Former Terrier and ex-Predator named captain of OHL’s Steelheads and is the team’s top blueliner this year as the Orillia native continues to chase his NHL dreams.

Like a fine wine, Chas Sharpe seems to get better with age.

Sharpe, who started playing house league hockey in Orillia when he was five, is now skating in his fifth — and final — season with the Mississauga Steelheads of the Ontario Hockey League.

Prior to the start of this season, the fleet-footed blueliner was named the team’s captain.

“Chas Sharpe has been with us for five years and has really grown as a player and as a person,” James Richmond, the team’s coach and general manager told OHL.com earlier this year.

“He’s earned the respect of his teammates and coaches. We all believe Sharpie is the right guy to lead this group and we couldn’t be happier to announce his captaincy.”

Sharpe, 20, said he was honoured to be named team captain.

“It’s truly a honour to be named captain of the Steelheads, and a leader of this young group,” he told the OHL’s website.

“We have such a special team this year and I’m just happy I will be able to help the young kids grow.”

Sharpe has been up to the task. The reliable defenceman with an excellent point shot who helps quarterback the power play, has 10 goals and 19 assists in 49 games this year. He also sports a plus six.

Sharpe has had a long love affair with hockey.

“Since I was born, I’ve been raised around the sport of hockey,” he told OrilliaMatters earlier this year. “My dad played Junior B and taught me how to compete and the importance of giving it your best effort for every game.”

When Sharpe was nine, he started playing with the Orillia Terriers A team. In his first year with the squad, he broke his wrist, which changed his hockey path forever.

Once the young forward was healthy enough to return to the lineup, his coaches decided to move him back to the point to play defence. He has never looked back.

During Sharpe’s time with the Terriers, they went to the OMHA finals twice but came up short both times.

“It was a pretty memorable journey,” he said.

When he turned 11, Sharpe graduated to the North Central Predators AAA program.

Playing with the Predators and contributing to several tournament victories made Sharpe realize that he could play at the next level.

“I got better and better each year,” he said. “It started to become a real possibility for me to play in the OHL.”

His old coach with the Predators, Andrew Morris, provided a letter in support of Sharpe’s nomination for the city’s athlete of the year award.

“I had the pleasure of coaching Chas in his minor midget/U16 year. Throughout the year you could see his dedication, attention to details, and his commitment to improve everyday become apparent,” recalled Morris.

“The more time spent with Chas the more appreciation you have of not only him as a player, but a person, and leader,” he said.

“As our year went on, he was the player more and more OHL teams were asking about and rightly so. Whatever situation he was put in, whatever role was needed, you knew that when Chas was faced with a challenge he would excel,” said Morris.

During his minor midget year, Sharpe was frequently being scouted by OHL teams. He was selected in the third round, 60th overall, by the Steelheads.

“After being selected by Mississauga in the third round you could see he was ready for his new challenge,” said Morris.

“He was one of the youngest players in the league his first year, and he not only earned his way into the lineup, but became an integral part of a team with winning aspirations,” Morris explained.

“Over the next few years I’ve continued to see that dedication and hard work earn him the respect of his coaches and teammates. He continues to get better each year and take on more responsibilities on and off the ice leading to becoming the captain of his team,” said Morris.

“It has been incredible to see his growth as a player and person and see him continue to thrive as an athlete today,” said Morris.

While he shone, the Patrick Fogarty Catholic Secondary School graduate said the transition to the OHL wasn’t easy. But the experience has helped him grow, he said.

“I’ve grown a lot of confidence over the years,” he said. “I’ve been here for a while now and have a really good relationship with our coach, James Richmond.”

Sharpe credits Richmond for giving him “all the tools needed” to succeed in the OHL. He also credits his career year to the work he put in during the off-season.

It’s work he hopes might help him realize his NHL dream.

“This is my last year to get an NHL deal and that’s my goal.”

Leading up to the 2022 NHL draft, Sharpe, who stands six-foot-three, had talked to a few different teams, who ultimately decided to pass on him. He admits he was devastated by being snubbed on the biggest stage for hockey’s best prospects.

“It hurt for sure,” he said. “It’s every kid’s dream to play in the NHL, but there are a lot of different paths to that league.”

Following the draft, Sharpe was invited to the Buffalo Sabres prospects camp.

“Being around NHL players every day was really cool,” he said. “It made me want to get there even more. When you get a little taste of it, it motivates you a lot.”

At the end of the camp, the Sabres decided to let Sharpe return to the Steelheads without a contract.

“It definitely lit a fire beneath me,” he said. “It gave me extra motivation to just keep working.”

