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Last week, the National Lacrosse League announced their short list of possible inductees for the Class of 2011. A fantastic collection of names the all had an impact on the game. Well earlier today, the Canadian Lacrosse Association announced their list of names the will be inducted into the Class of 2011. For the average lacrosse fan, these men may be a little foreign, but for those who have followed the Canadian game over the years will know how deserving these 9 men and one team. After the jump, check out the official press release from the CLA as well as bios of all of the new members of the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame.

Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame Announces 2011 Inductees

New Westminster, BC – Nine new members and one team have been named for induction

into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame.

The new inductees include: Builders Dr. Donald Hedges (Coquitlam, BC) and John Herd

(Brampton, ON); Box Lacrosse Players Dan Wilson (Vancouver, BC), Chris Prat (Victoria,

BC), Bram Wilfong (Nepean, ON) and Steve Mastine (Cheltenham, ON); Veteran Players

Kenneth Matheson (deceased-New Westminster, BC) and Bill “Cass” Castator (Cheltenham,

ON); Field Lacrosse Player David Huntley (Towson, Maryland) and the 1980-98 Victoria

Royal Waxmen/Seasprays field lacrosse squad in the Team Category.

The new inductees will bring the number of those honoured in lacrosse’s national shrine to

468 –140 Builders, 206 Box Players, 82 Field Players and 40 Veterans (those who played

prior to 1970). There are 14 teams inducted in the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame Team

Category.

The formal induction banquet and ceremonies will be held November 12, 2011 at the

Firefighter’s Club in Burnaby, British Columbia. For additional information please contact

Randy Radonich, Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame Chair at (Home) 604-936-1642 or (Cell)

604-862-1642.

2011 Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame Inductee Bios

Builders Category-

Dr. Donald Hedges (Coquitlam, BC) – Dr. Hedges, or Doc, as many know him, has been the

lacrosse player’s doctor for over two decades. He has been involved with the Coquitlam Sr. Adanacs

for 25 years as team physician, president and director. Hedges has offered his services to various

lacrosse groups like the professional Vancouver Ravens, Team Canada Men’s Box Lacrosse teams,

numerous Junior A teams and served as the academic advisor and physician of the SFU Men’s Field

Lacrosse program. Under his tutelage, the A’s appeared in five Mann Cup championships, winning

one title in 2001. In addition, Hedges has assisted in the development of lacrosse in Costa Rica and

offered his services wherever needed. He has also served as team physician for other sports teams

including the Vancouver Whitecaps and 86’ers (21 years), Burnaby Lake Rugby Football Club (22

years) and the New Westminster High School Football team (6 years).

John Herd (Brampton, ON) – John has devoted over 40 plus years to lacrosse as a referee.

Nicknamed “The Rule Book Says”, he started his career as a referee working his way up the ladder

quickly officiating the Ontario Junior and Major leagues. He served on various committees and

executives finding new ways of improving the game of lacrosse by working on rulebooks, handbooks

and referee training programs. Herd has been a member of the Brampton Oldtimers since 1989 and

received the OLA’s Jack Mann Award (1991) and President’s Award (1992). This Brampton

Excelsior lifetime member is still active today serving as a National Course Conductor and member of

the CLA National Officials Certification Program. Herd was inducted into the Ontario Lacrosse

Association Hall of Fame in 2006.

Box Player Category-

Dan Wilson (Vancouver, BC) – 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 taking WLA Rookie of the Year honours in 1979 while

amassing 121 points. Wilson led the Adanacs Nations in ’80 World Box Lacrosse Championship

team while being named tournament MVP. 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.

Chris Prat (Victoria, BC) – Chris Prat played his entire Junior and Senior lacrosse career in Victoria

with the Junior Legion/Eagles and the Victoria Shamrocks (1992-2001). This gifted goal scorer had a

quick shot while commanding a physical presence on the floor. In his ten year WLA career, Prat was

named a First Team All-star three times, including playoff MVP honours in 1996. He competed in

three Mann Cups, winning two rings in 1997 and 1999. In 243 WLA regular season and playoff

games, Prat scored 294 goals and 351 assists for 645 points. Prat’s 8-year NLL career had stops in

Syracuse, Buffalo, Calgary, Vancouver and Colorado netting 132 goals and 178 assists for 310 points

in only 88 games.

Bram Wilfong (Nepean, ON) – Bram Wilfong was an Excelsior through and through. In the

Brampton-Bramalea Junior A system, from 1964-1970, Wilfong netted 247 goals and 264 assists for

511 points in 152 regular season and playoff games. This life-long Brampton star was a big playmaker

and had a starred Senior career from 1970-1989 winning one Mann Cup ring in 1980. Bram played

on the 1972 President’s Cup champions Senior B Brampton team. Wilfong also spent two seasons in

the original NLL for the Boston Bolts and Toronto Tomahawks in the mid-70’s. In 389 regular

season and playoff games, he scored 564 goals and 511 assists for 1075 points. Wilfong was inducted

into the Ontario Lacrosse Association Hall of Fame in 1998.

