, where he stopped journeyman American Marvin McDowell.

But in his 12th pro fight, O’Sullivan’s handlers felt he was ready to take a major step up in competition and matched him against future world champion Simon Brown at Toronto’s CNE Coliseum. Sadly, the Cabbagetown Kid was far from being ready to fight a boxer of Brown’s calibre. Brown had fought 12 more fights as a pro (22-1) and recorded 16 KO’s. O’Sullivan started strong, taking the fight to the American with some solid right hands, before Brown rallied near the end of the round with some hard body shots and hooks to the head. Brown continued to come on in the second, nailing O’Sullivan with shots on the chin, including a devastating left near the end of the round that appeared to wobble the crowd favorite. Midway through the third, the referee,

the late Fern Chretien, warned Brown for a low blow. Late in the round, Brown hit O’Sullivan with a couple of good rights and then hammered him with another, forcing O’Sullivan into a corner and then Brown teed off on the Olympic medallist before Chretien jumped in and stopped the fight. A number of O’Sullivan supporters stormed the ring in anger over the fact that Chretien should have issued a standing eight count instead of stopping the bout, perhaps not realizing that there was no standing eight rule.

O’Sullivan also suffered a hand injury early in the fight and had to undergo surgery. After a few months off to rest and heal, O’Sullivan continued his pro career and recorded six more wins in a row before losing his next two including a knockout at the hands of his stablemate Donovan Boucher for the Canadian welterweight title on March 25, 1988 at Toronto’s Varsity Arena. He left the ring for three years but returned in 1991 and finished his career by going 6-2, finally retiring for good in 1997.

--STEVE BUFFERY, TORONTO SUN

SHAWN O'SULLIVAN


It’s hard to stand out when your father is one of the most decorated squash players in

history.It’s even harder when you’re one of Hashim

Khan’s 12 kids, six of them boys.But Sharif Khan, the first born, managed to do just

that, carrying on the family tradition by carving out his own storied career in the hardball version of the racquet sport.

“No question my father was a great influence on my career as a professional,” Khan recently said from his apartment in a quiet York neighbourhood. “He was a Jack Nicklaus, an Arnold Palmer. Great, fabulous, gentle.”

Part of a six-member 2015 class, Khan, a dominating force on the hardball circuit in the 1970s, is set to become the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame’s first squash inductee.

He’ll be honoured alongside other former athletes — Toronto Blue Jay Roberto Alomar, Hamilton Tiger-Cat Garney Henley, Toronto Argonaut Bill Symons, boxer Shawn O’Sullivan and skier Laurie Graham — at a gala in Toronto later this month.

“Squash, pound for pound, is as skillful and as athletically demanding as any other sport,” said Khan, now 69. “I respect other sports. I respect tennis. I respect Roger Federer. But I do admit that squash, skill for skill, equals those guys.”

Khan emigrated from Pakistan to England as an 11-year-old before moving to North America six years later to live and train with his dad.

“At that time Toronto was a small town, very conservative,” Khan said.

In 1969, only a year after moving from Detroit to Ontario’s capital, he captured his first title at the prestigious North American Open.

Khan would string together a record 12 titles over a 13-year span. His 12th win, in 1981, came against his brother Aziz Khan at the Toronto Squash Club.

“It’s a big deal to have it in Toronto where I spent most of my life professionally,” he said of the Sept. 24 gala. “I’m very excited."

Graham Worrall said his good friend Khan, a grandfather to nine, has always been “a little bit shy” off the court, “a humble man who always remembers his origins.”

On it, however, he unleashed his energy, Worrall said: “He was a tiger, he was King Khan on court. That was his nickname.”

As Worrall vividly recalls, a flip would switch in Khan’s head, turning him into an intense, unflappable competitor. He would remain stationary as his opponent would run around trying to keep up with the flurry of action.

“When he got into that mood, he was devastating,” Worrall said with a quiet laugh. “He would just pound the ball with such force and it would wear people down.”

Long-retired from playing, coaching and operating squash clubs in the Greater Toronto Area, Khan’s not around the game much these days. He suffered a stroke last February so he’s not as mobile as he used to be.

Here and there, he’ll make an appearance at Balmy Beach Club in the city’s east end and he recently attended the Pan American Games.

“Squash is an obsession, a passion,” he said.Regardless of the circumstances, Sharif Khan, much like his father, is a

squash lifer.Sharif Khan’s father, Hashim Khan, is the patriarch of a squash family dynasty

that includes a handful of professional players who have accumulated roughly 20 titles at the British Open, once considered the sport’s world championship.

Hashim, a seven-time winner himself, has been compared to giants like

Mohammad Ali and Michael Jordan. He died last August at an estimated age of 105 yet lives on as an influential, larger-than-life figure.

