Lacrosse Legends

There are a number of families that are synonymous with the game of lacrosse. The Thomas family is one of them. Join Steve and Ron Thomas as they tell stories of their lacrosse careers at the local to international levels as both amateurs and professionals.Steve ‘s playing career went from 1960 -1984. He played for Akwesasne/St. Regis through Bantam,Midget, Junior and Senior. During this time he helped to organize the St. Regis Lacrosse Program. He was offered a full scholarship to Syracuse University in 1967. Steve played on championship teams with the St. Regis Jr. Braves in 1969, 70 and 71 and was a Canadian Jr. B finalist in 1971.He was known as a “hardroc k” defenseman playing for Ross Powless in 1971 and 1972 on the Rochester Iroquois in the Can-Am Pro League.In 1974 he was drafted by Montreal in the National Lacrosse League.Steve continued to play on many Championship teams in the Quebec Sr. League for the Akwesasne Warriors.He was presented with the John Ferguson Best Defenseman Trophy 3 times.After his playing days were over he continued to contribute to the game as a coach, certified referee,Indigenous Director for the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of fame and Co-founder of the Akwesasne LacrosseHall of Fame in 1998.Ron Thomas lists renowned ancestors as those who helped mold his game. His father was Angus Thomas and grandfather was Thomas P. Thomas – both Hall of Famers.Ron played for the St. Regis Indians Lacrosse Club and the Valleyfield Braves in the 60's.He excelled at defense and played with Frank Benedict, Abe Thomas, and Larry Martin. He was employed as an ironworker and spent a great deal oftime and energy driving from jobs in the USA to make games on the weekends. There are currently 17 Thomas family members in the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame.

Walter “Butch” Goodleaf received his first lacrosse stick at age 7 from his Grandmother. This humble start lead to his well-deserved induction into the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame. He would display unique leadership skills as a Player, Coach and Builder in the Kahnawake community along the way. “Butch” is known for being a team player and possessing great defensive skills, with the ability of creating offense for his Minor and Senior teams. He played on teams that won Quebec Provincial Championships and participated in President Cups and the Commonwealth Games. Goodleaf collected team and league awards that include MVP and All Star team selections. He was well respected by his teammates and was selected Captain many times. He is representative of a by-gone era of Mohawk players that earned their living as steel workers on the eastern seaboard of the USA. Goodleaf is proud of working on the original World Trade Center in New York City and traveling back to Quebec and Ontario overnight on the weekends to play lacrosse. One of his greatest personal off-floor achievements was serving as the sub-chief on the Council responsible for building the Kahnawake Sports Complex and Arena which will be the home of local lacrosse teams for many years to come. Walter Goodleaf's story is one you want to hear- a tale from a time where love of the game was the main reward for playing.

Joe Curotte is known as one of the toughest defensemen to come out of Kahnawake. His playing career stretched from 1965 through 1980 for both the Junior and Senior Caughnawaga Indians teams.He played against the best including Gaylord Powless, Johnny Davis, Bruce Roundpoint, Frank Benedict and Mike Benedict. As a Junior he received the Best Defenceman Award in 1966 and 1968 and a similar award as a Senior player in 1976.He was a Junior All Star in 1967 and 1969. Joe was a member of the Junior team that won the Provincial Championship in 1966. He also won Silver with the Seniors in 1969.A crowning achievement was capturing the Thorpe Longboat Trophy at the North American Lacrosse Championship in Vancouver in 1969.This accomplishment and his career in general led to his induction into the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2018.

Dennis Joseph descends from a long line of lacrosse players. His father, Willard Joseph, played box and field lacrosse for the famed North Shore Indians teams. Dennis Joseph's grandfather , Andrew Paull was inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame.Paull was the founder/coach/manager of the North Shore Indians and the Squamish box and field teams. Paull was able to build capacity crowds of over 10,000 fans in the historic Denman Arena in the 1920's and 30's.Outside of lacrosse Paull was the well known activist and lawyer who battled for First Nation rights and advancement. Dennis Joseph followed these footsteps with class and dedication.His minor years were with the North Shore Indians. He has played box and field lacrosse for over 54 years. He has almost exclusively played goalie and continued to star in Masters and Grand Master divisions years after others had retired.A most memorable moment in a colourful career was playing against Gaylord Powless and his father Ross Powless who coached when Joseph was 15 years old .These days he coaches goaltending and serves as an elder at the Senior Level with three different organizations. Join us in hearing the unique story about Dennis Johnson and West Coast lacrosse.

