Hockey

Ken “Nipper” Stevenson

Born in Cobourg on May 11^th, 1957, Ken Stevenson’s small stature has always been offset by a strong desire and drive to succeed, whether it be on a ball field, a hockey rink, or putting in the countless hours in the gym to become an elite level bodybuilder. “Nipper” first made his mark locally on the golf course in 1974 when he won the Dalewood Golf and Country Club’s Junior Championship. The very next year he was a part of the Sommerville’s Juvenile Fastball team that captured the Provincial Championship. Two years later he added another Provincial Championship to his sporting resume with the Grafton Junior Fastball team. In the fall of 1976, Ken joined the Cobourg Cougars and had what could only be termed as a “dream” season for the local hockey outfit. Scoring 40 goals as a rookie, in the 1976-77 season, Ken would not only claim the team’s Rookie-of-the-Year honors but would also be voted as the team’s most popular player, a tribute to his goal-scoring prowess and his hard work on the ice, which was evident to all those who saw him play. Unquestionably, the highlight of the year for Ken would come on the night of January 21^st in Frankford, when Ken tied a team record with six goals in a game and also added an assist. Later that year, Ken was rewarded for his achievements by being named as Cobourg’s Male Athlete of the Year. In 1991 Ken retuned to the local hockey scene as the head coach of the Cobourg Jr. Cougars Rep Novice team. Over the next eight years he would also do the same for the Rep Atom, Peewee, and Bantam teams. At the same time, Ken began the process of re-entering Athletic competition, this time in competitive bodybuilding. In 1999, he won the Men’s Master’s 40+ Division, and claimed the title of Mr. Ottawa. The very next year he placed third in the same competition. In 2005, Ken also placed third in the Men’s Master’s 40+ Fame Championships, only to follow that up with three straight first place finishes in that same competition in 2008, 2009, and 2010. Two years later, Ken would compete in the Men’s Master’s 40+ UFE Championship, again claiming first place, in all claiming four finishes at the top of the podium in 2012, 2014, 2017, and 2018; with a second-place finish in 2016. 

John W. Hayden

Athlete, Teacher, Coach, Volunteer, Referee, Convenor, Executive Member … Visionary. John W. Hayden left a legacy to our local sporting community based on generosity, leadership, loyalty, and dedication. Born, raised, and devoted to all things Cobourg, John first made his mark on the local sporting scene as a standout Softball pitcher, leading from the mound as the Dairy Queen Juveniles and then Juniors captured back-to-back OASA Provincial Championships in 1970 and 1971, the first of which saw John named the Most Valuable Pitcher of the tournament, and the latter of which saw John toss a two-hit shutout in the championship game. After that, John enjoyed a long career in local education, focusing on special needs, and finding fulfillment and pride in the lives of his students. But, he didn’t leave sports behind. In addition to coaching numerous school team sports through his teaching career, John immersed himself in the local sporting scene. At various points in his life, John served as a Basketball referee, and a Baseball Umpire, but his true love could be found in coaching. Beginning in 1971, as a Peewee House League Hockey coach in the CCHL, he added another pair of OASA provincial softball championships in 1977 and 1978, as the coach of the Red Wing Squirts. In 1982, John turned his attention to the Cobourg Angels program, where as a coach he added two more Provincial Championships in 1984 and 1985 and served on the Association’s Board of Directors. Also in 1985, John began coaching with the Cobourg Minor Soccer Club and over the next eight years he also served stints as the group’s Vice President and President, playing a pivotal role in growing the sport locally. But if John did have a favourite sport, it was undoubtedly Basketball. John was part of the trio that founded the Lakeshore Minor Basketball Association (now the Northumberland Minor Basketball Association). His administrative talents, knowledge, and local contacts were invaluable in establishing the league but almost as important was his calm and steady manner, and his unwavering focus on player development and team unity over politics. John’s organizational skills were recognized in 2010 when he was named the Chairman of a Feasibility Study for the future Cobourg Community Centre and in 2017, when he was named as one of the original Board of Directors for the Cobourg and District Sports Hall of Fame. 

