Lacrosse Legends

Stan has served as the Executive Director of the OLA since 1986, after first launching his career in
amateur sport in 1982 as the OLA Program Director, before being promoted to OLA Technical Director and eventually to the position of Executive Director – a position the held for 35 years.

Stan began his legendary playing career when he picked up his first lacrosse stick at the age of 12.

He would become an all-star box player for Oshawa. His playing style was an immediate threat to his opponent’s goaltenders. As a Junior “A” player, Stan ranked 5th in All-Time Goals with 319 goals for the Gaels, and was named Most Valuable Player in Junior “A” in 1975 and 1976, as well as being named Major Series Lacrosse’s Rookie of the Year in 1977.

Stan’s international career began in 1976 as a three-time member of Team Canada’s field lacrosse
program (1978, 1982 and 1990), leading Team Canada to a World Championship gold medal in 1978 by scoring six goals and tallying three assists, including the game-winner in the 17-16 overtime win against the United States. The 1978 World Lacrosse Championships were a watershed moment for the sport throughout Canada and a springboard to kickstart the growth of field lacrosse throughout Ontario.

At the time, he was named “Player of the World”.

Stan played collegiately for North Carolina State University in the United States, where he was a four-time All-American selection and still ranks among the all-time NCAA leaders in total Goals Scored (193), Points (280), Points Per Game (6.36), Goals Per Game (4.39) - a record that still stands 41 years later.

Cockerton’s accomplishments as a player have been recognized through his inductions into the
Oshawa Sports Hall of Fame (1990), Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame (1997, Inaugural Class),
Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame (2003), USA Lacrosse Hall of Fame (2014), and North Carolina
State Hall of Fame (2016).

As a builder Cockerton’s passion for the sport saw him serve as Vice President of the
International Lacrosse Federation (now World Lacrosse) from 2003-2010, and then as President from 2010-2017. Cockerton’s contributions to the game internationally have helped shape the aspiration to return the sport of lacrosse to the Olympic Games. Stan was proud to witness the most historic moment for lacrosse: the official recognition of the sport by the International Olympic Committee on July 20th, 2021. He was honoured with the Lester B. Pearson Award in 2011 by Lacrosse Canada for his outstanding contributions to the sport, as well as the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018 by World Lacrosse for his international growth and development efforts.

Louis Delisle was inducted into the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2014. His involvement began with minor lacrosse from 1955-64.

He won two Quebec Junior Championships in 1966 and 1967.

His Senior Career spanned from 1968-1988 with the Caughnawaga Indians and the Kahnawake Mohawks, playing in 5 President Cups and winning a Silver Medal in 1969.

His accomplishments were noted in 1970 when he won the Thorpe-Longboat Award for outstanding lacrosse and hockey achievement.

Delisle’s record as a Coach and Builder is equally impressive. He was a founding member of both the Caughnawaga Minor Lacrosse Association and the Caughnawga Indians Senior Team.

These and other contributions led to him receiving the Quebec Lacrosse Volunteer of the Decade Award for the 70’s.

He was Quebec Coach of the Year in 1979.

Louis has coached in every decade since the 60’s and continues with high school lacrosse today.

He runs local clinics at this time. He played a major role in the 150 th Anniversary of Lacrosse Celebration organizing the Kahnawake community for the historical re-enactments of the game.

Frank Nielsen is known as a solid, knowledgeable lacrosse competitor.

He had an 11 year stint in the Western Lacrosse Association Sr. A League playing for the Coquitlam Adanacs from 1976 – 1984 and the New Westminster Salmonbellies from 1985-1986.

He was known for his defense and faceoff abilities and was made the Alternative Captain for Canada West in the 1980 Nations World Box Championship.

Nielsen moved on to coaching after his playing days and brought the Coquitlam Adanacs to the Mann Cup in 1998 for the first time. He also coached the Coquitlam Junior Adanacs while in the organization.