Barry Powless has made his mark in lacrosse on both sides of the border as a player, coach and manager in both the box and field versions of the game. While at Lafayette H.S. near Syracuse he was named a USLA High School All American. He went on to play attack at Syracuse University. After Syracuse he played in the 1980 World Lacrosse Championship and won the Silver Medal as part of the Can-Am Warriors squad in Vancouver. After getting a taste of West Coast life he would play for the next decade in the Vanocuver area. In 1981 he would play and star for both the North Shoe Indians and the New Westminster Salmonbellies who would win the Mann Cup. In 1984 he captured a Presidents Cup with the North Shore Indians. He would join the Vancouver Burrards and the Coquitlam Adanacs during that time.He even made his mark in Field Lacrosse playing for the Vancouver Field Lacrosse Club and won a Provincial Championship and made the All-Star Team. In 1990 he would head back east and he helped propel the Fergus Thistles to a Presidents Cup Championship. That same year Powless played for the inaugural Iroquois National team in the World Championships in Perth, Australia. In 1992 he was picked up by the Buffalo Bandits and would win an MILL Championship. Powless would play at the Senior B level until his retirement at the advanced age of 50 years! This lengthy career brought him many honours including induction into the Ontario Lacross Hall of Fame in 1999, US Lacrosse Upstate New York Chapter Hall of Fame in 2015, the Akwesasne Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2018, and the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2021 as a member of the Salmonbellies Organization . His coaching and managing endeavours included Head Coach of the MLL Rochester Knighthawks from 1995-1997, VP of Lacrosse Operations for the NLL from 2000-2002 and Assistant Coach for the Iroquois 2003 World Indoor Finalists. Barry Powless Jr. Has done just about everything a lacrosse person can do!

As our interview team conducted dozens of interviews across Canada over the last 4 years onename kept popping up – Jim Bishop. Bishop is one of the most well-known names in the game.He is deceased, but his influence and work lives on. We have put together a number of formerplayers and coaches who knew him to discuss the lacrosse life of one of Canada's mostimportant contributors to the game.He was involved with lacrosse for 58 years, making his mark as coach and builder of the game in Ontario and throughout Canada.Jim began coaching minor lacrosse in Toronto in 1946 and in 1957 he founded the HuntsvilleMinor Lacrosse Association. One of his greatest accomplishments was building the OshawaJunior A Green Gaels - the legendary lacrosse organization that competed in and won 7consecutive Minto Cups.This record of 7 consecutive titles from 1963 to 1969 has not beenequalled since and likely won't be matched.Bishop was involved in establishing the initial National Lacrosse League in 1968 and coached theDetroit Olympics. In 1969, Jim also went to work in Pro Hockey with the NHL's Detroit RedWings. He served as a vice-president of the team for 4 years. In 1974, Jim was instrumental inestablishing the NLL again for a 2 year period. During that time, he was the Coach and GeneralManager for the Toronto Tomahawks and then the coach of the Montreal Quebecois.He became the first Technical Director of the Canadian Lacrosse Association in 1978. In 1997 hewon his 8 th Minto Cup as a coach.Bishop is a winner of the Lester B. Pearson Award from the Canadian Lacrosse Association forexcellence in lacrosse. In 1969 he was inducted into both the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame andthe Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame.He did countless clinics for both players and coaches across the country. He wanted to teachCanadians the proper way to play the game he loved. He also established a company todistribute lacrosse equipment across Canada which assisted in the development of the sport.Bishop's greatness was his vision for the whole sport.He built systems into the game that were ahead of their time and made his players work hard to be skilled enough to execute these systems. He freely shared his knowledge and approach to the game and was instrumental in helping to expand the game to all provinces in the country.His story is one everyone in the lacrosse community, young or old, should learn.

After leading the B.C. Junior A Lacrosse League in scoring in 1954, Bob Parry went on to anoutstanding Senior A career with the Vancouver Burrards, winning the Inter-City LacrosseLeague outstanding Rookie award in 1955 and becoming an integral part of three VancouverMann Cup winners.It was after his playing days when he really excelled. As Burrard General Manager for 1970 - O76he was largely responsible for moulding the team that was a success both on the floor, going toMann Cup in 1971, 1975 and 1977, and at the gate.In the late 1980's Bob was again there tohelp resurrect them. He brought the team back to the top with a Mann Cup appearance in 1990.He has been a tireless behind-the-scenes worker with the Burrards.

Gary Bottomley was introduced to the game in 1968 and began to play in 1969.He has continued to play, coach, coordinate leagues and run skill development programs for Tyke to Senior players over the past fifty years. Bottomley retired from playing in 1996 at the age of 43.He played in 13 Canadian Championships and in some years he was a player-coach. In addition,Bottomley was the coach of the 1999 Nova Scotia Field lacrosse team that played in the Canadian Championship that were held in Halifax of that year. Other highlights include being a member of the 1973 Nova Scotia Canada Games Lacrosse Team that received the Silver Medal.In 1975 he was drafted to the Quebec Caribou's of the National Lacrosse League Later that summer he played in in the Canadian Senior B championship and won a Silver Medal.In 1977 he was selected to coach the Nova Scotia Canada Summer Games Junior Lacrosse Team. In 1978 he was asked to play with the Crossbow Inn Capitals in Edmonton.They won the the Alberta championship and went to the Canadian championships n B.C. He won Outstanding Player Awards in two of the games.He was also selected as a First Team All Star. While playing andcoaching in Nova Scotia, Bottomley was a member of teams that won various league and provincial championships at both the junior and senior levels.Catch this interview with one of the East Coast's premier lacrosse people.