Shape has been in contact with several NHL teams this season, giving him hope that his childhood dreams of playing pro are still alive.

Original Article By: Dave Dawson
Site: Orillia Matters
Date: Feb. 12, 2024
Link to Original: Link to Orillia Matters
Photo: Supplied Photo / Orillia Matters

Twin Lakes grad helped Orillia Royals win league crown and shone on the mound in his sophomore season for Thomas College in Maine.

The Orillia Sport Council will announce the winner of the coveted Orillia Athlete of the Year for 2023 on Feb. 15 at Rotary Place. Isabella Holmgren, Chas Sharpe and Wyatt Thompson have been nominated for the award. Today, we feature Thompson. Click here to read our profile of Holmgren and here to read our profile of Sharpe.

An Orillia baseball player shone on both sides of the border in 2023.

Wyatt Thompson had a stellar season on the diamond for the Orillia Royals last summer. The six-foot-five pitcher was the go-to hurler on his junior team, helping them win a North Dufferin Baseball League (NDBL) championship.

His talents were recognized outside Orillia as he was named the league’s top pitcher and also earned the NDBL’s most valuable player award.

“It meant a lot to me. It was pretty cool” to be recognized, the right-handed pitcher told OrilliaMatters.

Thompson began playing baseball when he was a kid and credits his dad for helping him become the player he has evolved into.

His strong play in the Orillia Royals system over the years helped him to get recognized.

In 2022, the Twin Lakes Secondary School graduate took his talents to Thomas College in Maine. Playing Division III baseball was a dream come true for the local lad.

This past season, as a sophomore, Thompson played in 13 games, recording a 4.18 ERA while compiling a 2-0 record. He had 10 strikeouts in 23.2 innings pitched. Twice in 2023, he was named the North Atlantic Conference pitcher of the week.

“It’s a great feeling,” he said. “It feels like the work I’m putting in is paying off.”

He also played basketball for Thomas College, serving as a key bench player for the Terriers.

The 20-year-old says he’s enjoyed putting his talents to the test against some of the best baseball players his age from around the United States.

“The competition is definitely a lot higher than I’m used to,” he said. “Back home you can make a mistake and get away with it, but here there is a lot less room for error.”

While happy with his performance to date, he knows his fastball is not what higher-level teams are looking for.

“I’m a junk guy,” he said with a chuckle. “I throw a lot of curve balls.”

Thompson’s goal is to finish his college tenure with Thomas College by winning the division championship. He has two more seasons left to achieve his dream.

Once Thompson has thrown his final pitch, he plans on coming back to Canada to get his pilot’s licence.

“I’m currently majoring in finance,” Thompson explained. “But being a pilot is something I plan on exploring down the road.”

Thompson says he’s learned through achieving his dream of playing NCAA sports that anything is possible.

“This was a chance that I will never get again,” he said. “If I had tried and it didn’t work out, then I wouldn’t have been worse off because of it.”

In addition to his strong play on the field, Thompson has also put a lot of emphasis on his academics, earning a spot on the Dean’s List. He was an honour roll student at Twin Lakes as well.

“All the coaches and adults I’ve talked to have always said, “Worry about the classroom and getting good grades because that’s what is most important,’ and it’s definitely true,” Thompson said.

None of the success is a surprise to one of his former Orillia Royals coaches, Mark Kuntz, who nominated Thompson for the athlete of the year award.

“He’s an incredible leader … who is loved by his coaches, teammates and officials” and always displays sportsmanship, said Kuntz.

“He is very proud of being from Orillia and represents (the city) with class,” said Kuntz, who noted the driven athlete always works hard, trains hard and is a “very good” student.

Original Article By: Dave Dawson
Site: Orillia Matters
Date: Feb. 13, 2024
Link to Original: Link to Orillia Matters
Photo: Supplied Photos

City council votes in favour of transferring stewardship of award following group’s ‘tremendous’ job of renewing interest,

After a successful trial over the past year, the Orillia Sport Council will permanently oversee the city’s Athlete of the Year award.

Since 1952, the annual award has recognized local amateur athletes who are a credit to the city for their athletic ability, sportsmanship, and achievements — but the award has seen a drop in interest and nominations in recent years.

Last year, city council voted to transfer stewardship of the award to the Orillia Sport Council for a one-year trial period, given its strong involvement in recognizing and honouring local athletic achievement.

Following a “tremendous” job reinvigorating interest in the award over the past year, council voted at Monday’s meeting for the sport council to permanently oversee the award.