As fate would have it, an over-the-hill Hashim, 45 at the time, faced off against Sharif in a North American Open semifinal match in the 1970s.

“My father, my icon, my legend,” Sharif said of his nervous but respectful mindset heading into the torch-passing duel.

The match took about 45 minutes to complete, according to Sharif, with the son emerging victorious. After it was over, they hugged and smiled at each other in admiration.

Hashim then whispered a good luck message into his ear.“That’s the best memory of my father,” he said.

ALL HAIL KING KHAN Sharif Khan’s crowning achievements- 12-time North American Cup winner (1969-1981 except ‘75)- Nine-time U.S. Professional Championships winner (1970-1979

except ‘78)- First non-U.S. citizen inducted into U.S. Squash Hall of Fame (2004)

--JOHN MATISZ, TORONTO SUN

SHARIF KHAN

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Bill Symons played through one of the Argonauts’ most exhilarating and chaotic eras.

It was the late 60s, early 70s. The Argos teased fans with a Grey Cup it would not win. And Symons would have one of the greatest seasons ever for a Toronto running back but still lose his job.

Detours. Phoenix-like glory. Road blocks. Back on the high road. It is the story of Symons’ football career; the story of his life.

Growing up in Nucla, Colorado, population 200, he would be named one of the 20-greatest players of all time at the University of Colorado. He could play defence but made his name as an electrifying running back.

Now at 72, part-owner of a lumber distribution company in Toronto, he figured it had mostly been forgotten between the dust-covered jackets of old record books.

“I’m ... flattered actually, that after all these years people would even remember my name,” says Symons, of his induction into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame.

Symons played from 1967-73 with Leo Cahill’s flying football circus. There was the enigma of talented and undisciplined Leon McQuay. There was Mel Profit, with flowing locks giving the impression he’d just walked out of a commune. And, there was Symons, the first Argonaut to surpass the 1,000-yard rushing mark.

He arrived in Toronto in 1967, and never left, inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1997. A lifetime hinged on a busted knee.

Drafted by Green Bay, “I tore the cartilage on one side of my knee. When I woke up in the hospital the doctors had operated on both sides. Then the (bleep) trainer put me on an electrical bike and blew the stitches out of both sides of my knee.”

Released. Jobless. Sore. Blackie Johnston, who had recruited him to Colorado, “instigated my CFL career; probably changed my life,” says Symons, after Johnston - then a coach with B.C. - asked Symons to join him in 1966.

“I had no clue about the CFL ... Blackie asked if I could play defence and I told him I wasn’t even sure I could walk. I went anyway; right from the airport to the locker room to starting as the inside safety. Didn’t practice. Didn’t know the rules. Didn’t know there were 12 guys a side. A linebacker talked me through the game and told me what to do.”

Next year Blackie went to Toronto. Symons followed.Everything came together in 1968, when he rushed for 1,107 yards. “We had a fabulous team. Real characters. The guy I admired most was

Bobby Taylor. Nobody worked harder. We had Danny Nykoluk, Bob Swift, Profit...Two of the best I ever played with were running backs Jim Dillard and Dave Raimey. Raimey was an incredible runner; he was just a ghost.”

That season, Symons became the first Argonaut to win the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player Award. “It was a band of guys that everybody loved. I just happened to be the guy who got the ball. Toronto was hot for football then. Thirty thousand every game...I came up here and we made it our home.”

Symons sometimes ponders what would’ve happened had he gone back to Colorado with the Broncos who offered a contract after the ‘68 season. As much as he enjoyed his teammates, especially that glorious summer of 1968, “it was a frustrating career playing in Toronto. After that season Taylor got cut, Bill Frank got traded, everything kind of changed. We lost a lot of team leaders.”

Symons still had 905 yards in 1969. “I’d played six weeks on a dislocated toe and Leo decided to sit me out the last game. I needed 95 yards ... that was kind of hard to take.”

Playing for Cahill could be an adventure of the mind. Symons, after another 908-yard season in 1970 was moved to blocking back for McQuay, and Raimey was converted to defensive back.

“Dave and I had both rushed for 900 yards, so Leo gave up two guys who had gained 1,800 yards for one who got 900,” says Symons. “Here I was,

BILL SYMONS

the MVP ... and I never touched the ball. He made me a blocking back. It kind of destroyed my career. I think I could’ve had a couple more years as a productive running back. Maybe I should’ve asked to be traded but I didn’t want to hurt the team. But sometimes I wonder ... what if? If I’d gone back to Colorado,” he says laughing. “Everybody there would’ve figured I owed them a ticket.”

In his final two seasons, Symons ran for nearly 600 yards as blocking back.Symons may believe his time on the turf has been forgotten but those

who love the game still remember. He got a standing ovation years back, in Hamilton of all places.