Our interview with Jojie Engemann is unique in that he is a son talking about his parents and their legendary contributions to the game.And Jojie was a fine player in his own right. Rose and Joe Engemann were inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame as Builders – for their tireless efforts in the creation and operation of the Spartan Athletic Club.It all began for their family when the Engemanns registered Jojie to play minor lacrosse in St. Catharines.That is how an amazing story of building a sports community was initiated. The Spartan program began in 1963. During its peak in the 1970's and 80's as many as 2,000 boys and girls were playing in five different sports including lacrosse. The most notable achievement, besides the joy of sports provided to thousands of youth, was the success of the 1981 and 1996 St. Catharines Spartans in winning Founders Cups.Jojie Engemann tells the inside story of the dedication and sacrifice his parents made to create a laudable lacrosse organization.

Monty Slingerland learned his lacrosse on the dirt floor of an outdoor rink within view of the Niagara Escarpment and Wine Country.He loved being involved in all facets of the game, adding coaching to his resume almost as soon as he began playing. He embraced Management as well with the Niagara Warriors Junior B Team and becoming a co-owner at a fairly young age. 1973 was a dream year for Monty and his Warriors.The team won the Ontario Summer Games, the Canadian Summer Games, the Founders Cup, and ended the summer beating an excellent Whitby squad for the Ontario Championship. He kept playing up to 1980 through participation in the Port Dalhousie Men's League. Slingerman's final coaching stint was in 1988-1989 in the Niagara-On The-Lake Minor Lacrosse Association.

Wayne Shuttleworth is known as a fine scorer and a rugged competitor. He was a member of four Mann Cup Championship teams for three different clubs.He had been a late starter to lacrosse, coming from a soccer background. The delayed start didn't seem to matter.He was selected to the Intercity League All Star Team on three separate occasions. In 1971 he won the League Scoring Title with 61 goals and 82 assists.His career led him to a Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame induction in1992. He also was a member of the 1968 Salmonbellies World Lacrosse Championship Team that was inducted into the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.

The Maritimes is an area for growth for lacrosse in Canada. There are some important individuals thatbrought it forward.Wayne Finck can easily be referred to as the “Father of Maritime Lacrosse”.We had hoped Wayne could tell his own story but he tragically entered into a struggle with life-ending cancer before his interview could take place.We are proud to bring Wayne Finck's story to you through the words of his daughter Julie and others who knew him well.Wayne was involved as a player, a coach, a builder, administrator, a referee – pretty well any role you can think of.Wayne is regarded as the person who saved the sport in Nova Scotia in the 1990's. He was eventually inducted into the Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame as recognition for his many efforts.This is one of just a few interviews we have undertaken regarding a Legends of Lacrosse who has passed and we do so as a tribute to Wayne Finck's legacy in the game.

Troyhann Santos is a trailblazer.She was made a Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame inductee this past fall.It was just one of a number of inductions for her which include the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame and the Whitby Lacrosse Hall of Fame.As a player, Troyhann was a natural leader, having been named Co-Captain of Team Canada twice.She also was Captain of her NCAA team at James Madison University.She played on many Team Ontario squads over the years.She took this knowledge and mindset into coaching znd served as Head Coach of a number of Team Ontario Girls Box squads.Add volunteering in roles which improved the technical aspects of the game, and the proprietorship of the Lax Shack and you have a full life in lacrosse.Join us as we hear Troyhann Santos' story.

It is one thing to launch a program.Eventually that energy dissipates and some important work begins in order to keep the program going. Cheryl MacNeill really stepped up after the great beginning provided by those associated with Team Canada '82.You need players, coaches, managers, builders and officials to grow the game and in one way or another MacNeill contributed at all those levels.As a player she rose to Canadian National Team Level for both the 1989 and 1993 World Cups. She has coached in Canada and the USA in secondary schools, universities, rep teams, provincial teams and national teams.She has been a clinician, an assessor, and an Umpire at the highest levels of theInternational game and has been a key contributor or Chair for a number of international events andWorld Championships held on Canadian soil.You want to hear MacNeill's story – a tale filled with effort and excellence.

Women's field lacrosse in Canada had very humble beginnings. There were two small programs operating out of British Columbia and Ontario. The women who played in these programs were mainly versed in box lacrosse.One day, a huge opportunity presented itself. Brine had stepped up to sponsor the first Women's World Lacrosse Championship. The Canadian women wanted to be part of this historic event – The IFWLA Brine Women's Lacrosse World Cup. Members of that storied team were brought together to tell their story in celebration of Women's History Month. The interview is an exclusive two-part presentation that will take the viewer through the incredible story of committing to England, forming the team and being labelled the team most likely to finish last in the tournament. Part 1 provides all the background leading up to tournament play in Nottingham, England.Part 2 will pick up as the official games begin and it will air the following Wednesday. The whole story is compelling and “must” viewing for all those who have interest in Canada's lacrosse history.