There has been a strong uptake in athletic activity since the Orillia Recreation Centre opened, reported city staff, who noted transferring stewardship of the award will free staff up to submit nominations themselves.

“Transferring the stewardship to Orillia Sport Council also allows for staff to now submit nominations of individuals who are making great strides in their athletic development, hopefully helping to foster a community of lifelong healthy and active living,” stated a staff report.

Coun. Tim Lauer questioned whether the award would still be “owned” by the city, despite the fact the sport council will administer it on an annual basis.

“I have complete faith in the sports council; I think they’re good they’re doing a good job and will do a good job,” he said. “Looking down the road 10 years from now … if that organization faded away, or whatever happened, (I’m wondering if) we automatically pulled it back into our domain.”

Marcia Russell, the city’s director of recreation, youth, and culture, said the award will still be owned and displayed by the city, and will come back under the city’s control should the sport council dissolve.

The recreation advisory committee will continue to be a voting party in the award process, and city staff will be included in communications about award nominees.

The Orillia Sport Council has recommended local athletes “truly performing at the height of their athletic careers” be allowed to receive the award on more than one occasion.

A member of city council will also be included in the presentation of the award.

Original Article By: Greg McGrath-Goudie
Site: Orillia Matters
Date: Dec. 12, 2023
Link to Original: Link to Orillia Matters
Photo: Nathan Taylor

‘It’s every kid’s dream to play in the NHL, but there are a lot of different paths to that league,’ says Orillia’s Chas Sharpe, who is captain of Mississauga this season.

The dream of playing in the NHL is on the line for Orillia’s Chas Sharpe this season.

Sharpe, 20, began playing hockey when he was around five years old, following in the footsteps of his father.

“Since I was born, I’ve been raised around the sport of hockey,” he explained. “My dad played Junior B and taught me how to compete and the importance of giving it your best effort for every game.”

Sharpe, an only child, also grew up playing lacrosse, which he was also good at.

“Lacrosse is big in Orillia,” he said. “All my buddies were playing, but I ultimately decided to go with hockey.”

Sharpe, a former Severn Shores Public School student, says it was not a difficult decision to choose hockey over lacrosse.

“The game of hockey has always been something that had really appealed to me,” he said. “It’s something that was easy for me to fall in love with.”

When Sharpe was nine, he started playing with the Orillia Terriers A team. In his first year with the team, he broke his wrist, which changed his hockey path forever.

Once the young forward was healthy enough to return to the lineup, his coaches decided to move him back to the point to play defence.

“I was pretty good at it,” Sharpe said. “I was a pretty good backwards skater at a young age which was a huge advantage.”

During Sharpe’s time with the Terriers, they went to the OMHA finals twice but came up short both times.

“It was a pretty memorable journey,” he said.

During his time with the Terriers, the right-handed shot defenceman was coached by Tim Mullen and played with his son, Will.

“They both helped me a lot,” Sharpe said. “I was tight with them during a time when I was growing up and really falling in love with the game.”

When he turned 11, Sharpe graduated to the North Central Predators AAA program.

“It was the right group for me to make it to the next level of hockey,” he said. “I also wanted to stay local in the Orillia area which made it a no-brainer. ”

Playing with the Predators and contributing to several tournament victories made Sharpe realize that he could play at the next level.

“I got better and better each year,” he said. “It started to become a real possibility for me to play in the OHL.”

During his minor midget year, Sharpe was frequently being scouted by OHL teams. He was selected in the third round, 60th overall, by the Mississauga Steelheads, where he has played all five years of his junior hockey career.

“Five years in the OHL is a long time,” Sharpe said. “When you get to this level there is a lot of coaching and tools to help you as a player and a person.”

During his first two years with the Steelheads, Sharpe, a former student of Patrick Fogarty Catholic Secondary School (PF) admits he struggled with being away from friends and family.

“Everybody was back home, at PF, and I couldn’t drive yet,” he explained. “Now that I can drive and a lot of my friends are away for university, it’s a lot easier. I see everyone a lot more now.”

Sharpe, who was named the captain of the Steelheads before this season, has already eclipsed his highest OHL goal total this year. He has 20 points in just 25 games played, placing him fifth on his team in scoring and 14th among defencemen in the league.

“I’ve grown a lot of confidence over the years,” he said. “I’ve been here for a while now and have a really good relationship with our coach, James Richmond.”

Sharpe credits Richmond for giving him “all the tools needed” to succeed in the OHL. He also credits his career year to the work he put in during the off-season.

“I ramped up the intensity,” he said. “This is my last year to get an NHL deal and that’s my goal.”