Liz Basinger

A lifelong “Cobourger”, Liz Basinger has not only long been a fixture on the local Cobourg sporting scene, but she has also been a driving force whose countless volunteer efforts have fundamentally enriched the sporting life of our community. Liz began volunteering her time and skills with the Cobourg Community Hockey League (CCHL) in the 1970’s. This included coaching, most notably in 1977-78 when she coached the Cobourg Wholesaler Bantams, a team which featured fellow CDSHF inductee Steve Smith. In 1984, Liz made the jump from minor hockey to the Cobourg Junior C Cougars as a member of the community-based Board of Directors. A constant presence at the arena, often “running the gate” on game nights, Liz was a vital part of the Cougars transition to the Tier II Junior A ranks in 1992 and stayed on as the team transferred to being a privately owned entity. Based on her years of experience and involvement with all off-ice aspects of running the team, Liz was appointed head of "Game Day Operations". In addition to her work with the Cougars, Liz became the head statistician for the OHA's Central Jr. C. League in 1988; and the Pointstreak administrator inputting all roster details for the OHA's Central Jr. C. As league convener she traveled and facilitated league meetings, prepared league minutes, authored various reports and press releases; trained Pointstreak operators and maintained the League's web page amongst other duties. At the 2003 Cobourg Civic Awards ceremony, Liz was the recipient of a Distinguished Civic Award for Sports. In 2011, Liz was made a Cobourg Cougars Life Member. In 2015, Liz was awarded the Crystal Puck by the Ontario Hockey Association. This prestigious award recognizes an individual's outstanding achievements or contributions to the OHA. At the 2018 Cobourg Civic Awards ceremony, Liz was recipient of the Sportsmanship Award (currently called the “Leadership in Sport” Award) recognizing her outstanding leadership in contribution to Cobourg's sports and recreational community. Liz’s breadth of knowledge gained over the years from volunteering have made her a valued consultant and adviser to countless local sporting initiatives, most notably, the Dudley Hewitt Cup in 1996, the World Junior A Challenge in 2015 and the RBC Cup in 2017. That same year, Liz was announced as one of the inaugural Board of Directors of the Cobourg & District Sports Hall of Fame. 

Many nicknames are bestowed, but fewer are earned, and rarer still are the nicknames that become universal. Justin Williams has earned his. Known throughout the hockey world simply as “Mr. Game 7”; a sobriquet he earned by playing in nine game seven playoff games in his NHL career. His team’s sported an 8–1 record in those games. He currently is tied for the most-ever goals in these games with seven, and has the outright record for most game seven points, with fifteen. Born on October 4, 1981 in Cobourg, Williams was drafted in the first round, 28th overall, by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. Traded to the Carolina Hurricanes on January 20, 2004, Williams NHL career blossomed. 

That spring he was chosen to represent Canada in the 2004 IIHF  World Championships in Prague and came back with a Gold Medal. Two years later with Carolina he set career highs with 31 goals, 45 assists, and 76 points in the regular season, before adding 18 points in 25 playoff games that spring, helping the Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup. 

He made his first appearance in an NHL  All-Star game at the 2007 NHL  All-Star Game in Dallas and also played for Canada in the 2007 IIHF World Championship, in which he won his second gold medal. Traded to the Los Angeles Kings on March 4, 2009 Justin scored 15 points in the 2012 playoffs, helping the Kings win their first Stanley Cup and his second. Williams won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Most Valuable Player in the 2014 playoffs, where he won his third Stanley Cup and second with the Kings. He scored nine goals and 15 assists during the playoffs, including points in all three Game 7 contests the Kings had enroute to the Finals. Returning to the Hurricanes in 2017, on September 13, 2018, Williams was named as the team’s captain. 

On October 8, 2020, he announced his retirement from professional hockey after a 19-season NHL career and in 2024, he was inducted into the Carolina Hurricanes Hall of Fame. Despite all of his success, Justin has never forgotten where he came from, fundraising money for Northumberland Hills Hospital, lending his name and time to local youth hockey camps, and most notably, bringing the Stanley Cup to Cobourg in 2006 and in 2014; and sharing it with our community.

When Lionel Gutteridge passed away in 1991, Layton Dodge paid tribute to him in the pages of the Cobourg Daily Star, writing that “Gutteridge leaves an indelible mark on the fabric of sport in our town … it was his efforts as a volunteer administrator that set him apart from the crowd and led to his touching a lot of people”. 

A lifelong resident of our community (with the notable exception of his military service in the Second World War) “Tut’s” list of positions and contributions as a volunteer is immense. A founding member of Cobourg Legion Minor Softball in 1957, he also served as the association’s first-ever President in 1960, and for over twenty years as their Equipment Manager. 