Jim Price can quite possibly claim the title of “Father of Canadian Field Lacrosse Officiating”. Hewould not think of himself in that way but the hundreds of officials he developed in Canada andaround the world would feel the title was justified. He started out with the game through hisson playing Tyke Level Box Lacrosse around Canada's Centennial in 1967. He would coach andeventually referee box lacrosse.He received his calling to officiating Men's Field Lacrosse when Canada won its first World FiledLacrosse Championship in 1978 and the need for officiating in the burgeoning field game wasurgent. He would become a Master Clinician in Canada and after traveling to Baltimore for the1982 World Field Lacrosse Championships he began to get very involved at the internationallevel. He became an Assesor in 1986 when Canada hosted the World Championship in Torontoin 1986.He was known for training officials across Canada, often on his own dime, staying in the campingtrailer that he would pull behind his car. He would start the Ontario Field Lacrosse OfficialsAssociation and directed its merger with the established Ontario Lacrosse Referees Association.Price would serve as a leader on many committees at the Provincial, National and InternationalLevels. This brought him the prestigious Lester B. Pearson Award which is presented to the greatcontributors to our game.Price would end up seeing the world and officiated in 25 countries – an amazing adventure andcontribution to the game. He also officiated Intercrosse around the globe .In Canada he wouldreferee Club, High School and University games. His colleagues affectionately refer to him as the“Pope of Lacrosse” as he bears a remarkable resemblance to one of the past leaders of theChurch. You want to know Jim Price's story as it is truly remarkable.

Craig Moore is a Maritimer who has given and received a great deal from his involvement with lacrosse.He started out participaing in the Sackville Minor Lacrosse Association and played on the All New Brunswick Team that participated in the annual Lobster Trap Tournament. When he advanced to the Junior ranks he played for Sackville, Ottawa and Alberta teams as well as in the Canada Games.He may be the only Canadian to play for Team USA in the 1980 World Box Lacrosse Championships. Moore went on to coach at Springfield College in the USA and the team went on to become ECAC Champions.He eventually returned to Canada and coached boys and girls in box and field lacrosse, both Club and H.S., from 2000 to 2021. He served at the Board level with Lacrosse Nova Scotia and has been a member of the Canadian Lacrosse Foundation Board since 2012.Craig Moore can easily be included in the short list of those who have built Maritime Lacrosse.

Aitchison or “Aichy” was born and raised in New Westminster, B.C., but he never played as a Salmonbellie.His career was as unique as his personality and he came to the game later than most as a high school field lacrosse player at age 16. A friend got him involved with the Junior Coquitlam J-Hawks. Aitchison felt so embarrassed by his inferior stick skills that he quit after 8 games.The coaches talked him into coming back and he progressed the rest of the year. In 1970 he was picked up by Burnaby to play in the Minto Cup – a real eye-opener for the newcomer to box lacrosse. He had a fine career with the Senior Coquitlam Adanacs from 1971-82.He was selected as the Rookie of the Year his first year and was awarded the Ed Bailey Trophy. On 4 occasions he made the WLA All Star Team. “Aichy” played in the 1980 World Box Lacrosse Championships and won gold as a member of Coquitlam's squad. “Aichy” represented Canada in field Lacrosse in 1974, 1982 and 1986.He was coming off a serious knee injury in 1986 but amazingly was selected to the World All Star Team as a long-pole defenseman - one of the 10 international players selected to the All Star Team – an incredible honour!

Brian “Butch” Keegan had a lacrosse career that many would dream about. He had great success as a player and a coach.Keegan was one of the top scorers in both Junior and Senior Lacrosse, played on a Mann Cup team, a Professional League Nations Cup team and also coached four Presidents Cup champions.As a player he was awarded the Most Gentlemanly Player Award at both the Junior and Senior levels. Butch played for Canada in the first World Field Lacrosse Championship in 1967.He was one of the fortunate players to experience life as a pro in 1966 and then later in 1974 and 1975. His coaching prowess was recognized in 1989 when he was selected as OLA Senior Coach of the Year.All these accolades brought him induction into the inaugural class of the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1997, and then entry into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2000. Butch would put back into the game as a member of both the OLHof and CLHoF Eastern Seletion Committee for many years.

Bill Lefeuvre was inducted nto the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2002. His induction was fitting as he was a member of the core group that built the institution having raised much of the funding for the project.Lefeuvre also has stories on many of the major acquisitions on display there. There's the 12 foot First Nations carving that greets visitors to the Hall, and the venerable Globe Shield as memorable examples. He's been involved in the in the game in many ways. He was Coach and General Manager of the Founders Cup Champion Spartan Warriors in 1996. He also served as General Manager of the Major Series St. Catharines Athletics.His travels took him to Cape Breton and China where he has been involved in building the game. He even put his talents towards equipment manufacturing. Bill Lefeuvre's impact on the game has been diverse and is of interest to all fans of the game.

A.J. Jomha is one of the great lacrosse people to come out of Alberta.He has excelled as a player, coach and builder of the game at all levels – local to national.Jomha started his time with the game in Edmonton's minor program. As a player he was on the 1979 Alberta team that hosted the Minto Cup. Many players of that team would go on to win the first ever Founders Cup by Alberta in 1980. He went on to coach the 1985 Alberta entry into the Canada Games. He would later coach at the Junior B, Junior A and Senior B levels, winning a number of national championships along the way.He made his mark at the pro level serving as a scout for the Toronto Rock and Assistant Coach for the Edmonton Rush. He would advance to the position of Director of Lacrosse Operations for the Rush. At the Lacrosse Canada Board level he has served as Box Sector Chair and Director of National Championships as well. Jomha also played a strong role in the development of the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League featuring teams from Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta.