"In Toronto nobody would recognize me," Symons says. "I don’t understand why Toronto doesn’t support the Argos. In some respects, Hamilton is a better place to play. Hamilton was always a bit more loyal to their players ... and, I think, it’s still like that.”

--BILL LANKHOF, TORONTO SUN


The Ontario Sports Hall of Fame is an association dedicated to honouring athletes and personalities with outstanding achievement in sports in Ontario, Canada. The hall of fame was established in 1994 by Bruce Prentice, following his 15-year tenure as founder and president of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame (CBHF). The inaugural class of honoured members was inducted in 1994.

The OSHOF currently lists 126 inductees, including 112 ath-letes and 14 sports personalities. Each year the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame also honours recipients of the Brian Williams Me-

The purpose of the Hope from Heroes Foundation is to assist, in a small way,members of the Ontario community in promoting sports, competition and general well-being.

This could mean donating clothing, skates, shoes, even books, to kids doing without some of the basic items so many of us take for granted. To this end, the OSHOF is pledging to donate some of its annual fundraising to the Foundation and would like to enlist you - the Ontario public - to help support this initiative.

We would welcome, therefore, any donations from the general public. The more money we can generate, the more we can help fulfill our mandate to support sports in this province. To donate, please call 416-490-7199. Also please note that, as a not-for-profit organization, we cannot offer tax receipts.

HopeHeroes

Foundation

from

The Ontario Sports Hall of Fame's annual Ceremonies and Gala Dinner is an annual event that honours our past and new inductees, while celebrating the upcoming year in On-tario sports. What events in Ontario sports this year will help to lead those future athletes into the hall.

This fabulous event is a great place to come and rub elbows

with some of the greats from Ontario's sports history. The hall is about those great athletes who make up the hall and honour us with their presence each year at this event. Athletes like Bobby Baun and Darryl Sittler from the leafs, or Angelo Mosca and Russ Jackson from the CFL have attended this event.

Who will you see there?

Remembering the heroes of the past...inspiring the athletes of tomorrow.

dia Award, the Sandy Hawley Community Service Award, the Ferguson Jenkins Heritage Award, and the Syl Apps Athlete of the Year Award.

With support from Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment, the OSHOF is in the process of building a permanent home to preserve Ontario’s sporting heritage.

The state-of-the-art facility will feature displays where visitors will be able to view trophies, memorabilia and equipment worn by players during special games. The Hall will have interactive zones that are meant to be educational and entertaining.

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We express our sincere gratitude to our 2015 sponsorship partners for being part of the 20th Anniversary Induction Ceremonies and Awards Gala.

2015 OSHOF GALA SPONSORS

FRIENDS OF THE HALL

PRINT SPONSORS

AWARDS SPONSORS VENUE SPONSOR

GALA DINNER SPONSORS

MEDIA SPONSOR

20TH ANNIVERSARYINDUCTION CEREMONIES & AWARDS GALA

www.oshof.ca

We express our sincere gratitude to our 2015 sponsorship partners for being part of the 20th Anniversary Induction Ceremonies and Awards Gala.

2015 OSHOF GALA SPONSORS


Garney Henley has come full circle - from American

farmboy, to Canadian legend, and back home to the bucolic countryside of South Dakota.

Once the screams of “Oskie-Wee-Wee” celebrated his elan under the pillars of the glowing steel towers that lit up the skyline of Ivor Wynne Stadium.

Now, 78, he strolls a couple miles each day along a country road with “Baby”, his playful pitbull. Occassionally a vehicle drifts by, but mostly it is just the former CFL star, the farmland that is part of the family DNA, and his best pal.

Echoes of his heroic past with the Hamilton Ticats drift into memory, too. But only occassionally. “I was a bit surprised. But pleasantly surprised,” says Henley, of his selection to the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. “I couldn’t figure out why they’d pick a pro football player from South Dakota. I thought maybe it was because I’d coached at Mt. Allison, Brock and Guelph, and I recruited a lot of kids into the game.”

If it is a mystery to Henley, it isn’t to anyone associated with the CFL.“Garney Henley helped define what it means to be a Tiger-Cat,” Tiger-Cats’

management told the Toronto Sun, in an email statement. “He embodied all of the qualities of a hard-working Hamiltonian, endearing himself to the City and its fans immediately upon his arrival in 1960. His endurance, versatility and football IQ throughout his career were second to none, evidenced by his all-star status on both sides of the ball.

“Not only is he one of the greatest players to ever wear the Black and Gold, but also one of the best the CFL has ever seen.”

Henley spent 36 years in Canada. “Vince Lombardi let me go from the Packers to Hamilton (in 1960). It was different back then. I had a couple chances to go back, to Dallas and Minnesota, but things were going well for the team and me personally. It was like, why change?”

The financial pull that has many U.S. players these days looking to return to the U.S. wasn’t there in Henley’s era. “Actually the money was better in Canada.