Leading up to the 2022 NHL draft, Shape, who stands at six-foot-three, had talked to a few different teams, who ultimately decided to pass on him.

“A team called me and said they were going to select me,” Sharpe recalls. “It just didn’t work out that way.”

Sharpe was devastated by being snubbed on the biggest stage for hockey’s best prospects.

“It hurt for sure,” he said. “It’s every kid’s dream to play in the NHL, but there are a lot of different paths to that league.”

Following the draft, Sharpe was invited to the Buffalo Sabres prospects camp.

“Being around NHL players every day was really cool,” he said. “It made me want to get there even more. When you get a little taste of it, it motivates you a lot.”

At the end of the camp, the Sabres decided to let Sharpe return to the Steelheads without a contract.

“It definitely lit a fire beneath me,” he said. “It gave me extra motivation to just keep working.”

Shape has been in contact with several NHL teams this season, giving him hope that his childhood dreams of playing pro are still alive.

“It’s looking very good as long as I keep playing the way I am,” he said. “I have to stay consistent this season and then get bigger and stronger over the summer.”

The Steelheads are currently 16-8-1 this season, placing them first in the Central Division.

“We are always trying to win here,” he said. “Our goal is to make it to the Memorial Cup.”

Sharpe thanks his parents, Paul Sharpe Leslie Newhall, for supporting him along his hockey journey.

“They have supported me through every step of my life,” he said. “They are along with me through this long journey of my hockey career. I’m super grateful for them.”

Original Article By: Tyler Evans
Site: Orillia Matters
Date: Dec. 5, 2023
Link to Original: Link to Orillia Matters
Photo: C.W. Sports Photography

‘He used, I guess you’d say, colourful language and was pretty stern … we loved to play for him,’ said Mel St. Onge, who led effort to have diamond named in honour of Helioti.

Orillia has lost a legend.

Dean Heliotis, “one of Orillia’s great sportsmen,” died on Nov. 23. He was 90 years old.

Heliotis, a self-described “serviceable” baseball player who also played basketball and football, became a renowned baseball coach, whose name will forever be linked with Grant ‘Gander’ Ross.

Heliotis capped his playing days by helping the Orillia Majors win an Ontario Baseball Association (OBA) championship in 1964.

But he knew it was time to hang up his cleats after that title win, which served as a fitting end to more than two decades of playing for Orillia’s top team.

He told The Packet & Times in a feature interview in 2013 that he had no intention of coaching — until he got a call from Ross, his old teammate and long-time friend.

“Harv Reading decided to retire as manager of the Majors after 1964,” Heliotis told The Packet. “He wanted to hand the reins over to Gander. So, Gander gave me a call and asked me if I would give him a hand.”

And, so began a coaching partnership that lasted several decades, led to numerous titles and helped shaped generations of young baseball players.

While there were many challenges and highlights along the way, Heliotis always said one moment stands out above all others.

That moment began in auspicious fashion as, just weeks before the 1969 season, the Majors fired Heliotis and Ross.

“I remember me and Gander went to the sauna at the YMCA,” Heliotis recalled to The Packet. “I said, ‘Well, I guess we have the summer off.”

But it was not to be. Nels Dunlop, who was heading up Orillia’s junior team, called and asked if the dynamic duo would take over the floundering club. In 1968, the team had won just three games and finished dead last.

“When Gander called and asked me what I thought, I wasn’t too sure,” said Heliotis. “He said, ‘Let’s give it a whirl.’”

It was a good call. The two stern taskmasters turned the team upside down, put a structure in place, injected discipline and created in that group of mostly selfish teenagers a firm commitment to a team-first approach.

“We were a bunch of ball players who didn’t know how to win,” recalled Mel St. Onge, a key pitcher for that squad. “Dean and Gander were so organized. I think the key was they gave us structure. We respected them big-time; they were unbelievable mentors who taught us how to win.”

With Jerry Udell, Doug Roe, Brock Richardson, St. Onge and others, the juniors dominated.

As fate would have it, the juniors met the Majors that year for the league championship in a series that captured the imagination of Orillians young and old.

It took seven breathtaking games, but the juniors shocked the mighty Majors, winning the title in front of more than 2,400 fans who jammed into the fabled Lions Oval to watch the seventh and deciding game that Thanksgiving weekend.

“That was my biggest thrill in baseball,” Heliotis told The Packet. “It was sweeter than winning the OBAs as a player because I had a bigger role. Those boys played so hard.”