Ron Pinder grew up in Richmond, B.C.His first national championship came in the form of a Minto Cup ring playing for the legendary Richmond Roadrunners team in 1971.He would go on to win two Mann Cups for the Vancouver Burrards in 1975 and 1977. He finished his career with close to a 3 points per game scoring average.Pinder really made his mark in the Mann Cup. His dad, Roy Pinder, had won the Mann Cupp in 1949. Ron would “see him and raise him one” starting in 1975 when he was awarded the Mike Kelly award that year as the MVP of the Series.1975 was a great year for Ron Pinder. Jim Bishop called on him in the NLL playoffs to join the professional Montreal Quebecois .Montreal was down 3 games to 1 in the semi-finals against the Boston Bolts and came back to take them 4-3. They would go 6 games against the Quebec Caribous who would go on to win the Championship in the final year of the pro league.

Mike Benedict Jr. Has had a lifelong involvement with the game starting with a great high school career from 1986-1989 at Salmon River High School in New York State. He went on to play Junior B for both Akwesasne and Gloucester through 1992. He became a full time Senior Player in 1993 for the Akwesasne Thunder and was picked up by the Onondaga Redmen to play in the Presidents Cup and was named a 1st Team All Star. In 1994 he played in Manchester, England with the Iroquois National Team. He scored 10 goals in one Senior box game in 1995. He won a Gold Medal with the Akwesasne Thunder that same year winning the Championship MVP Award with a 5 goal - 5 assist performance. His rookie season with the MILL was with the Rochester Knighthawks also in 1995. Benedict's MILL/NLL/MLL career included time with the Syracuse Smash, Buffalo Bandits, New York Saints, Columbus Landsharks, Rochester Rattlers and New Jersey Storm. Benedict has seen it all. Experiences include an appearance in an NLL PlayStation Video Game as an Olympic Torch Bearer for Akwesasne in 2010.

Barry Alfred was inducted into the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2013. Alfred is known for his leadership and was selected Team Captain many times in his career with Kahnawake. He is known for bringing out the best in his teammates and was named Top Player in Quebec after posting 150 points. He saved some of his best performances for the Presidents Cup where he gained numerous MVP Awards, Leading Scorer Awards and All Star Nominations. Alfred began coaching in 1996 as Head Coach for the Kahnawake Senior B Mohawks until 2009. They had 7 Presidents Cup appearances. He also led his Masters Kahnawake Chiefs Team to a National Canadian Championship title. Alfred feels fortunate to have played with “greats” including Brian Jacobs, Louis Delisle, Ernie Mitchell, Galla Thomas, Barry Powless, Mike Benedict Sr. and Gaylord Powless.

Greg Thomas was inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2006. He began his 27 year lacrosse career in Peterborough including four seasons on the P.C.O's Junior A team. They won a Minto Cup in 1972. In 1973 Thomas headed west to tend goal for the Coquitlam Seniors for 10 years and single seasons with both New Westminster and the Vancouver Burrards. He had a lifetime save percentage of 74.3 percent in 269 games. He also scored as a goalie – one goal and 330 career assists. In one league game he had a goal and 5 assists. This productivity led to three All Star Team selections in the Western Lacrosse Association. He backstopped Canada West in the 1980 World Box Lacrosse Tournament. Other personal awards include the Maitland Trophy in 1979 and the Leo Nicholson Memorial Trophy as the WLA MVP in 1981. When he was through playing he coached youth lacrosse for 8 seasons.

Bill C-212 Throughout history the fortunes of the game of lacrosse have ebbed and flowed. The game has enjoyed some great times and some bleak ones. Somehow the game fights back from the precipice during the tough times and establishes itself on better footing. Its survival is uncanny and magical.The game was in dire straits at the end of the 1980's. Internal mismanagement and the Federal design to cut off funding to non-Olympic amateur sports were threatening to deal lacrosse a fatal blow. What was needed to ensure survival was unclear. It seems when things are at their worst, a few intrepid souls whose passion for the game overrides their practical tendencies, seem to step up and fight the good fight. The idea of creating Bill C-212 would prove to be one of the most creative and difficult maneuvers the game had ever seen or needed to be successful. This story tells the tale of the six year struggle that ensued as lacrosse gained the status of Canada's National Summer Sport.

Pierre Filion established the Quebec provincial lacrosse governing body from the ground up. He was hired in 1975 as Technical Director of the Québec Lacrosse Federation. Filion drafted a constitution, by laws, incorporated the Federation, drafted an operations manual and established a democratic procedure.In 1975 he created the QSLL, a QJLL and in 1976 three QJLL (juvenile leagues). Filion organized 14 regional lacrosse associations and managed provincial minor championships and Québec Games. He organized provincial and regional lacrosse clinics for coaches. Filion created the Québec Team Program at the Canada Games.In 1977 the Québec Lacrosse Federation presented a request on behalf of the CANAM League to obtain membership within the CLA and thus access annually to the Presidents' Cup (the Senior B championship of Canada). Filion organized field and women's programs in Québec and Intercrosse in QC schools. He was also very involved in the international development of lacrosse.