The Canadian dollar was worth three cents more than the U.S. buck. And, Henley was worth every penny to the Ticats, helping them reach seven Grey Cups including four of which they won.

“Whenever Garney and I would play against each other we’d (trash talk) each other about who was the fastest. I’m willing to give him that now,” says fellow 2015 inductee Bill Symons, chuckling as he adds: “if he’ll give me one of his Grey Cup rings. It’s not like he’s going to miss one.”

Henley’s 16-year career, included winning the CFL’s most outstanding player award in 1972. “There’s a lot of great memories, playing with guys like Bernie Faloney, Joe Zuger and Angelo Mosca.”

As a defensive back he intercepted 59 passes for 916 yards and 5 touchdowns, and was selected as an All Star nine times.

Not bad for a kid who never played high-school football. “Growing up in Hayti we had 55 kids at our school. And half of them were girls, so its kind of hard to

GARNEY HENLEY

make a football team out of that,” he says, laughing, as he strolled along with Baby urging him forward - much like the blocking phalanx that would help him set an NAIA career record of 394 points at Huron University, as a running back.

An all-around athlete, he ran track and was a four-year starter on the Hayti school basketball team. “We went to the state tournament, which is pretty good for a school with 55 students,” he recalls.

That all-around ability made him a star on both sides of the ball in the CFL, selected as a CFL all-star 10 times as a receiver.

Long. Lean. He was six foot tall; played at 180 pounds and working the family farm gave him the sinewy frame and toughness that made him an enduring legend. “You worked on the farm all day and played games at night,” he said, chuckling. “I never saw a weight room until I was in the pros. You toss around 75 to 100 pound bales of hay for 10 hours a day its pretty good training.”

One of his proudest accomplishments came in Guelph, when he led the school to a national university championship. “All the kids were from Ontario,” he said.

Along with sidetrips to Guelph and Mt. Allison University in New Brunswick, he lived in the Hamilton area many years, heading back in 1996 to Huron, South Dakota; back to where he laid the foundation of a career that has seen him named to the CFL hall of fame, the national collegiate hall of fame, the South Dakota sports hall of fame and the state’s baseball hall of fame.

“It’s going to be nice to come back up (for the induction). Three of my four kids were born in Canada. Actually, other than the border, it’s pretty much the same country. I liked what I saw when I came from Green Bay and I guess I stayed because I felt established. Ontario has been very good to me and my family.”

-- BILL LANKHOF, TORONTO SUN


Competing in a sport where one wrong move can spell the end of a

career, Laurie Graham quickly learned the key to longevity.

"I think I took calculated risks," the alpine skier from the little village of Inglewood, Ont., said. "I always said when you first break into the World Cup is when you're most vulnerable to injuries. You want it so much, so you're going full tilt and hell bent for leather.

"Then you start getting smart and you know where to let it go, where you need to slow down and be a little more calculated."

The strategy worked wonders for Graham, who was a member of Canada's national team for 11 seasons (1978-88), won six World Cup races and competed in three Olympic Games. She figures she could have kept going, too, but wanted to focus on other things — like raising a family, as the Ottawa resident now has two daughters in their 20s.

The latest honour for a lengthy, rewarding alpine run comes when the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame makes her an inductee in the class of 2015 at the Westin Harbour Castle. Graham, who posted 34 top-10 results on the World Cup circuit, already is a member of the Order of Canada, the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame and Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.

"It kind of just rekindles memories," Graham said of the chance to be recognized for her athletic work. "I've found the more removed and the longer I'm out of it, the more impressed you are with 'Wow, I accomplished a lot.' At the time, you're just doing what you love, doing what you're good at and good results follow. In hindsight, you're looking back and thinking at one time I was ranked No. 1 in the world."

While Graham, 55, was the first North American to win on a home course in a 1983 World Cup downhill at Mont-Tremblant, Val d'Isere, France was the scene of her most memorable triumphs.

Graham's first podium appearance came at the longtime World Cup circuit in 1979 (a bronze). Six years later, she won gold and silver medals on back-to-back downhill races at the same course.

"It was steep and turny and I was best on those type of courses," Graham said.

Several years ago, Val d'Isere invited all former winners back for an anniversary celebration — and Graham made the trip, strapped on the skis and took a few runs down the celebrated slope.

The Quebec triumph was important for several reasons, too. Winning at home was a boost personally and for the team as well.

"I was starting to have an understanding of the corporate funding behind it all and we had a great sponsor in Husky Oil," Graham said. "It was a joy to win for them. It helped for TV (and) the sponsors, my dad was there and it was just a good, exciting time."

Graham began skiing at age five, driving a bit over an hour to Collingwood, where she honed her skills as a racer. Though there are far bigger mountains in other parts of the country, Collingwood has proven to be a good training base for several members of Canada's alpine team over the years.