His time and administrative talents were not limited to our town’s diamonds; as he was also an executive member of the Cobourg Community Hockey League, including serving as CCHL President, while acting as a referee and later in life, alongside his wife Gladys, as the Gatekeeper for Cobourg Cougars home games. In recognition of his years of volunteer service he was recognized with the Cobourg Legion Branch 133 Certificate of Merit (for 30 years of service to minor sport), was bestowed the status of Lifetime Member of both Cobourg Legion Minor Softball and the Cobourg Community Hockey League, which named their Coach-of-the-Year (House League) trophy in his honour. It should also be noted that he was a skilled golfer, claiming the Dalewood Golf and Country Club’s Senior Championship six times (in the first nine years of the event). A month after his passing, and acting upon a suggestion by Layton Dodge, the name of the park that was located beside his home, formerly known as the Stuart Street Park was formally renamed the “Lionel “Tut” Gutteridge Memorial Park. 

“In his later years, when the existing Legion softball executive purposely avoided assigning him any specific duties because of his personal health problems, Tut was miffed,” wrote Layton after his passing. “Even then, he still wanted to contribute. That’s the kind of doer he truly was. To the very end, we respected “Tut” Gutteridge for all he accomplished and what he stood for. We were proud to consider him a friend. We shall miss him. Cobourg will seem a little poorer, a little emptier now that he has gone to a better place – but his legacy will live on here forever”. 

In the long history of sports in our community few people were as memorable or as beloved as Bill Elliott. He was known by everyone who crossed his path as “Cowboy”. Moving to the area in 1964 to take on a new job, “Cowboy”, who spent his youth near Ivey, Ontario playing Baseball in the summer and Hockey in the winter, went looking around for a team to play on. Soon he gravitated towards a fastball team in the Cobourg Town League in need of a catcher, which in turn led him to the Cobourg Mercantile Hockey League where he tended goal. “Cowboy” would become a fixture of both leagues for the next three decades as well as in too numerous to count dart leagues, bowling teams, horseshoe and golf tournaments. 

In demand as a Fastball Catcher, he played for the Oshawa Tony’s team that won a Senior A Men’s Fastball title in 1978. Two years later he was a part of the Cold Springs Cats team that won a Senior A Provincial Championship and then finished in fourth place at the Nationals in Saskatchewan, where “Cowboy” set a record for most put outs in one day. He also played with the Masters Version of the Cold Springs Cats that won three consecutive Canadian Men’s Fastball titles in 1995, 1996, and 1997. 

For many however, Bill will always be remembered as a tireless advocate for sports in our community and his fundraising skills were legendary. Wherever “Cowboy” was a 50/50 draw ticket or a charitable Euchre tournament were never far behind. 

Over the years, he raised thousands of dollars for local hockey teams, baseball teams, various community causes, and for those individuals in need. The words “no” and “can’t” were not in his vocabulary and more often than not he wouldn’t wait for someone else to take the initiative on a pressing need, especially when he could fill that role. In 2021, Bill was recognized for all of his work through the years with Cobourg’s Citizen of the Year Award, a fitting tribute for a man who gave so much of himself – his talent, his energy, and above all, his time – to our community.

Referred to by Ron MacLean as Cobourg’s “Ms. Everything”, Jen has devoted a large part of her life to sports in our community; first as a player, and then as coach, a teacher, an executive member, a trusted mentor to so many, and as a tireless volunteer to countless teams, sporting organizations and athletic events. Jennifer first distinguished herself on the local sporting scene when she joined an All-Star Fastball team sponsored by Cobourg Tony’s Pizza. In 1977, that team captured the Ontario Bantam B Championship. 

In 1980, Jen began her 11-year stint with the renowned Cobourg Angels, helping them to win 4 Ontario Championships. She started her rep hockey career in Cobourg and then joined the Rice Lake Rebels, winning 2 Provincial OWHA Championships with them during the 1980’s. After graduating from C.D.C.I. West in 1982, where she was valedictorian, Jennifer attended the University of Toronto where she graduated with both Physical and Health Education and Teaching Degrees. 

During her five years at U of T, Jen played Varsity Hockey with the Lady Blues and won four OUAA (Provincial) championships. She also rowed varsity in her first year. Since then, she has won 8 more Provincial OWHA hockey Championships with Cobourg teams (4 as player; 4 as coach). Jen has coached hockey for over 30 years, as well as many other sports including track & field, fastpitch, basketball and more. Her CCI girl’s team earned the OFSAA Sportsmanship Award in 2016 and finished 4th in the Province. In Master Sports, she has been a three-time Gold Medalist in Women’s Softball at the World Master Games with the Canadian Free Spirits (Australia, Italy, New Zealand), won an Ontario 55+ Provincial Hockey Championship, won 3 track and field golds at the 2024 Canada 55+ Games (shot put, discus, and javelin), was the 2024 Ontario Masters Throws Triathlon Champion, and won a Masters Women’s slo-pitch provincial championship. 