Dave Evans has made his mark in lacrosse as both a Builder and a Player in both the Box and Field versions of the game, for both the Men's and the Women's versions. As a player he was made an all-star and won MVP awards in three seasons in the Junior "A" division, toiling for Burnaby Cablevision.When he was a Senior he collected top goalie awards in the WLA in 1973. He followed up this achievement with the top goalie award in 1975 in the NLL League. Evans was the WLA playoff MVP in 1973 and 1977. Evans was a four time Maitland Trophy winner in 1973, 1977, 1980 and 1981. He had three All-Star ratings and a Mann Cup ring in 1977. Evans also represented Canada at the 1974 World Field Lacrosse Championships. The Vancouver Burrards retired his jersey in 1996 and he was inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1995. As a coach he had three Canadian Senior Women Box Lacrosse titles and was Head Coach of the BC provincial women's field lacrosse rep team that captured seven Canadian titles.He was Assistant Coach of the 1982 World Field Lacrosse Champion Bronze Medalists Canadian National Women's Field lacrosse team, and became Head Coach of the fourth place finishing team in 1989.He was named 1987 WLA Coach of the Year for the Vancouver Burrards and was Head Coach of the MILL Philadelphia Wings winning two league titles and being named the 1992 Coach of the Year. He coached in the NLL in 2007 with the Washington/Vancouver Stealth. Dave also served the Burrards as general manager between 1983 and 1986, winning the WLA Executive of the Year Award in 1985. On a final note the BCLA named him Referee-of-the-Year in 1973.

Dave White is known as one of the great high school lacrosse coaches of all time. He ran the program at Salmon River Central School for 33 years. The school is located in Fort Covington, New York – near the Akwesasne Territory. White was presented the Gerald J. Carroll Jr. Exemplary Coaching Award for his efforts.White left Akwesasne to attend Mount Herman Prep School from 1966-1970 as a student-lacrosse player. His play and academic record lead to a scholarship to the Ivy League Brown University. He excelled in Lacrosse and played in the 1975 North-South Game where he scored the winning goal in overtime in the 25-24 thriller. He would be chosen as a member of the Can-Am Native team that played in the 1980 Nations Cup – the first world box lacrosse championship.

Tim Murdoch has been a long-time resident of Montreal, having his start in Princeton, New Jersey. He volunteered for 17 seasons as the head coach of McGill men's varsity lacrosse team from 2003 to 2019, finishing with a career record of 191-88-2 in 281 contests for an overall winning percentage of .684. He guided the program to nine CUFLA East pennants (2007, 2011-2017, 2019), four undefeated regular seasons (2013-2015, 2019) and two national championships, claiming the league's Baggataway Cup in 2012 and 2015. In 2018, Murdoch received the Honora Shaughnessy Ambassador Award, presented to a friend of McGill who has made an exceptional contribution to the University as a role model in fostering loyalty, professionalism and team spirit. Murdoch played a leadership role in establishing the Canadian Lacrosse Foundation McGill Indigenous Lacrosse Scholarship for student-athletes. In 2019, the “Tim Murdoch Fund” was established to memorialize Murdoch's coaching career at McGill.Murdoch has contributed much to the growth of the game in the city. He founded the Westmount Lynx youth field lacrosse program with the city of Westmount in 2006, served as head coach of the Quebec under-19 squad at the 2013 national championship for the First Nations Trophy, and sat on the advisory board of Canada's 150th Celebration of Lacrosse at McGill (June 2017). In 2007, he and his McGill assistants were voted CUFLA coaching staff of the year. Under Murdoch's guidance, the team has received the Harry Griffiths Trophy four times (2008, 2009, 2012, 2015) as the most outstanding sports club at McGill.

Carol Patterson is one of the most important women in building international lacrosse and helping to launch Canada's involvement with the women's field game. Her lacrosse resume includes a career filled with coaching, officiating and administration. She has coached lacrosse in Baltimore County, New York State, at SUNY Buffalo and Niagara University.As an administrator she served as a Director on the board of the Iroquois Nationals. She was active in the family business Tuskewe Krafts – a wooden lacrosse stick manufacturer - with her husband John Wesley Patterson. Their sticks were distributed worldwide and coveted by female lacrosse players. They set up a Canadian company as well called Canam Lacrosse Ltd. Carol Patterson ran the Niagara Girls Lacrosse Camp as well.Patterson wrote the US Lacrosse PE Curriculum for grades 4-12 in 2006 and was involved in CD Rom and Course development for the Canadian Lacrosse Association.Some of her accolades include induction into the Western New York Lacrosse Hall of Fame, earned the Canadian Lacrosse Association Certificate of Merit, and the International Federation of Women's Lacrosse Association Recognition Award. The OUA Women's Lacrosse Champions are awarded the Patterson Cup each year.

Dan Wilson was inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame in the Class of 2011. This Junior A lacrosse star played for the famed Burnaby Cablevision in the late 70's, winning two Minto Cups in 1976 and 1977. A perennial Junior A all-star, Wilson ended the 1977 campaign as league leading scorer with 196 points in just 28 games. Dan parlayed his talents in field lacrosse and was a member of the 1978 Team Canada squad.In nine Western Lacrosse Association seasons for the Adanacs, Bellies and Burrards, he was selected as an all-star on three occasions from 1979 to 1982. He took WLA Rookie of the Year honours in 1979 while amassing 121 points.Wilson led the Adanacs Nations in the '80 Nations Cup Box Lacrosse Championship team while being named tournament MVP. Wilson led the team with 12 goals and 18 assists in five games.In 205 WLA regular season and playoff games, Wilson scored 238 goals and 386 assists for 624 points. Wilson won one Mann Cup ring in 1985 with New Westminster.Dan Wilson was also a member of the Team Canada Field Lacrosse Team in 1978 - a team, that in one of the greatest comebacks ever in international lacrosse competition - won the 1978 World Championship with a 17-16 double overtime victory over a stunned U.S. team after losing to that team in round robin play by a score of 28 -4

