Ten new members and one team were named for induction into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame for 2015.
The new inductees include: box lacrosse players Jim Veltman (Stouffville, Ont.), Tom Patrick (Brampton, Ont.), Curt Malawsky (Maple Ridge) and Chris Gill (Pitt Meadows); field player Jeff Gombar (Port Coquitlam); builders Terry Sanderson (Ontario - deceased), Lindsay Sanderson (Orangeville, Ont.) and Chris Hall (B.C.- deceased); veteran players Ed Goss (New Westminster) and Larry Lloyd (Whitby, Ont.); and the 1981 to 1983 Peterborough James Gang Lacrosse team in the team category.
The new inductees will bring the number of those honoured in lacrosse's national shrine to 505 -149 builders, 307 players and 49 veterans (those who played prior to 1975). There are 19 teams currently inducted in the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame.
The formal induction banquet and ceremonies will be held Saturday Nov. 14 at the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame at the Anvil Centre in New Westminster. For additional information, please visit the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame website at canadianlacrossehalloffame.org or contact David Lancaster, Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame chair, at 604-717-5522 or email at [email protected].
Builders Category:
Chris Hall - As a youngster in Victoria in the early 1960’s, Chris Hall watched his dad work as a scorekeeper for the Shamrocks lacrosse team. Chris played basketball, rugby and other sports, but it was box and field lacrosse, that he went on to excel in as a player, coach and general manager. Hall played for the Victoria Shamrocks in the Western Lacros Association (1973, 1974, 1976-1982). He played one season (1975) for the Boston Bolts of the original National Lacrosse League. He went on to coach with the Shamrocks for 10 seasons between 1983 and 2001. He won the Mann Cup as a player in 1979 and as a coach in 1983 and 1999. He played for Canada in the World Games in Baltimore (1982), in Los Angeles (1984) and in the World championships in Toronto (1986). He was selected all-world defenseman at the World Games (1984). Chris was the head coach and GM of the Canadian national field team from 1988-1994 and led the squad to a silver medal in Australia (1990) and a bronze medal in England (1994). In 1980, he co-founded and head coached the Victoria Seaspray field lacrosse club. Under his leadership, the team captured 12 Ross Cup senior men’s national championships. Hall’s NLL coaching career began in 2002 with the Calgary Roughnecks. He took the Roughnecks and the Washington Stealth to NLL championships in 2004 and 2010, respectively. He also coached Team England in two world indoor box lacrosse championships. Chris was inducted into the Greater Victoria and National Lacrosse League Halls of Fame prior to his death in December, 2014 at the age of 64.
Lindsay Sanderson - In the 1980’s, Orangeville’s Lindsay Sanderson was a team leader, fierce competitor and leading scorer in senior B lacrosse, winning six consecutive provincial championships and three Presidents’ Cup national championships with the Orangeville Northmen (1981, 1982 and 1984). In 237 regular season and playoff games, he scored 856 points. He played senior A with the Brampton Excelsiors in three Mann Cup series (1976, 1980 and 1981). But his impact off the floor has been even greater. Since the 1970’s, Lindsay has coached and held key positions in minor lacrosse from director to president. He was instrumental in turning around Orangeville minor lacrosse in the 1980’s and developed it into one of the premiere associations. He has coached lacrosse at every level - minor, junior, major and in the professional National Lacrosse League with the Montreal Express, Ottawa Rebel and Toronto Rock - he was also head coach and GM of the NLL Philadelphia Wings (2005 to 2008). He was assistant coach on three Minto Cup teams in Orangeville and a Mann Cup team in Brampton. As a coach and GM, Lindsay has won 12 Ontario minor lacrosse championships, 14 junior, senior and major championships and seven national championships. The Ontario Lacrosse Association honoured him with the prestigious Mr. Lacrosse Award (1995) and he was given the Jim Bishop Memorial Award (1999) as Junior A coach of the year. Lindsay Sanderson is currently GM of the Jr. A Barrie Lakeshores.
Terry Sanderson – Sanderson is one of Canada’s all-time winningest coaches at the highest levels of lacrosse. He played his junior lacrosse in Bolton, Ont. and senior with Orangeville, Fergus and in Victoria. Sanderson played pro lacrosse for the NLL Syracuse Sting (1974) and Quebec Caribou (1975). He was a pick-up player for the Mann Cup-winning Brampton Excelsiors in 1980. In 218 major lacrosse games, he tallied 610 points and in 158 senior B games, he scored 816 points. After his playing days, he helped create the Orangeville junior B Northmen in 1989 and the Orangeville junior A team in 1991. He coached the junior A team to three Minto Cup championships (1993, 1995 and 1996). He was a member of the coaching staff of the Mann Cup-winning Brampton Excelsiors (2002) and the team’s assistant coach in their Mann Cup victories (2008 and 2009). He was the general manager and coach of the professional Toronto Rock when they won the NLL championship in 2005. After stints with NLL teams in Philadelphia and Calgary, Terry rejoined the Toronto Rock in 2010 as assistant coach and eventually GM. He is a member of the Orangeville Sports Hall of Fame and the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame. Terry Sanderson died in November, 2014 at the age 62.
