Lacrosse Legend Gaylord Powless To Be Inducted Into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame

Canadian Lacrosse Association – Legendary Canadian lacrosse player Gaylord Powless was named one of nine Class of 2017 inductees to Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, considered the country’s highest sporting honour, during a media conference on Wednesday, April 19 in Toronto.

 

It’s yet another accolade for a man who’s legacy continues to live on throughout the lacrosse community.

 

Powless, who earned the nickname ‘The Marvellous Mohawk’, learned his lacrosse growing up on the Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation Indian reserve near Brantford, Ontario. The oldest son of Ross Powless, himself a lacrosse great, he received his first lacrosse stick at age two and continued to play and coach the “Creator’s Game” for over five decades, carrying on an important family and cultural tradition.

 

His nomination was spearheaded by Julia McCrea, a school teacher and self-proclaimed history buff, who also helped get him inducted into the Oshawa Sports Hall of Fame in 2015. She first became aware of Powless’ story after reading his biography, Warrior: The Life of Mohawk Lacrosse Champion Gaylord Powless, in 2013.

 

“Last fall, I looked into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and while lacrosse is one of our national sports, I realized that its athletes are significantly underrepresented,” said McCrea. “I got the blessing from the family to move forward with gathering the materials and submitting the nomination.”

 

With this honour, Powless will be enshrined alongside fellow Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame lacrosse inductees Jack Laviolette (1960), William ‘Billy’ Fitzgerald (1961), Patrick ‘Joe’ Lally (1965), Dr. George Beers (1979), Jack Bionda (1982), Ike Hildebrand (1985), and Bill Isaacs (2015).

 

A skilled scorer and unselfish playmaker, Gaylord was a lacrosse prodigy growing up, winning the Tom Longboat Award as the best Indigenous athlete in Canada at the age of 17. Around that same time, he was recruited by famed coach Jim Bishop to join the Oshawa Green Gaels, and helped lead the Junior A squad to four consecutive Minto Cup championships from 1964 to 1967.

 

Powless went on to enjoy a successful career at the senior level, highlighted by a Mann Cup championship with the Brantford Warriors in 1971. Between 1968 and 1977, he played professionally in the National Lacrosse Association for Detroit, Syracuse and Montreal, while also suiting up for amateur teams in Rochester, Coquitlam, Brantford, and his hometown of Six Nations.

 

He also donned the maple leaf on several occasions, representing Canada on the international stage twice in 1967, winning gold at the Indian International Field Lacrosse Tournament at Expo 67 in Montreal and bronze at the inaugural lacrosse world championship in Toronto.

 

While his career was cut short, retiring due to injuries at age 30, Gaylord amassed numerous individual accolades throughout his 14 years playing the game. He was chosen as the Minto Cup’s most valuable player in 1964 and 1967, the top scorer in Junior A lacrosse in 1966 and 1967, and won the Ken Ross Trophy for ability and sportsmanship in 1965 and 1966.

 

In 1990, he was inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame , joining his father Ross (1969) as the only father-son tandem in the players’ category.

 

His name has since been memorialized through the naming of the arena in Six Nations, the Gaylord Powless Arena, and of the annual prize given to the most sportsmanlike player in Ontario Junior A lacrosse, the Gaylord Powless Award.

 

While he was a dominant force on the lacrosse floor, with an unmatched passion for the game, his daughter Michelle Powless-Anderson remembers him as so much more.

 

“He was more than just an athlete, he was a great father and grandfather,” she said. “Growing up, I didn’t realize how good of a player he really was. I don’t ever remember him bragging about himself. He was very humble.”

 

“Dad was also an amazing coach; he loved teaching the game and the kids loved him,” added Powless-Anderson, who continues to hear stories of the impact her father had on the young players he coached. “He never yelled or lost his temper. When he spoke, people listened. He commanded respect.”

 

“I’m more proud of those things than my dad being an exceptional athlete.”

 

Sadly, Gaylord Powless died from cancer on July 28, 2001 at age 54, but his influence as a role model and inspiration to generations of Indigenous youth carries on. Through the game of lacrosse, he helped create bridges, friendships, and goodwill between Indigenous and non-Indigenous players and cultures in Canada.

 

“I am so proud of Gaylord’s pursuit of excellence in lacrosse,” said younger sister Gail Powless-Ayres. “While I wish he were here to savour this achievement, I like to believe he is here through his grandchildren who continue to keep lacrosse alive.  He would be so proud of his legacy.”

 

“I am very proud of my big brother,” added Richard Powless, “I only wish he was still living to receive this honour.”

 

As an Indigenous person, Gaylord had to withstand tremendous racism from coaches, players, fans, and sports writers. His reaction was to recognize that he was a target for bullying and abuse and to overcome it by being the best player, and the highest scoring athlete he could be.

 

“I have worked and volunteered with Indigenous people at various times and am well aware that their significant achievements often go unrecognized,” said McCrea. “I also felt that with the recent work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, it was a perfect opportunity to give recognition to a First Nations athlete such as Gaylord Powless and tell his story to the nation.”

 

Powless will enter Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame  alongside fellow athletes Carol Huynh (Wrestling), Cindy Klassen (Speed Skating), Lanny McDonald (Ice Hockey), Mike Weir (Golf) and Simon Whitfield (Triathlon), the legendary Edmonton Grads basketball team, and builders Dr. Robert W. Jackson and Dr. Charles Tator.

 

The Class of 2017 will be officially inducted during the Induction Celebrations on November 9, 2017 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Please visit www.sportshall.ca for more information.

 

 

Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame is an international award-winning facility with over 40,000 square feet of inspiring experiences. Located at WinSport’s Canada Olympic Park, site of the 1988 Olympic Winter Games in Calgary, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame features 12 galleries, more than 50 hands-on interactive experiences and a collection of 100,000 artefacts. Our mission is to share the stories of the achievements of our inducted Honoured Members so that we can inspire all Canadians to be the best they can be in all aspects of life. Please visit www.sportshall.ca to learn more about our education programs, facility rentals and upcoming events.

 

Founded in 1867, the Canadian Lacrosse Association (CLA) is the governing body responsible for all aspects of lacrosse in Canada. Our organization is comprised of 10 Member Associations representing nearly 80,000 individual participants, including coaches, officials, and athletes of all ages and abilities. The CLA’s mission is to honour the sport of lacrosse and its unique nation-building heritage, by engaging our members, leading our partners, and providing opportunities for all Canadians to participate. We strive to accomplish this while adhering to our core values of health, excellence, accountability, respect and teamwork. The CLA oversees the delivery of numerous national championships and the participation of Team Canada at all international events sanctioned by the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL). The CLA is proud to be affiliated with partners that share the same vision and values, including our corporate partners – New Balance Athletics, Warrior Sports, Westjet, and Baron Rings – as well as our funding partners the Government of Canada, the Coaching Association of Canada, and the Canadian Lacrosse Foundation. For more information on Canadian Lacrosse Association and the sport of lacrosse, visit our website at www.lacrosse.ca and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

 

 

For more information, please contact:
 

Communications and Marketing Coordinator
Canadian Lacrosse Association
Phone: 613-260-2028 ext. 302
Email: alain@lacrosse.ca