He shared his deep knowledge of the game as one of the contributing authors of the BCLA Coach Drill Manual for Box Lacrosse.

He had great success as an international coach of Team Canada, capturing Silver Medals in 1998 an 2002.

He capped those honours off with a Gold Medal performance at the 2006 World Field Championships held in London, Ontario.

It was Canada’s first Gold since 1978.

For these achievements, Frank was selected as a finalist for the 2007 Sport BC Coach of the Year Award.

Steve Brown has been a builder of the game in the Maritimes. He has 35 plus years as an administrator for the game as well as 30 plus years as a player and a coach. He has also refereed for over 20 years.

He has done it all. Brown has played in Founders, President’s and Victory Cup tournaments and was named as an MVP and All Star as a player in the Maritime Junior League.

He has coached at all age levels for Sackville Minor Lacrosse, Sackville Wolves Senior Lacrosse, Canada Summer Games Teams, and Nova Scotia Provincial teams .

In 1974 he was a co-founder of the Sackville Wolves Lacrosse Association and in 2000 he was co-founder of the Metro Minor Lacrosse League.

Brown has served as Commissioner of the Nova Scotia Senior Men’s Lacrosse League, Commissioner of the East Coast Junior Lacrosse League and was VP of Operations for Lacrosse Nova Scotia from 1997-2014.

He gained international experience by coordinating the Organization Committee for the 2007 World Indoor Lacrosse Championships that were held in Halifax. When it comes to building the game on the East Coast, Steve Brown can claim a large share of the success.

Mike was born into lacrosse; both of his parents were involved in the making of the hickory lacrosse stick, a piece of the game that embodies the traditional and spiritual values of the game, a tradition which was passed on to Mike at a very early age.

From a playing standpoint, Mike played in the St. Regis, Cornwall Island & Cornwall Minor Lacrosse systems of eastern Ontario & western Quebec for many years and is considered by many to be one of the best face-off man and stick handler to come out of Akwesasne.

Mike's greatest contributions to the game of lacrosse is quite possibly his quiet determination to promote the game of lacrosse as the Creator's Game and that it's a game of thanksgiving to the Creator for all He has provided to us.

While Dr. William George Beers is considered the Father or founder of the modern game of lacrosse, Mike has been and continues to be a true champion of the game nationally and internationally - not just for the Mohawk people, but for all other First Nation people.

In 1990, Mike started his vision of promoting lacrosse by reviving the Akwesasne Minor Lacrosse Association.

After many dormant years, Mike's revival of the Akwesasne Minor Lacrosse Association would have minor teams once again competing in the Ontario Minor Lacrosse Association.

His drive to further promote and grow the game continued with the development of the Iroquois Lacrosse Association over twenty (20) years ago.

In 1993, Mike was appointed to the CLA's Board of Directors where amongst his duties as a Board member, he led the campaign to have First Nations participants recognized and inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame (CLHoF), both as players and builders.

In 2003, he himself was honoured by the CLHoF with his induction as a Special Contributor in lacrosse.

Mike's selfless advocacy for the game and those who play it continued as he played a key role in establishing the Akwesasne Lacrosse Hall of Fame [presently in a transition stage to become the Akwesasne Sports Hall of Fame].

Mike was recognized for all that he has given when he was the proud recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Medal for his service to his people and Canada.

Gail Cummings-Danson

The first Canadian female lacrosse player to get a full-ride scholarship to an American university, the Team Canada alumna remains Temple's all-time points leader.

The CLF organized the 150th Anniversary of Lacrosse Celebration in June 2017.

This was a once-in-a-lifetime event that celebrated the history and cultural significance of Canada's national summer sport through a formal event in Montreal, Quebec.

John Grant and Jim Wasson – Life-long Teammates and Star Players. They share the will
to be the best.

Don Barrie – Historian, Coach and Player during Peterborough’s Golden Years.

Russ Sheppard – Passionate Coach and Teacher featured in The Grizzlies movie.