Dave Arsenault was introduced to lacrosse at the 1969 Canada Summer Games held in Halifax when he was 14 years old. He would play for Dartmouth, Shearwater, and Sackville for a year of Junior. His legacy to the game is that of a builder and this started at age 17 when he was asked to coach and referee. He moved to New Brunswick and went to play for the local Saint John Junior team. They played teams from Sackville, Caraquet and Charlottetown. Eventually a Maritime Junior Lacrosse League formed.The legendary Bill McBain became head coach of the New Brunswick Junior team in 1976 and took them to the Founders Cup in Windsor, Ontario later that year. Another memorable moment occurred when the 1977 Canada Summer Games were held in Newfoundland. The New Brunswick team went to the Rock a few weeks before the Games to help Team Newfoundland prepare for the competition. Arsenault kept his playing career going when he played for the first New Brunswick Senior Team in 1978. That team travelled to the Presidents Cup later that year.That same year Arsenault and some fellow players started a Youth League in New Brunswick. The League was incorporated by 1981. Dave Arsenault would become Head Coach of the 1985 Summer Games Team. In 1988, work commitments took him away from the game. He was able to return to the game in 2001 and worked with Bruce Logan on development. Arsenault would become Head Coach of Team New Brunswick in 2003. He remained part of the Provincial Team Program for 15 years. He was made Technical Director for the provincial governing body from 2012-2016. During this time he helped P.E.I. grow the game and began working with New Brunswick First Nations communities.He also got schools going and new field lacrosse programs were introduced. The Maritime Cup for U15 and U18 Boys Field Lacrosse Teams was created. All of these efforts were recognized with his induction into the Saint John Sports Hall of Fame in 2017 for his work at the local local and provincial levels.

There are certain stories that are legendary in their own right. They are bigger than a single individual and affect the sport in a major way. The Nations 80 Cup was an event that laid the groundwork for the direction lacrosse would take in the future. It featured 5 teams from around the world travelling to British Columbia for the first truly international box lacrosse festival. Australia, Canada East, Canada West North American Natives and the USA . It would lay the groundwork for the first FIL sanctioned World Indoor Lacrosse Championship in 2003, and also the beginning of the Iroquois Lacrosse National Team program. Members of the five teams and knowledgeable spokespeople tell the story from their own unique perspectives. Join Dave Evans (Australia), Stan Cockerton, Wayne Colley and John Dalgliesh (Canada East )Frank Nielsen, Greg Thomas and Dan Wilson (Canada West), Jeff Gill, Lewis Mitchell and Dave White (North American Natives) and Craig Moore (USA) in a wide-reaching retelling of this major world tournament.

Kerri Hardill received her first lacrosse stick for Christmas when she was 4 years old. She remembers attending the lacrosse school for girls in Peterborough at age 11 and at 12 years old (1974) the first girls teams started in Lakefield and Peterborough. In 1975 -76 she played on the bantam boys team in Bridgenorth as well as on the girls team. When she was in Grade 11-13 she was invited to play on the high school boys field team by Coach Don Barrie. In 1978 she received an invitation to try out for a women's field team started by Paul and Stan Gilkinson. This was the start of women's field lacrosse in Ontario and Canada. This lead to a tryout in 1981 for Team Canada which would participate in the inaugural women's World Cup in Nottingham England in 1982. Kerri was a member of the Ontario Women's Field Lacrosse Team from 1983-1994. Herteam won many Bronze and Silver medals at the National Championships, finally getting Gold in 1994. Hardill was involved with Team Canada from 1982 – 1994 winning Bronze at the WorldCup 1982 and 4 th Place at World Cup. 1993. As a coach she started the inaugural girls fieldprogram in Peterborough under the PMLA umbrella and the girls field program at the highschool she taught at. She coached Club and High School for 20 years.She also served as anOrganizing Committee Member for the three world championships held in Canada (2007, 2013, 2019). For all of these achievements Hardill received these accolades – inducted into thePeterborough and District Sports Hall of Fame as a Player in 2000, the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame as a player in 2001, and the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame as the first female player to be inducted in 2007.

Windsor's Miro “Medo” Martinello is a builder of the game and was recognized for this through his induction into the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2005. Medo attained tremendous success as a Player, Coach and Ambassador for Canadian lacrosse for over 55 years.As a Player he learned from Jim Bishop in the 1968 Professional League and Bishop called him one of “...the top 5 players he had ever had the pleasure to coach”.He is known for his innovative coaching ideas at the professional level including positions inSyracuse, Quebec and Detroit. His coaching acumen was recognized when he received the Professional League Coach of the Year Award in 1975 with Quebec City and in 1991 with the Detroit Turbos.He coached the Windsor Junior team to Eastern Canadian Championships in 1972 and 1973Medo has received national and local recognition for his involvement in lacrosse and was the recipient of the Canadian Government 125th Medal of Confederation for OutstandingAchievement in 1992.He will forever be known as one of the most innovative coaches of his era.