Steve Mastine (Cheltenham, ON) – Steve Mastine played his entire career as a Brampton Excelsior.

He was named the 1968 Rookie of the Year and 1971 scoring champion with the Junior A Excelsiors.

In Junior, Mastine amassed 233 goals and 329 assists for 562 points in 141 regular season and playoff

games. Just one year later in his 1972 Senior B season, he was named Rookie of the Year and

league’s Top Scorer. Mastine’s nine year Senior A career (1973-1981) saw him named league Top

Scorer in 1977. He was also a member of the world champion 1978 Team Canada Men’s Field

Lacrosse Team. In 210 regular season and playoff games, he scored 211 goals and 527 assists for 738

points winning one Mann Cup ring in 1980. Mastine was inducted into the Ontario Lacrosse

Association Hall of Fame Team Category (1978 Team Canada Men’s Field team) in 2001 and as a

player in 2002.

Veteran Player Category-

Kenneth Albert Matheson (deceased – New Westminster, BC) – Ken Matheson, a born competitor,

was raised in New Westminster where the Salmonbellies dominated lacrosse and the Adanac

Basketball Club ruled the hoop scene. In 1933, field lacrosse gave way to box lacrosse and the Inter-

City Lacrosse League (ICLL) was formed. Matheson played for the Adanacs from 1934 to 1941 and

1945. In 1938, Matheson and the Adanacs captured the BC title, only to lose the Mann Cup to St.

Catharines. The Adanacs reversed the results in 1939, giving Matheson his only Mann Cup ring. He

joined the airforce, eventually serving with the RAF and received the Distinquished Flying Cross in

1944 and given another Distinquished Flying Cross bar from King George VI in 1945. Matheson

participated in four playoff games (1945) and, although he managed a goal and an assist after four

years away from the game, he retired at the age of 31. In 209 regular season and playoff games, Ken

scored 279 goals and 133 assists for 412 points.

Bill “Cass” Castator (Cheltenham, ON) – Bill Castator played four Junior A seasons (1953-1956)

with the Oshawa Green Gaels and Brampton Excelsiors. In 1956, he was the league’s Top Scorer

leading the Excelsiors to a Minto Cup. His Senior A career spanned from 1958-1967 with the

Excelsiors; he was voted the 1960 League MVP. In 1961 and 1962, Brampton won the Eastern

Championships but lost the national title both years; but in 1966, “Cass” was a pick-up player for

Peterborough that won the Mann Cup. He was also a member of the bronze medal winning 1967

Team Canada Men’s Field Lacrosse Team. In 353 regular season and playoff games, he scored 219

goals and 262 assists for 481 points. Castator was inducted into the Ontario Lacrosse Association Hall

of Fame in 1997.

Field Lacrosse Category-

David Huntley (Towson, Maryland) – David Huntley played his entire Minor and Junior box

lacrosse for the Rexdale Warriors before heading off to Johns Hopkins University to play college field

lacrosse. Huntley played for the Blue Jays from 1976-1979 winning back-to-back Division 1 national

championships in 1978 and 1979. At Hopkins, Dave was a two-time First Team All-American and

voted once as a Second Team All-American. In 1979, he received the McLaughlan Award as the Best

Midfielder in the USA and was inducted into the Johns Hopkins Sports Hall of Fame. Huntley was a

member of the Team Canada Men’s Field Lacrosse team in 1978 and 1982 and has served as a coach

with the 1986, 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2010 teams. He is the only Canadian to have been a member of

both Team Canada World Field Lacrosse Championship teams as a player in 1978 and coach in 2006.

Dave has coached NCAA Division 1 lacrosse; high school lacrosse; and professional indoor and

outdoor lacrosse with seven different teams. He won two Major League Lacrosse (MLL)

championships with the Baltimore Bayhawks (2005) and the Toronto Nationals (2009). Huntley has

been inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame as a member of the 1978 and 2006 Team

Canada World Champion teams.

Team Category-

Victoria Royal Waxmen/Seasprays 1980-98

The Victoria Royal Waxmen/Seasprays ruled the field lacrosse pitch for nearly two decades. In 1980,

the squad was built to compete in a five-team league formed to promote the sport and prepare western

players for a shot at making Canada’s National Team for the 1982 world championships. The original

coach was Chris Hall and included converted box stars such as Kevin Alexander, Ron McNeil, Larry

Bell and Art Webster amongst others. The project was a success as the club placed eight players on

the 1982 national team. The Waxmen/Seasprays won numerous BC Provincial championships (17

titles); Canadian National Ross Cups (11 titles), the Western States Tournament (7 titles); and the

North American Brogden Cup championship on three occasions. The team won 142 games while

only losing 4 through 1988. Along the way, there were seven undefeated seasons, a string of 75

straight wins, and numerous US college scholarships earned. The Waxmen/Seasprays produced some

incredible talents over the decades including lacrosse legends Tom Marechek and Paul and Gary Gait

who starred for Syracuse of the NCAA.

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