Player Category:
Jim Veltman - Veltman played lacrosse for the Brampton Excelsiors at the minor, junior and senior levels. He was a perennial top-seven OLA junior A league scorer in his final three seasons and received the Dennis MacIntosh Memorial Trophy for ability and sportsmanship and League MVP honours. In 1988 and ’89, Jim moved west to play for the Coquitlam Senior A Adanacs, where he made an instant impact – he was a first team all-star, rookie of the year, WLA MVP and WLA scoring leader, while leading the A’s to a Mann Cup final in 1988. In seven seasons with Brampton (1990 to 1998), Veltman brought home three Mann Cups; he won his fourth ring with the Victoria Shamrocks in 2003. During his major/senior career, he scored 145 goals and 389 assists in 155 games; he scored another 93 goals and 279 assists in 123 playoff games. Jim played 16 seasons in the NLL (1992 to 2008) with Buffalo, Ontario and Toronto, winning five Championships. In 14 of his 16 NLL seasons, he led the league in loose balls and reached the 2000-career loose ball milestone. In 211 NLL regular season and playoff games, he netted 164 goals and had 533 assists. Veltam was the first recipient of the NLL Sportsmanship Award (2002) and the Toronto Rock’s Les Bartley Award (2004). In his international career, Jim captained the 2003 Team Canada team that won the World Indoor Lacrosse Championships. Since retiring, Veltman has been active in the CLAX winter league as commissioner. He is also a member of the NLL Hall of Fame (2009) and the Brampton Sports Hall of Fame (2011).
Tom Patrick – Patrick played junior A for the St. Catharines Athletics from 1971 to 1975. This prolific goal scorer was a top-eight OLA junior series league leading scorer in 1973 to 75 for the Athletics. Patrick is the 12th all-time top career goal scorer of the OLA Junior Series with 295 goals. In 111 regular season junior A games, he scored 295 goals and had 199 assists for 411 points. Patrick played for the Brampton Excelsiors of the Major Series from 1976 to 1981. In his rookie season (1976), he won the Bucko McDonald Trophy as the league top scorer and was awarded the Gene Dopp Award for Outstanding Rookie of the Major Series. In 130 regular season major games, he scored 205 goals and had 187 assists for 392 points and an additional 73 goals and 72 assists in 82 playoff games. Patrick played in five Mann Cup Championships, winning one Mann Cup title with the Brampton Excelsior in 1980. In 2006, Tom Patrick was inducted into the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame.
Chris Gill – Gill was born and raised in Coquitlam across the street from Smith Box. He played 16 years of minor, intermediate and junior lacrosse with the Adanacs. In junior, this two-time all-star netted 137 goals and 104 assists for 241 points in only 72 games. In one of the most memorable Minto Cup finals, he led the Adanacs to the 1992 final, only to lose in seven games to Six Nations. Gill followed in his father’s footsteps and at 21 years of age joined the Vancouver Fire Department and was selected number one overall in the WLA draft (1994). In 13 WLA seasons with the Burrards and Salmonbellies, he scored 482 goals and 352 assists for 833 points in 282 regular season and playoff games. Gill was a five-time WLA all-star, a two-time league leading scorer (1997 and 2000), the Three Star Award winner (1997) and WLA MVP (1998). He played in two Mann Cups (2008 and 2009) with the Salmonbellies. In 2001, Chris won a President’s Cup with the North Shore Indians. His 186 game pro career had stops in Baltimore, Ontario, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Colorado, where he scored 354 goals and 235 assists for 589 points. He won two NLL Championships with Toronto and Colorado. Gill was also a member of the Team Canada under-19 team in the 1991 World Field Lacrosse Championships, as well as a member of the Men’s national field lacrosse team (1998 and 2002). He coached four seasons for the WLA Salmonbellies and is currently bench boss for the Maple Ridge Burrards. In the off season, Gill is a co-coach with the NLL Colorado Mammoth. Gill will enter the Hall of Fame as a fourth generation inductee after great grandfather Les Dickinson, grandfather Bill Dickinson and father Sohen Gill
Curt Malawsky – Malawsky grew up playing lacrosse in Coquitlam’s Smith Box. He played all of his minor, intermediate and junior lacrosse with the Adanacs. This two-time junior league all-star was the 1991 BCJALL league top scorer. In 82 junior A regular season and playoff games, Malawsky scored 102 goals and 184 assists for 286 points. Curt was a top draft pick of the Salmonbellies in 1992. His 13-year WLA career stopped in New West, North Shore and Coquitlam. This six-time WLA all-star also captured the WLA’s Maitland Trophy for sportsmanship, ability and commitment to minor lacrosse (2000, 2001, 2002 and 2007). In 227 regular season games, he scored 326 goals and 390 assists for 716 points. In playoff action, he netted 179 goals and 231 assists in 137 games. Malawsky won the 2001 Mann Cup with Coquitlam in seven games over Brampton. He played 12 seasons in the NLL with stops in Calgary, Arizona, San Jose, Vancouver and Rochester. In 177 games, he scored 287 goals and 294 assists for 581 points, winning one NLL title with Calgary (2009). As a coach, Malawsky’s junior A teams won three Minto Cups – two with the Burnaby Lakers (2004 and 2005) and one with the Coquitlam Adanacs (2010). Curt currently coaches the NLL Calgary Roughnecks.