That magical triumph served as a launching pad to more than four decades of coaching for Heliotis — at various levels. He was revered by many, feared by some and respected by all whom he coached.

“There were times when I wanted to kill him,” laughed St. Onge, reflecting on gruelling workouts and the coach’s merciless approach.

“He was hard on you. And he made you do things until you got them right. He used, I guess you’d say, colourful language and was pretty stern. Some people didn’t like that, but we loved it. He taught us to be pitchers, not throwers. We loved to play for him,” said St. Onge.

Heliotis made no apologies for his approach and he never wavered in it. It was, he would say, why his teams were successful, helping the 1970 juniors, the 1992 bantams and the 1996 Fenelon Falls peewees to Ontario crowns.

As a testament to his decades-long coaching career, a ball diamond at McKinnell Park was named in his honour in 1998; another diamond was named in honour of Gander Ross.

“Mel St. Onge spearheaded that and I remember my wife saying to me that she couldn’t believe he did that for me because I was pretty hard on him,” Heliotis told The Packet. “It was quite an honour.”

On social media, news of his death has spawned some fond memories.

Local historian Marcel Rousseau called Heliotis “one of Orillia’s great sportsmen,” saying “Dean will be remembered by many Orillians as a great coach and player.”

Ted Williams, now chief of Rama First Nation, shared his memories of being coached by Heliotis and of spending time with him at the downtown pool hall he owned.

“He was a great man who influenced many in sports including me,” said Williams.

Heliotis would likely not have liked the kind words. He always gave credit for wins and titles to his players.

But, when pressed, he said: “I guess it’s a little bit of knowledge, dedication, a never give-up attitude, an ability to recognize talent. I just the love the game and I love to be around it.”

For Heliotis, baseball was a big part of his life, but his family always came first. He and his wife, Christine, celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary this past June. He was proud of his children, Potoula, Louis (wife Angela) and Tom (wife Andrea) and his five grandkids.

Outside of baseball, Heliotis had an interesting and varied career. He was an electronics technician at Orillia Water Light and Power for more than a decade before technology advances made the job obsolete.

In the mid 1960s, he operated Dino’s Rack and Roll, a popular downtown pool hall just east of what is now Brewery Bay Food Co. Following that, he sold life insurance for Prudential before retiring.

Visitation will be held at the Mundell Funeral Home, 79 West St. N., Orillia on Tuesday, Nov. 28 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

A service will be held at the Holy Cross St. Nektarios Greek Orthodox Church, 572 Penetanguishene Rd. in Barrie on Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. Heliotis, who was very proud of his Greek heritage, was a founding member of Holy Cross, where he served on the board for many years.

Original Article By: Dave Dawson
Site: Orillia Matters
Date: Nov. 26, 2023
Link to Original: Link to Orillia Matters
Photo:  OrilliaMatters File Photo

Dean Heliotis passed away peacefully on November 23^rd just shy of his 91^st Birthday. He was the beloved husband of Christine (Sarantos) Heliotis who survives him and with whom he celebrated their 62^nd wedding anniversary this past June. Loving Father of Potoula, Louis (wife Angela) and Tom (wife Andrea). Cherished Grandfather of Vivian, Dean, Christina, Dani and Nate.

Born in Washington D.C., December 19, 1932, son of the late Louis and the late Bertha (Diacoumakos) Heliotis. He attended the Pallicary-Vedova Greek School in Tarrytown New York, Orillia District Collegiate, Upper Canada College and Ryerson University where he graduated in Electronics Engineering.

Dean enjoyed several careers that included being a technologist at Orillia Water Light and Power, proprietor of Dino’s Rack and Roll and as a salesman for Prudential Insurance.

Dean was an accomplished athlete in his time and enjoyed track and field as well as playing baseball, basketball and football. He played baseball in Orillia winning the OBA Championship in 1964 with the Orillia Majors. After the 1964 season, Dean joined his long time friend and team mate Gander Ross and they began their coaching careers taking over the Majors club. He continued coaching until his 70’s eventually winning 3 more OBA titles. One of his biggest thrills in which he always had time to talk about was the 1970 Orillia Juniors team who an OBA title.

In 1998 Dean and coaching mate Gander Ross were both honoured by having a baseball diamond at McKinnell Square Park named after them.

Dean was also very proud of his Greek heritage and was a founding member of Holy Cross St. Nektarios Greek Orthodox Church where he served on the board for many years. He loved spending time with his family, grandkids and friends. There was never a shortage of great stories and laughs when Dean got together with them.

