Holy Mackinaw, it was a night to remember.
Friends, family and well-wishers came together at the Caruso Club on Wednesday night to cheer on some of the city’s best current athletes, teams and coaches, while at the same time witnessing history as 11 new names were immortalized in Greater Sudbury’s Sports Hall of Fame.
Hosted by Kiss 105.3’s Gary Beech and none other than the Voice of the Toronto Maple Leafs (and a proud Sudbury native) Joe Bowen, a duo that kept the crowd in stitches all evening long. Beecher can certainly hold his own with a mic in his hand, but Bowen’s risqué and self-deprecating brand of humour had people doubled over with laughter at times.
There was a real feeling of camaraderie in the room as the newly inducted Hall of Famers each delivered speeches about the road that brought them where they are, name-dropping old friends and rivals along the way.
Chris Sheridan welcomed the packed house to the 50th annual event, noting the cross-section of sports and athletes represented in the Hall of Fame and the exceptional athletes and coaches Greater Sudbury continues to produce.
The night wasn’t just about the Hall of Famers, though. It was also about announcing the winners of the yearly awards sponsored by the hall. Taking home those honours this year were:
- Import Athlete of the Year: Kadre Gray (Laurentian basketball)
- Professional Athlete of the Year: Jenna Hellstrom (Canadian national women's soccer team)
- Elite Athlete of the Year: Collin Cameron, paralympian: para-nordic skiing
- Amateur Female Athlete of the Year: (tie) Samantha Cooper (Fairfield University - basketball); Stephanie Pascal (Queen's University - hockey)
- Amateur Male Athlete of the Year: Tristan Renaud, golf (Idylwylde Golf & COuntry Club; Lockerby Composite)
- Joe Drago Coach of the Year: Dean Henze, Sudbury Laurentian Swim Club
- Sheridan Family Team of the Year: (tie) Kira Brunton, U18 curling rink (Kate Sherry, Sydney Stinson, Jessica Leonard); Jacob Horgan, U18 curling rink (Max Cull, Nicholas Bissonnette, Shane Robinson)
- Bill Roman Award: Neil Phipps (Sudbury Fitness Challenge, primary organizer; also, assistant coach with Lo-Ellen Park Knights track & field and nordic skiing)
- High School Female Athlete of the Year: Tyanna Soucy (Marymount Academy wrestling, OFSAA champion soccer; flag football)
- High School Male Athlete of the Year: Calum Passi (Lasalle Secondary cross country; OFSAA bronze medal winner; track and field, city champ in three events; basketball and volleyball, NOSSA champs)
- Dr Fred W Sheridan High School Team of the Year: Lockerby Vikings girls curling team (Sydnie Stinson; Jessica Leonard; Abby Deschenes; Elizabeth Huska)
- High School Team of the Decade: Lo-Ellen Park Knights track and field
- Volunteer of the Year: (tie) Donna Kivinen (hockey; Big Nickel Tournament); Randy Stevens (Joe MacDonald Youth Football League)
Six Sudburian Olympians as well as ACT, Northern Life/Sudbury.com and Sudbury Star sports editor Bruce Heidman were also presented with recognition awards.
Olympians receiving 2018 awards include Paralympic competitors Colin Cameron and Chris Del Bosco, skater Megan Duhamel, hockey forward Rebecca Johnston, Nordic skiier Devon Kershaw and hockey statistician/scorekeeper Randy Pascal, with Colin Cameron winning Elite Athlete of the Year.
Want to learn a little more about the Hall of Famers? Read on.
Former NHLer and Team Canada hockey player Dave Hannan, whose wins include two Stanley Cup championships (Edmonton, 1988, and Colorado, 1996) and a silver medal at the 1992 Albertville Olympics.
Sudbury Dragon Boat Festival chairman Steve Lee, winner of a bronze medal as a member of the Canadian team that competed at the Pan American Bowling Championships.
Boxer and ultra-marathon runner Amber Konikow, who once fought now Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when he was running for the job. Of the induction, Konikow said, "I'm actually really really excited to be inducted, especially to represent the sport of boxing and being a female. Being inducted will I think inspire other women, girls, youth to be interested in a combative sport and take a chance and work hard and get to a national, world, and Olympic level."
Joe MacDonald Youth Football League co-founder and St. Charles College teacher Mike Fabiilli, who has helped guide the Cardinals to 10 city championships in football.
Alpine skiing ambassador Jim Gougeon, who has taught thousands of youngsters to ski and race within the city of Greater Sudbury. Gougeon was a founder along with his brother and Hall of Famer Rikki, Bob Rogers and Dave Folor of the Laurentian Ski Club, which became the Adanac Laurentian University Ski Club and eventually the Adanac Ski Club.
Norm Howard who played recreational hockey until the age of 85 and coached every age group from atom to midget throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.
Bob Allen, who has volunteered his time to youth hockey in the Sudbury area for the past 45 years and was the lead instructor with the Northern Ontario Hockey Association certification program for 32 years.
Licensed horseman, trainer and harness racer Mike Noble, whose illustrius 40+ year career captured more than 1,800 harness races.
Harold Rose who coached the Lasalle Lancers football for 21 years; and taught in Greater Sudbury for almost 32 years. Rose completed all five levels of Hockey Canada's Coaching Certification program and has coached all levels of hockey in the community.
Chris Johnson Rink, the Sudbury Curling Club team of skip Chris Johnson, vice Barb McKinty, second Drew Eloranta and lead Lisa Gauverau captured the Canadian Mixed Curling Championships in Kindersley, Saskatchewan in 1997.
Lastly, former reporter at Northern Life Frank Pagnucco, a well-known spectator at many Sudbury sports events who authored Sudbury sports history books 'Heroes', and 'Home Grown Heroes'. Pagnucco passed away last year at the age of 62 and is being honoured posthumously.