In Graham's mind, that's no fluke."In the east, we're small and icy (when it comes to slopes)," Graham said.

"There's no moguls or tree (skiing) like you have for westerners. If you're interested in skiing (competitively in Ontario), you're skiing through gates and poles."

These days, you won't find Graham spending too much time in chair-lift lines. Sure, she skis once a year at a celebrity event in Vail, Colo., but Graham has found athletic pursuit to fill the competitive void.

When her daughters got into horseback riding as kids, Graham tagged along — and eventually caught the bug as well. A rider back in her youth as well, Graham now competes in show-jumping events around Ontario.

"There's quite a few of the top riders in their 50s and 60s," said Graham, who has no plans to make a run at the elite level, but simply enjoys the chance to compete again.

"With age comes wisdom. You just have to hope the body keeps up."Graham said her skiing background comes in handy while riding."As far as mental imagery, studying the course, the flow of turning,

acceleration, when to slow down," she said. "It's kind of like race-car driving — you don't go straight into a corner, you take an angle. There's quite a parallel and you get that adrenaline. You put it all together for one round and it's that same feeling. It's quite intense."

--MIKE KOREEN, TORONTO SUN

LAURIE GRAHAM


When the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame named Brooke Henderson the winner of the Syl Apps

award in April, she was just starting to make her mark in professional golf.

Fast forward to the September induction ceremony coming up at the Westin Harbour Castle and you can see that Henderson certainly validated the selection — and more.

About to be named the Ontario athlete of the year for 2014, the 17-year-old from Smiths Falls has done even more in 2015 — bursting onto the pro golf scene with four top-five LPGA Tour finishes, including the first win for a Canadian since 2001 at the Cambia Portland Classic in August.

"It's still a little bit surreal right now," Henderson said after her win in Portland, which convinced LPGA commissioner Michael Whan to waive the age rule (players normally have to be 18 or older to play) and let her become a member of the tour.

"But the last couple of days have been an amazing ride and an amazing journey and I'm glad I was able to finish it off on Sunday. I've been close a couple times earlier in the year and to finally get the win and my membership is unbelievable."

The journey to this stage really started to take shape in her award-winning 2014 season. As an amateur, Henderson finished in a tie for 10th at the U.S. Women's Open — a sign she had the game to compete with the world's best as a teenager.

After a runner-up finish at the U.S. women's amateur championship, Henderson rose to No. 1 in the world amateur rankings on her 17th birthday last September.

With all but everything accomplished as an amateur, Henderson had a big decision to make last winter — Head to the University of Florida on a full scholarship or make the leap to the pro ranks, despite not having any status.

She opted for the latter option, signing with IMG as her management agency and getting the backing of Ping as one of her sponsors. She also remained part of Golf Canada's young pro team.

"It's definitely a huge decision (and) we didn't take it lightly," Henderson said. "I know we made the right decision."

Within a few months, so did the rest of the golf community. Despite having to bounce between tours to find a place to play and having to try to secure LPGA spots through Monday qualifiers or sponsor's exemptions, Henderson simply kept producing strong results.

A third-place finish at the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic in San Francisco just days after she was named the Syl Apps winner opened plenty of eyes — and was followed by more sponsor's exemptions coming Henderson's way.

She took advantage of that at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship — a major — as she tied for fifth and then did the same thing less than a month later at the U.S. Women's Open.

Days before the Canadian Pacific Women's Open in Vancouver last month, Henderson received her LPGA membership and became the clear star of the tournament.

"I've received quite a bit of attention in my amateur days and then earlier this year playing well," she said. "But after a win (in Portland) and coming back to Canada, I have received a lot of attention that made my schedule extremely busy.

"But it's a great problem to have, as I've been saying to a lot of people. I learned a lot about myself and how I can handle it, and I think it will be good for the next time."

Thanks to her play, there will be plenty of next times in the near future.

BROOKE HENDERSON

1 7 O N T A R I O S P O R T S H A L L O F F A M E | 2 0 1 51 7 O N T A R I O S P O R T S H A L L O F F A M E | 2 0 1 5

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BROOKE HENDERSON2015 Ontario SportsHall of FameAthlete of the Year

The LPGA membership for Henderson extends right through the 2016 season, meaning she won't have to worry about start dates next year.

And with a good chunk of LPGA events already under her belt, she should just get more comfortable on the big stage each time out.

"I'm really excited to be a tour pro because now I have somewhere to play and I know I'm playing next week, which is really exciting," Henderson said. "I've had a little bit more of a crowd — almost everywhere I've gone, I've had some people that were supporting me. I think the more and more I play on tour and the more better finishes I have — I have people saying 'Let's go follow Brooke Henderson's group.' That's really amazing and hopefully it continues to grow and get bigger."