Visitation will be held at the Mundell Funeral Home, 79 West St. N., Orillia on Tuesday, November 28^th from 6pm – 8pm

Then to the Holy Cross St. Nektarios Greek Orthodox Church, 572 Penetanguishene Road, Barrie Ontario on Wednesday morning, November 29^th from 9 a.m. until time of Funeral Service at 10 a.m.  Interment to follow.

In lieu of flowers donations to Holy Cross St. Nektarios Greek Orthodox Church would be greatly appreciated. This can be done at the funeral home or by visiting https://www.stnektariosbarrie.com and clicking on donate.

Original Article By:
Site: Orillia Matters
Date: Nov. 25, 2023
Link to Original: Link to Orillia Matters
Photo: Supplied Photo

‘I don’t do this for any recognition. I do it to see the athletes excel and work toward their goals,’ says Sutherland, a former Orillia Athlete of the Year.

Orillia’s Toben Sutherland has been recognized by the Canadian Association of Coaches with an Excellence in Coaching Award presented by Petro-Canada.

Sutherland, 47, received the award for coaching Parry Sound native Megan Oldham to a silver medal in slopestyle and bronze in the “big air” event at the 2023 World Championships in Georgia last February.

Sutherland has now won the Excellence in Coaching Award four times during his career.

“I don’t do this for any recognition,” he said. “I do it to see the athletes excel and work toward their goals.”

Sutherland, however, says winning the award means a lot to him because it gives recognition to the sport.

“It gives me validation to see that the program that we have been running is working,” he said. “We will continue to take risks to push the sport in the right direction.”

Sutherland, a Twin Lakes Secondary School graduate, started skiing when he was nine years old. He turned competitive with free skiing when he was 12 and has never looked back. He was named Orillia’s Athlete of the Year in 1992.

In 1997, Sutherland won the Crystal Globe, a world championship title. He won three World Cup events while competing on the international circuit from 1993 until 1999 before transitioning to coaching in 2000 because of injury concerns.

“I found myself at a place where I was making a living coaching and enjoying working with the athletes,” he explained. “I found when I was working with a group of athletes it was much more rewarding to see the team and each individual athlete within it focus and work toward their common goals.”

Sutherland says it’s more fulfilling to him as a coach when one of his athletes wins than it was for him when he won as a competitor.

“It’s been my goal for the last couple of decades to build a group of athletes who can be competitive on the world stage on any given day,” he said. “That’s where my focus has laid for the better part of my career.”

In 1997, Sutherland won the Crystal Globe, a world championship title. He won three World Cup events while competing on the international circuit from 1993 until 1999 before transitioning to coaching in 2000 because of injury concerns.

“I found myself at a place where I was making a living coaching and enjoying working with the athletes,” he explained. “I found when I was working with a group of athletes it was much more rewarding to see the team and each individual athlete within it focus and work toward their common goals.”

Sutherland says it’s more fulfilling to him as a coach when one of his athletes wins than it was for him when he won as a competitor.

“It’s been my goal for the last couple of decades to build a group of athletes who can be competitive on the world stage on any given day,” he said. “That’s where my focus has laid for the better part of my career.”

Already looking ahead to the 2026 Olympic Winter Games, Sutherland is hoping to take eight athletes to Italy who can land on the podium.

“We want to come out with as many medals as possible,” he said. “We won two medals in 2014, one in 2018, and unfortunately we came up short in 2022.”

Sutherland says he is seeking redemption at the next Olympic Games for the lack of success in 2022 in Beijing.

Sutherland thanks the Orillia community for their support of him over the years.

“I’ve had a ton of support growing up in the area,” he said. “I really appreciate all of the recognition that comes with it.”

Sutherland says he will be visiting Orillia in December to donate his most recent Excellence in Coaching Award to be displayed in the Orillia Sports Hall of Fame at the Orillia Recreation Centre.

Original Article By: Tyler Evens
Site: Orillia Matters
Date: Nov. 21, 2023
Link to Original: Link to Orillia Matters
Photo: Supplied Photo

“One of our primary mandates is to recognize those from our past who have helped put this city on the map”, said official, noting teams are eligible for the hall this year.

In less than a decade, the Orillia Sports Hall of Fame has become a much-hoped-for destination for the city’s top athletes and builders.

Since the first class of inductees in 2015, some of Orillia’s finest citizens have joined the hall.

This year, for the first time, teams can be nominated for recognition within the shrine.

“We are excited to introduce the team category this year,” said Roy Micks, chair of Sport Orillia, the local organization that oversees Orillia’s Sports Hall of Fame.

