(Line up subject to change)
Walter Gretzky – Coach – Walter’s zest for life, love of sports, and appreciation of Gretzky fans have made him know as hockey’s most famous Father. This strong Canadians’ home town is Brantford Ontario and he is proud to be part of that community.
Dave Hutchison – Referee -Our game official is one of the toughest defenseman the NHL has ever seen Drafted 36th overall in the 1972 NHL draft he would go on to post 1735 penalty minutes in 584 career games while playing with Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto and New Jersey.
Mark Laforest – Goalie - A junior standout in the OHL with the Niagara Falls Flyers this goaltender would go to sign with the Detroit Red Wings in 1980. After a stop in Philadelphia he would go to split the goaltending duties in Toronto with Allan Bester and Jeff Reese. He has been twice awarded the Baz Bastien award as the AHL’s top goaltender.
Marty McSorley – This versatile player shared his talents and toughness as both a defenseman and winger He is a two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Edmonton Oilers and may be best known for his role as “Wayne Gretzky’s bodyguard” This title would follow him to LA in 1988 when both he and the Great One were obtained by the Kings His toughness his evident by the stats sheet alone posting over 3300 penalty minutes in a successful 961 game career His life in LA was not limited to hockey as he appeared in the movies Con Air, Forgetting Paris and Bad Boys alongside Will Smith.
Mark Napier – This goal scoring winger began having success as a youngster winning a Memorial Cup in 1975 and being named the WHA’s rookie of the year as a nineteen year old in 1976. His early success did not stop there as a he joined the Montreal Canadiens in 1979 winning a Stanley Cup in his first year with the team His career would blossom in Montreal posting two 40 goal seasons After a short stint in Minnesota his talent and leadership were shipped to Edmonton where he would help the Oilers capture the Stanley Cup in 1985 He is currently the executive director of the NHL Alumni Association.
Dan Daoust – A hard-nosed player, he was named to the NHL All Rookie team in 1983 when he finished with 51 points in 48 games. He played in 522 games, of which all but 4 were with the Toronto Maple Leafs, a large accomplishment given his small stature, becoming a fan favourite along the way.
Brent Gretzky – The brother of Wayne and Keith Gretzky. He played in the NHL for the Tampa Bay Lightning. In 2008, Gretzky played six games for his hometown Brantford Blast team in the senior league Major League Hockey, which went on to win the 2008 Allan Cup.
Mike Pelyk – He was a great mix of talent that could dish out tough defense and chip in with timely offense His career year came in 1973-74 when he lead all Maple Leaf defensemen with 12 goals. He would enjoy 7 successful seasons in Toronto before being lured away to the Vancouver Blazers of the WHA with a million dollar contract
Matthew Barnaby – Born May 4, 1973 in Ottawa, Ontario. Matthew was fourth round, 84th overall selection of the Buffalo Sabres in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft. In his first full season in the NHL, with the Buffalo Sabres, Barnaby led the league with 335 minutes in penalties. After a run of almost five seasons in the Buffalo organization, Barnaby spent time in Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, New York, Colorado, Chicago, and Dallas. Always noticeable when on the ice, Barnaby became a fan favorite with his feisty play and give all attitude. As a member of the Stars, he would suit up for 39 games with the club before suffering a concussion in a January 9, 2007 in a game against the Coyotes. The concussion Barnaby suffered caused him to miss the remainder of the season and eventually ended his career after 834 career NHL games played.
Kraig Nienhuis – In his early years Nienhuis accepted a scholarship to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), playing alongside future NHLers like Adam Oates and Daren Puppa. Eleven NHL teams wanted him, but Nienhuis eventually settled on the Bruins. He scored 16 goals for the Bruins as a rookie in 1985-’86 This Sarnia native played 87 games for the Boston Bruins between 1985-’88. These days, he is the front man for the band 9 House, opening for famous rock bands such as ZZ Top, Nickelback and The Beach Boys.
Bill Derlago – Taken with the 4th draft choice by the Vancouver Canucks he was voted by The Hockey News as the #1 player to ever come from the WHL ahead of greats like Niedermayer, Iginla and Sakic. He was dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 1980 season where he would begin to excel. During his 5 full seasons with Toronto he would post 30+ goals 4 times. Injuries once again hampered his progression as he ended his career in Boston, Winnipeg and Quebec.
Rick Vaive – Your prototypical sniper, with a feared shot, lead him to 3 consecutive seasons of 50 plus goals, including the distinction of being the first Toronto Maple Leaf to do so Due to this, he was selected to the All Star Game from 1982 through to 1984 Over the span of his career, he managed to score 441 goals in 876 games.
Laurie Boschman – He played in the NHL for 14 seasons for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, New Jersey Devils and Ottawa Senators, a team in which he was captain of in his final NHL season. He was drafted 9th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft. He is one of only sixteen players in NHL history to have recorded 500+ points and 2,000+ penalty minutes in their career.
Dennis Maruk – A Red Tilson award winner as the OHL’s MVP he was drafted 21st overall by the California Seals in the 1975 NHL draft His career got off to a hot start posting scoring over 30 goals twice in his first three seasons in the league .But that was just the tip of the iceberg. After being dealt to the Washington Capitals Dennis would go on score 50 g
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