After a strong final round to tie for 23rd in Vancouver, Henderson carried over that play to Alabama the next week, where she tied for 13th.

No one wins every week in golf — the key is maintaining consistent play, and Henderson has done just that.

--MIKE KOREEN, TORONTO SUN

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When Zeke O’Connor’s soft hands cradled the touchdown pass in 1952 that sent Toronto into delirium at a Grey Cup championship, it all

could’ve ended happily right there.Instead it would propel the son of a Bronx cop on an adventure of a

lifetime. He would spend just two years with the Argonauts but he has been part of a landscape that stretches from the shores of Lake Ontario to the peaks of Mt. Everest, ever since getting his fingertips on that pass from Nobbie Wirkowski.

“Football opened a pathway to a life I could never have imagined,” says O’Connor, who on this day is taking a bus from his Etobicoke seniors’ residence to the Toronto offices of the Sir Edmund Hillary Foundation, which he founded in 1974. “The seniors’ home is a nice place and the food is great but,” he jokes, “it’s a bit like the army. Regimented.”

O’Connor is like that. Gregarious. Generous of spirit and time. A father of three; a father-figure to thousands, from Nepal to Canada’s Special Olympians.

“My daughter, Karen, took over as President. But I’m still executive director and work seven days a week and go in a couple times a week to keep my nose in,” he says of the Hillary Foundation.

That foundation has changed - even saved - the lives of countless people and it has earned O’Connor the Sandy Hawley Community Service Award, presented by the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame annually to an individual who exemplifies dedication to the community.

“I’ll be 90 next May so I’m very pleased and honored to get this award. It’s a nice thing to have happen at this point in my life.”

Raised during the Great Depression, O’Connor picked through 50 football scholarships to go to Notre Dame, starring as a tight end. After three years with the Buffalo Bills, Cleveland and New York Yanks, football brought him to Canada, the Argonauts, a job at Sears, and a fated meeting with Sir Edmund - the first man to scale Mt. Everest.

“I never dreamed ... I absolutely could never have imagined this is where my life would lead. I’ve been so fortunate to meet the people I’ve met and to have been to the places I’ve gone. The first part of my luck was getting that scholarship. That took me to football, which took me to the Argos and Sears.

“The best decision I ever made was to stay. I love Toronto and I love Ontario.”

The Argonauts would not win another Grey Cup

ZEKE O'CONNER

until 1983 but O’Connor kept climbing mountains. He became a football radio broadcaster with CBC from 1956 to 1981. “I was there so long it makes some people think instead of that one catch, that I was an Argonaut for 20 years,” he says, laughter playing on his voice.

He worked from his low-level job at Sears to manager of sporting goods. Hillary happened to be a store advisor on outdoor sporting goods. “The store sent me on a camping trip with Sir Edmund to test equipment in Quebec and when you’re on a canoe trip, and sitting around at night, we talked a lot. We just hit it off. Some time later he invited me to the Himalayas. I didn’t want to go. But Sears made me go.”

That trip would change O’Connor’s live. It would change the lives of people a world away.

“I hated that first trip. I was sick almost the whole time because I couldn’t get used to the altitude,” he says, “but I was impressed with what (Hillary) was doing.”

He was charmed by the friendliness of the people and the splendor of the mountain landscape. He was also appalled at what was not in evidence. No running water. No electricity. No medical care. He’s been back to Nepal 45 times since; in 1974-75 forming the Sir Edmund Hillary Foundation of Canada, which has raised about $5 million.

“I loved the natural beauty of the place. You go there three or four times and I got hooked. It just happened.”

The foundation has enabled the Nepalese to build 13 medical clinics and 17 schools, including the Zeke O’Connor High School in the village of Phaplu. The foundation funded construction of Kunde Hospital and started an adult women’s literacy program. It spearheaded a reforestation project, planting more than two million seedlings.

Involved in the Special Olympics in Canada, he introduced Nepal to the event.

“Zeke was a highly accomplished player at both the college and professional levels. His catch to win the 1952 Grey Cup was certainly heroic,” said Argonauts executive chairman & CEO, Chris Rudge, “but his life’s legacy as a philanthropist and great humanitarian are what set him apart. As a member of the Argonauts family and a great athlete, we are proud that he will also be recognized by the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame for his achievements within the community.”

His efforts, alongside those of Hillary, dramatically improved the lives of residents in the villages of Mt Everest, and the 20,000 trekkers who have challenged the mountain.

“Everything has happened so nicely in my life ... I’ve been a very lucky person,” says O’Connor.

“A lot of things have changed over the years,” he says, “we used to send Canadian doctors but in 2003 we got our first local Sherpa doctors educated in Nepal. But there are still many needs ... it’s still a rugged, remote place. Many people still don’t have running water or bathrooms.”

One thing that hasn’t changed is O’Connor’s dedication to make his community, and the world community, a better place.