Bruce Logan was nominated and received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal forvolunteer activities with The CLA and Lacrosse New Brunswick in 2012. The beginning was in 1969. He and his friends used Javex bottles with the face cut out and screwed to broom handles as lacrosse sticks. His father brought in real sticks from Ontario soon after for the kids to use.New Brunswick lacrosse took off after that.In 1972 a Pee Wee Team was developed in Saint John to play against a Nepean Team that wasstopping off in Saint John .This was the first time the game was played competitively in Bruce'sarea.From 1974- 1979 Logan played in The Maritime Junior Circuit for Saint John, New Brunswick.New Brunswick teams included Saint John, Sackville , Fredericton, Caraquet, as well asCharlottetown PEI, Halifax and Dartmouth , Nova Scotia. During that time he played for Team New Brunswick at the Canada Summer Games in St. John's, Newfoundland. He went on to play for the Provincial Team at the Founders Cup Tournaments in Sarnia and Montreal from 1978-1980.On the administrative side of the game, Logan chaired the Lacrosse Sector for the Saint JohnCanada Games from 1984-5. He oversaw the equipment, officials, security, media and disciplinary committees as well as all onsite activities during the event. It would be the last Canada Games that lacrosse was played in until the upcoming Canada Games in Niagara in 2022.Other highlights include Bruce Logan being part of the organizing committee for The FundyLacrosse Association (650 players in year one), President of Fundy Lacrosse Association for fiveyears, President of Lacrosse New Brunswick for 9 years, and served as a director on the CLAboard for 8 years where he volunteered for several committees.He also was Head Coach for the New Brunswick Bantam Girls Team which played in theinaugural Bantam Girls National Championships in Whitby Ont. He coached Tyke throughBantam for approx. 10 years. To round things out Logan refereed hundreds of minor leaguegames.He was rewarded for his efforts with the 2006-2007 Sport New Brunswick Volunteer SportAdministrator of the Year Award . Bruce Logan is one of the most notable Maritime builders.

Stan has served as the Executive Director of the OLA since 1986, after first launching his career inamateur sport in 1982 as the OLA Program Director, before being promoted to OLA Technical Director and eventually to the position of Executive Director – a position the held for 35 years.Stan began his legendary playing career when he picked up his first lacrosse stick at the age of 12. He would become an all-star box player for Oshawa. His playing style was an immediate threat to his opponent's goaltenders. As a Junior “A” player, Stan ranked 5th in All-Time Goals with 319 goals for the Gaels, and was named Most Valuable Player in Junior “A” in 1975 and 1976, as well as being named Major Series Lacrosse's Rookie of the Year in 1977.Stan's international career began in 1976 as a three-time member of Team Canada's field lacrosseprogram (1978, 1982 and 1990), leading Team Canada to a World Championship gold medal in 1978 by scoring six goals and tallying three assists, including the game-winner in the 17-16 overtime win against the United States. The 1978 World Lacrosse Championships were a watershed moment for the sport throughout Canada and a springboard to kickstart the growth of field lacrosse throughout Ontario. At the time, he was named “Player of the World”.Stan played collegiately for North Carolina State University in the United States, where he was a four-time All-American selection and still ranks among the all-time NCAA leaders in total Goals Scored (193), Points (280), Points Per Game (6.36), Goals Per Game (4.39) - a record that still stands 41 years later.Cockerton's accomplishments as a player have been recognized through his inductions into theOshawa Sports Hall of Fame (1990), Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame (1997, Inaugural Class),Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame (2003), USA Lacrosse Hall of Fame (2014), and North CarolinaState Hall of Fame (2016).As a builder Cockerton's passion for the sport saw him serve as Vice President of theInternational Lacrosse Federation (now World Lacrosse) from 2003-2010, and then as President from 2010-2017. Cockerton's contributions to the game internationally have helped shape the aspiration to return the sport of lacrosse to the Olympic Games. Stan was proud to witness the most historic moment for lacrosse: the official recognition of the sport by the International Olympic Committee on July 20th, 2021. He was honoured with the Lester B. Pearson Award in 2011 by Lacrosse Canada for his outstanding contributions to the sport, as well as the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018 by World Lacrosse for his international growth and development efforts.

Louis Delisle was inducted into the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2014. His involvement began with minor lacrosse from 1955-64. He won two Quebec Junior Championships in 1966 and 1967. His Senior Career spanned from 1968-1988 with the Caughnawaga Indians and the Kahnawake Mohawks, playing in 5 President Cups and winning a Silver Medal in 1969. His accomplishments were noted in 1970 when he won the Thorpe-Longboat Award for outstanding lacrosse and hockey achievement.Delisle's record as a Coach and Builder is equally impressive. He was a founding member of both the Caughnawaga Minor Lacrosse Association and the Caughnawga Indians Senior Team. These and other contributions led to him receiving the Quebec Lacrosse Volunteer of the Decade Award for the 70's. He was Quebec Coach of the Year in 1979.Louis has coached in every decade since the 60's and continues with high school lacrosse today. He runs local clinics at this time. He played a major role in the 150 th Anniversary of Lacrosse Celebration organizing the Kahnawake community for the historical re-enactments of the game.