Field Player Category:
Jeff Gombar - Lacrosse has taken Gombar to all corners of the world since he picked up a lacrosse stick as a five-year-old in Port Moody. He played goal for the Coquitlam Jr. A Adanacs (1984 to 87), won first team all-star and top goaltender honours (1986 and 1987) and was BCJALL co-MVP with Paul Gait. His first exposure to field lacrosse came as a member of the Team B.C. under-19 field lacrosse team that competed at the 1985 Western States Lacrosse Tournament. His play led to a scholarship offer from Whittier College, where his teams won three Western Collegiate Lacrosse League titles and two Western states championships (1985 and 1989). In his senior year, he was a conference all-star and named an alternate for the North-South Collegiate all-star game. Jeff was a first-round draft pick of the Coquitlam Adanacs (1988) and played 13 WLA seasons with Coquitlam, North Shore and Okanagan. His Coquitlam Adanacs and Tri-City field lacrosse clubs were six-time provincial champs and he received top goaltender honours in each. His club won six national field lacrosse championships. Jeff led his squad to four national titles, including three Ross Cups (1992, 2004 and 2007). Gombar was named top goaltender on three occasions and Ross Cup MVP goalie (2004). He played on two Pacific Northwest Lacrosse Association tournament champions (1990 and 1991) and received top goaltender honours twice (1991 and 2001). As a member of Team Canada’s men’s field lacrosse team, he competed at the World championships in Manchester (1994), Baltimore (1998) and Perth (2002), winning a bronze and two silvers. Gombar was the first head coach of the SFU men’s field lacrosse program (1996 to 1999), where his team captured three PNCLL titles. Jeff was an assistant coach on the world champion 2006 Team Canada senior men’s field lacrosse team that won Canada’s first FIL title since 1978. He was an assistant coach with the Team Canada under-19 men’s team that captured silver (2008) and with the silver medal-winning Team Canada senior men’s squad (2010). He was inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame as a member of the 2006 Team Canada men’s field team.
Veteran Player Category:
Larry Lloyd - Lloyd played for the famed Oshawa Green Gaels from 1965 to 1969 and was a member of four Minto Cup-winning teams. In 63 junior A games, he scored 155 goals and added 119 assists for 274 points and added 57 goals and 49 helpers in 28 playoff games. Lloyd netted seven goals and six assists in his first senior A game with the Brooklin Redmen in 1968. He played three seasons of pro lacrosse for the Detroit Olympians (1968) and the Philadelphia Wings (1974 to ’75, where he was voted to the first and second all-star teams with the Wings. In 179 senior A regular season games with Brooklin and Windsor, he scored 356 goals and 315 assists for 671 points and added 57 goals and 32 assists for 89 points in 37 playoff games. Lloyd was inducted into the Oshawa Sports Hall of Fame (1992) and the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame (2000) as a member of the Oshawa Green Gaels (Team Category).
Edward Goss - Goss was born and raised in the Sapperton area of New Westminster. As a youth, he played hockey, soccer and basketball, but it was lacrosse that he excelled. This life-long Salmonbellie played minor lacrosse in New West, where his teams were perennial champions. Goss’s junior A ‘Bellies team were Minto Cup finalists three consecutive years (1966 to ’68). In 64 regular season junior games, he scored 141 goals and 133 assists for 274 points. Ed was named junior A rookie of the year and first team all-star (1966): won the Bill Dickenson Trophy as league top scorer (1967) and held the record for most goals in a game (11) before it was broken by Gary Gait. He played three pro seasons with New Westminster (1968 to 69) and Maryland (1975), winning two World professional championships with the Salmonbellies. Goss played senior A ball for New West over six seasons from 1969 to 1977. In 135 senior A and pro regular season games, he netted 163 goals and 222 assists for 385 points – and in 53 playoff games, he added 53 goals and 52 assists. His Salmonbellies team went to three straight Mann Cups, winning two (1970 and 1972). Goss was inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame as a member of the New Westminster Salmonbellies team (1968 and 1972).
Team Category:
The Peterborough James Gang lacrosse teams were coached by Mark Vitarelli and managed by Lee Vitarelli and won three straight Minto Cup titles in 1981, 1982 and 1983. In three regular seasons, the James Gang amassed a record of 58-4. In the 1981 season, they had a perfect 20-0 regular season and in playoffs, they swept Elora and Brampton, before defeating Oshawa for the junior A title in a seven-game series. They went on to defeat the Burnaby Cablevision 4-0 for their first of three Mintos. In the 1982 season, Peterborough finished in first place with a 17-3 record. They swept Hamilton, Etobicoke and Oshawa for the Ontario title, then defeated Victoria-Esquimalt Legionnaires in five games. In the 1983 season, the James Gang finished first again with a 21-1 record in the eastern division. This team went a perfect 8-0 to win the eastern title before going 4-0 in the Minto Cup round robin over Etobicoke and New Westminster.