--BILL LANKHOF, TORONTO SUN

Photo courtesy Argonauts.ca


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Punch Imlach often touched Tim Horton’s No. 7 stick for luck before the Maple Leaf games.

Good fortune usually followed for the general manager/coach and the team that would be an NHL force through much of the 1960s. But ‘Superman’ Horton heeded no superstition himself to play effectively against the star forwards of the National Hockey League for 20 years.

Horton possessed great strength and outstanding skating ability, both which took him from Northern Ontario to the bright lights of the Gardens, four Stanley Cups and a Hall of Fame career.

“By the time he got to the NHL, he could have skated 40 minutes a night if he wanted,” said teammate Dick Duff.

Miles Gilbert Horton (named after each of his grandfathers) worked hard on his craft, amid the frozen ponds in his birthplace at Cochrane and around Sudbury. He played in his early teens for the Copper Cliff Redmen, where he was spotted by scouts from St. Michael’s College, one of the great feeder clubs of the Leafs. It enabled him to escape a hard life in mining country, the same as many Leafs of the day.

Though he would not be known as a scorer in the six-team NHL with its great goalies, Horton had the green light with the offensively challenged St. Mike’s Majors and quickly showed that other side of his game. Jacques Plante called his slap shot one of the best he’d ever faced.

Horton was called up for a look on March 26, 1950 getting his name on the game sheet with a penalty. When an opening presented itself with the Leafs a couple of years later -- in part because another prominent defenceman from the North, Bill Barilko, had disappeared on a fishing trip -- Horton became a regular. One-on-one, it was near impossible to skate past him, or run him down.

“Horton’s the toughest bodychecker I’ve ever come up against,” declared John Ferguson, the towering forward of the Montreal Canadiens. “He’s as strong as an ox and hits with tremendous force.”

Opponents were also keen to avoid The Horton Hug, which he used as an alternative to fighting. Before an aggressor could drop his gloves or someone could jump him in a scrum, Horton would get behind the guy, wrap his big arms and squeeze, completely immobilizing him.

“There were defencemen you had to fear because they were vicious and would slam you into the boards from behind,” said Bobby Hull. “Eddie Shore for one. But you respected Tim because he didn’t need that type of intimidation. He used his tremendous strength and talent to keep you in check.”

“He was born with muscles,” added teammate George Armstrong. “We went to high school together in Sudbury and he never lifted weights or anything. It was hereditary.”

Horton formed an effective pairing with Allan Stanley after Imlach’s arrival in 1958. Stanley was the stay-at-home part of the equation, allowing Horton to be a bit more adventurous up ice. With Bob Baun and Carl Brewer forming another reliable duo, the Leafs built their early ‘60s dynasty with a solid blueline.

In 1964, as Toronto wrapped up its third straight championship, Horton was named first team all-star on defence, leading the NHL with seven game-winning goals. He was also on the first team in ‘68 and ‘69, with Borje Salming the only Leaf to duplicate that since. He also earned three second-team selections.

The Leafs wore a path through downtown Toronto with their Cup parades and though Horton was nearing 40 in 1967, he was a key member of Imlach’s over-the-hill gang. They surprised first-place Chicago and then the Canadiens to win what would be the franchise’s last title in the past half-century.

In February of 1968, his club record streak of 486 consecutive appearances was set. It was his last hurrah before he was involved in the first trade the Leafs made in the 1970s, going to the Rangers for Plante, Guy Trottier and Denis Dupere. He spent two seasons with New York and another with Pittsburgh, before Imlach, now running the expansion Buffalo Sabres,

TIM HORTON

brought him in.One of the reasons Horton

was eager to keep playing was that improved NHL salaries helped him finance his growing chain of donut stores. Horton, who had mixed success with other off-ice business ventures, opened his first outlet in Hamilton in May of 1964.

“Have a coffee, read the paper, shoot the breeze, maybe talk hockey,” said Duff in summarizing what would make the chain so successful. “That was the pattern in the small towns where a lot of us came from. Many cities had a Kresge’s, Woolworth’s or an Eaton’s that had little coffee shops or lunch counters. All the people were in those places. Tim said: ‘Let’s try one and see.'"

Horton became partners with former policeman Ron Joyce, in what would become a $2 billion world-wide enterprise. In 2014, it was estimated more than 4,000 Tim’s outlets controlled three quarters of Canada’s baked goods output.

Tragically, Horton would not live to see the empire.One of the contract clauses Imlach reluctantly agreed to was giving Horton

a fancy sports car for quick trips between Buffalo and the Toronto area. After a game against the Leafs on Feb. 20, 1974, when the 44-year-old had been named a game star, Horton elected to drive home and was killed in a high-speed crash near St. Catharines.