He said Sport Orillia volunteers have worked hard to develop criteria that would allow the Hall of Fame selection committee to judge teams worthy of induction.

According to that criteria, any sport where two or more individuals compete would be eligible for this honour.

“As a minimum level of achievement, teams must have won a provincial championship that led to their participation in a national championship,” explained Micks, adding teams must have completed their participation in their sport for at least three years prior to the nomination.

Of course, nominees are also welcome in the athlete and builder categories.

“The selection criteria is pretty stringent but that’s what makes being inducted into the Orillia Sports Hall of Fame meaningful,” Micks said.

For example, athletes must have performed at a high level, represented Orillia with honour and must have concluded their careers at least three years prior to being nominated or have reached the age of 50.

Builders may include officials, sponsors, executives, trainers, owners, coaches, etc. whose work over an extended period has been outstanding in providing a consistently high level of contribution to the sports community.

Micks said it’s important to recognize the sporting accomplishments that have helped define the community.

“One of our primary mandates is to recognize those from our past who have helped put this city on the map,” said Micks.

It’s easy to nominate an athlete, team or builder. Just visit the website and navigate to the Hall of Fame section. Click here to fill out the nomination form for teams. Click here for the nomination form for athletes. Click here for the builders nomination form.

The deadline for nominations is Jan. 5, 2024 at 5:30 p.m.

Original Article By: Dave Dawson
Site: Orillia Matters
Date: Nov. 14, 2023
Link to Original: Link to Orillia Matters
Photo: Tyler Evans / OrilliaMatters File Photo

Two elite athletes and a legendary community builder were inducted into the Orillia Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday night.

Long-time junior, minor, and AAA hockey volunteer, Dave Dunn, headlined the class of 2023 in the builder category.

“This is an honour that I did not expect,” Dunn told a packed audience at Hawk Ridge Golf Club. “I just like to do the work in the background for whichever organization it may be that I’m with.”

Dunn first got involved in minor hockey back in 1982 when he served as the bench boss for his son’s team. Shortly after, he decided to serve Orillia Minor Hockey as vice president. He would go on to be a part of the executive of several local junior teams and continues to help with the Jr. C Terriers.

“Some of the best people I’ve known have been because of hockey,” he said. “They truly came to give their time for their kids and their love of the game.”

Dunn says he is proud to have helped players who went on to play in the NHL. He is also proud of the players who went on to have life success after hockey, achieving scholarships, and going on to having successful careers as business people, police officers, and educators.

“Whenever I run into former players and coaches and we are able to catch up and talk about the old days, that is truly my reward in all of this,” he said. “It has always been about the kids and helping them chase their dreams, whether it be in hockey or not, it’s just one more stepping stone to the future.”

John French, one of Orillia’s top hockey players of all time, won Orillia Minor Hockey’s Doc McKinnon Memorial Trophy for his ability, leadership, and sportsmanship as a youth. French says his parents, Clayt and Leslie, played the biggest role in the success of his career.

“They supported our entire family when it came to sports,” he recalled. “They both were excellent athletes in their own right.”

French remembers during the winter months as a youth, his father would be out making a rink for him and his siblings Allen, Jim, Tim, and Joanne to practise on.

“I remember mom and dad would get up every weekend at six or seven in the morning to drive one of us to the rink for a hockey or ball game,” he recalled. “They were always there to support all of us children.”

French says competitiveness was instilled in him at a young age. His mother was his first hockey coach, and possibly the first female hockey coach in Orillia and maybe even Ontario, he noted.

French recalls a time when he was playing in a beginners league, and his mom would give him extra playing time when their team matched up against the team his dad was coaching.

“I’d come off the ice and sit on the bench for my next turn to go out,” he said. “Without anyone knowing it mom would move me up on the bench so I would get on the ice more often. This only happened when mom’s team played dad’s team.”

After two years with the Toronto Marlboros, French was drafted 52nd overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1969-70 NHL draft. He played two seasons in the AHL before going on to a successful career in the WHA.

“There are a lot of people who helped me throughout my sports career,” he said. “I would not be standing today if it wasn’t for them. They know who they are, and I thank them.”

French recorded 300 points in 420 professional games. In 1972-73, he skated alongside his childhood friend from Orillia, Rick Ley, playing for the New England Whalers. That year, the Whalers won the Avco Cup and French led the team in scoring. Ley was inducted into the Orillia Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.

Olympic field hockey player Alan Brahmst had a successful career on and off the field. In 1999, Brahmst led Canada to the gold medal at the Pan American Games. He would represent Canada again in 2000 at the Sydney Olympics.