His 1,446 games on defence would stand as a league record until 1995.“I’m proud as hell to say I played with him,” said Duff. “He was a great player,

a lot of fun and made sure that young players or single guys were never alone, always inviting them to his house. And he did a lot for kids with the foundation he started through the stores.

“For a guy like that to die, at any age, is just not right.”--LANCE HORNBY, TORONTO SUN

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TIM HORTONand his induction into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame



It was Hockey Night in Parry Sound, a tilt that would feature two kids who would eventually

both be honoured in the Hockey Hall of Fame.The Parry Sound Shamrocks versus the Huntsville

Doctors.Robert Gordon Orr versus Roy MacGregor.We’re not going to give you the year. Let's just say it

was in an era in which the Maple Leafs were still winning Stanley Cups.

Decades later, Roy MacGregor chuckles at the memory of facing off against Bobby Orr. Sure, they both ended up in The Hall but they certainly took different routes - Orr with his stick and skates, MacGregor with his pen and keyboard.

All these years later, MacGregor still gets a kick out of the fact that he once faced off against arguably the best defenceman - if not player - in hockey history.

“Who knew?” McGregor says with a laugh. “What a delight. What a wonderful thing to dine out on. I can tell people I played against Bobby Orr for six years ... as long as I don’t tell them it was between ages 8 and 14.”

Competing against Orr was one thing. Trying to defeat Robert Gordon’s Parry Sound squad, well, that was a different story.

“We couldn’t beat them,” MacGregor recalls. “Orr could forehand hoist a puck from his own blueline over the head of our goaltender and into the net. It was hopeless.”

“To now both be recognized in the Hockey Hall of Fame, it’s wonderful ... except that, at that age, my hope would have been to go in as a player. I didn’t know there were such things as a sportswriter.”

It’s a good thing for all of us that Roy MacGregor did discover and embrace sportswriting.

While Orr was one of the sport’s all-time great masterpieces on blades, MacGregor used his words to paint works of art for hockey-loving readers. And his penchant for doing it with a style and grace that is uniquely his own has resulted in a cache of awards, including his prestigious induction into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame as the winner of the Brian Williams award.

“It makes you humble,” MacGregor says, referring to his entrance into the OSHOF. “All of us are insecure in journalism. And that it’s the Brian

Williams award is especially significant. Brian has become a good friend over the years.

“When I was informed of this honour, I thought to myself: “Wow. Wow. Why would I be in the same (Hall) with the likes of Brian Williams. And Tom Cheek. People like that.

“I was either damn lucky or I must have been better than I thought I was.”It’s the latter, Roy. Trust us.MacGregor’s writing awards are too plentiful to list them all. Among

the most prestigious: four National Magazine Awards and eight National Newspaper Award nominations. A columnist with the Globe & Mail since 2002, he is an Officer of the Order of Canada, and was described in the citation as one of Canada’s “most gifted storytellers.”

While his numerous hockey books include the highly acclaimed “Home Team: Fathers, Sons and Hockey,” perhaps his most popular work about the sport comes in the form of his series of Screech Owl books, 26 juvenile fiction novels which some current NHLers admit they had read while growing up.

“I remember being at the world juniors one year and seeing Taylor Hall sitting there,” MacGregor recalls. “I introduced myself and he said, "I know who

you are, I read your books.”He wasn’t the only one.Asked what has given him the most satisfaction throughout

his hockey journalism career, MacGregor is quick with an answer.“I think it’s been the concussion debate,” MacGregor says. “And

that’s been awkward for me, too. I believe in a tough physical game. “I’ve had concussions. It’s been a tough uphill battle because

you’ll get the lines like “you’re a wuss,” and “it’s a man’s game.” To that, I would say “yeah, it’s a man’s game.” So let’s man up and

acknowledge the reality of it. We’ve got to make this tough wonderful game safer so that players can play for the rest

of their lives without retiring and having to worry about getting dementia, depression, things like

that. “We have to find a way to play this great game

without hits to the head - accidental or otherwise.”Spoken like a true Hall of Famer.Congratulations Roy. You deserve this honour - even if you

couldn’t beat Bobby Orr’s Parry Sound team.“Yeah, he pretends he knows me,” MacGregor laughed. “And I

certainly know him.”--MIKE ZEISBERGER, TORONTO SUN

ROY MACGREGOR


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We celebrate.The Ontario Sports Hall of Fame and this year’s class of inductees and award winners.

ROBERTO ALOMAR LAURIE GRAHAM GARNEY HENLEY SHARIF KHAN BILL SYMONS SHAWN O’SULLIVANJOE CARTER BROOKE HENDERSON TIM HORTON ROY MACGREGOR ZEKE O’CONNOR

20 Years of Celebrating Ontario’s Best.

114 ATHLETES - 6 JOURNALISTS - 6 TEAMS - 2 HORSES

2015 induction ceremony & awards gala magazine

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