Brahmst grew up in Hamburg, Germany, before moving to Orillia as a teenager where he played multiple sports at Orillia District Collegiate and Vocational Institute, where he played multiple sports.

“This was a super welcoming town,” he recalled.

While he enjoyed trying new sports, he missed playing field hockey, which he had played for years in Germany. Brahmst credits his gym teacher, Daryl McKenzie, for helping him connect with Field Hockey Ontario, helping him pursue his childhood passion for field hockey.

“He got the number for Ontario Field Hockey and had me playing again a year and a half after I came to Orillia,” said Brahmst, who travelled to Toronto most weekends to chase his dream.

Brahmst was a key member of one of the first ever junior national Canadian field hockey teams, and then the first-ever national team. He represented Canada at four Olympic Games and multiple World Cups as a player and a coach.

“I’m really grateful about all the good things Orillia has given me,” he said. “I’m humbled that I’m inducted with these guys.”

There are now 30 inductees in the Orillia Sports Hall of Fame.

Original Article By: Tyler Evans
Site: Orillia Matters
Date: May 14, 2023
Link to Original: Link to Orillia Matters

A former Olympian, a high-scoring World Hockey Association (WHA) star and a passionate longtime local volunteer will be inducted into the Orillia Sports Hall of Fame later this year.

Alan Brahmst, John French and Dave Dunn will enter the city’s sports shrine at a gala dinner to be held May 13 at the Hawk Ridge Golf and Country Club.

Brahmst is one of Canada’s most decorated field hockey players and coaches. After he moved to Orillia from Germany as a youth, he travelled weekly — for years — to Toronto to chase his dreams.

He climbed the ranks quickly, making first the Junior National Team and then the National Team. As a player and coach, he represented Canada at four Olympic Games and multiple World Cups.

Brahmst “was a key leader and outstanding athlete in a golden generation of Canadian field hockey players,” said Susan Ahrens, the CEO of Field Hockey Canada, who wrote a letter supporting his nomination to Orillia’s Sports Hall of Fame.

Brahmst, in 1999, helped Canada win gold at the Pan American Games “to put his name in the history books,” said Ahrens, adding the talented athlete also played for Team Canada at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

He continues to pursue his passion; he is the high performance director for both Field Hockey Canada and Archery Canada.

John French started playing hockey not long after he learned to walk and was one of the top players in Orillia, where he helped his team win a squirt title in 1961.
A year later, he won Orillia Minor Hockey’s Doc McKinnon Memorial Trophy for his ability, leadership and sportsmanship.

He would earn the MVP award at the Don Mills major midget tournament, where he caught the eyes of pro scouts and was drafted 52nd overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1969-70 draft.

After two years with the Toronto Marlboros, he played two seasons in the AHL before going on to a stellar career in the WHA. He amassed 300 points in 420 games, having his best years with the New England Whalers, where he helped the squad win the Avco Cup in 1972-73 and led the team in scoring in 1973-74.

“John French is one of the best hockey players to ever come out of Orillia,” said Mel St. Onge, a member of the selection committee.

Dave Dunn is synonymous with hockey in Orillia and has been a dedicated volunteer at various levels for more than four decades. He is being inducted in the builder’s category.

Dunn started coaching his son’s team and then joined the Orillia Minor Hockey Association executive, where he served in various capacities — including president in the late 1980s.

He then volunteered with the city’s junior hockey teams in its various iterations — the Orillia Laidlaws, the Orillia Terriers and the Couchiching Terriers — serving in roles from president to OMHA delegate. He was a familiar face at local rinks during those years.

“He would spend game nights doing anything from loading beer for the booster club, to organizing and selling 50/50 tickets, making sure the refs got paid and was security when fights broke out in the stands,” said Roger Crandell, who nominated Dunn.

“Junior hockey wouldn’t happen without guys like (Dunn),” said Bill Smith, who owned the junior team for many years. “He was always there and always did whatever needed to be done.”

Dunn went on to volunteer for the North Central Predators AAA hockey program and continues to lend a hand when needed.

This will be the eighth class of inductees since a grassroots volunteer group — the Orillia Sports Council — started the Hall of Fame in 2015. Past inductees are honoured in the Hall of Fame Lounge at the Orillia Recreation Centre.

The new honourees will be officially inducted at the 2023 Orillia Sports Hall of Fame Gala, which will be held May 13 at Hawk Ridge Golf and Country Club.

Original Article By: Orillia Matters Staff
Site: Orillia Matters
Date: March 6, 2023
Link to Original: Link to Orillia Matters