She has also competed provincially in broomball and volleyball. Jennifer has volunteered her time for countless events, initiatives, and executive boards. Some of her proudest moments have been her major volunteer roles at events like the Parapan Am Games, Invictus Games, World Jr. A Challenge, RBC Cup, 55+ Ontario Games, OFSAA officiating and more. In 2015, she was presented Cobourg’s “Layton Dodge Athletic Award” for her “contribution to Cobourg’s Athletic Community in terms of skill, sportsmanship, participation, and leadership”

Few athletes are fortunate enough to be considered elite in one sport. Rarer is that athlete who is considered elite in two sports. Dave Waldie, born on April 8, 1965, in Campbellford and a life-long Alnwick-Haldimand resident, was a standout at the rink and the diamond. At five-years-old, Dave started playing Cobourg Church Hockey, and from Novice through Minor Midget he would be the Most Valuable Player and leading scorer every year. In 1980, he led his Major Bantam team to an All-Ontario championship, a first for Cobourg. The next year, as a sixteen-year-old, he suited up for the Cobourg Cougars and was named the OHA Jr. C Rookie-of-the-Year. 

Drafted by the OHL’s Cornwall Royals, he would split his first year between Cornwall and Newmarket (Tier 2), and then join the Royals full-time for the next two seasons, amassing 99 points in 1984-85. At the end of the year – due to a clerical error - Portland of the Western Hockey League was able to pick him up as an overage player. Dave enjoyed his greatest season in 1985-86, lighting the lamp 68 times, adding 58 assists for 126 points. He was named the WHL Rookie-of-the-Year and made the WHL first all-star team. He also won the Bill Anderson Sportsmanship Award for best leadership and dedication, and the Pat Shugog trophy for the MVP of the playoffs. That year Portland hosted the Memorial Cup. In four Memorial Cup games Dave tallied seven points. With his junior career now over, Dave had tryouts with both the Detroit Red Wings and the Hartford Whalers before eventually signing a contract with the Peoria Rivermen of the IHL. He played in eleven games, recording two goals and three assists before deciding to retire from pro hockey. 

He wouldn’t leave the game behind, exchanging his skates and a puck, for a pair of running shoes and a ball. He became an integral part of four Cobourg Ball Hockey League Championship teams. Dave’s success in hockey was matched by his softball accomplishments; 1 OASA All-Ontario Squirt Championship, 2 Peterborough Men’s Town League Championships, 7 Cobourg Town League Championships, 1 OASA Intermediate ‘A’ Championship, 1 OASA Intermediate ‘B’ Championship, 1 OASA Masters Championship, 2 OASA Masters Silver-Medals, 2 Canadian Masters Championships, 1 NAFA Championship, and 2 appearances in the ISC World Fastball Championships. 

Fran Jay never played a sport, but it would be impossible to tell the story of Baseball and Hockey in our community without her. In our community and beyond, she played a critical role in the growth and acceptance of woman’s hockey. A lifelong resident of Cobourg, Fran married Ron Jay on October 26, 1963. Ron was heavily involved in Baseball locally, and it didn’t take long for Fran to gravitate towards the administrative side of the sport. Joining the executive of the Cobourg Baseball Association, Fran took on countless tasks; organizing tournaments, running fundraisers, housing and feeding visiting umpires, arranging accommodations for visiting teams, working the canteen to name but a few.

 In 1987, after many years of service, she was awarded the “Curtis Products Award”, given to the person judged to have contributed the most to the Cobourg Baseball Association. While attending a Toronto Blue Jays game, Fran and Ron were featured on the stadium Jumbotron in recognition of their contributions to Baseball and were referred to as “Mr. and Mrs. Blue Jay from Cobourg”. Fran and Ron had two children, Brian and Brenda. When Brian played hockey, Brenda always tagged along. When Brenda was old enough to play in Cobourg, she wasn’t allowed a chance to play with the boys and there was no girls team. So began Fran’s legacy as an advocate for girls’ hockey. 

Although she didn’t start girls’ hockey in Cobourg, she spearheaded the creation of the United Counties Hockey League (later known as the Lakeshore League) which provided girls’ teams a chance to play against girls’ teams in other towns. In 1982, Fran became the first ever Girls Governor on the CCHL executive and brought her administrative talents to her newest passion. Later she would be elected a Life Member of the CCHL in recognition of her efforts. Eventually, Fran would join the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association executive as a Regional Director. A board member from 1993 to 1999, she was the team liaison for international teams and organized the 1997 and 1998 Senior AAA Women’s Provincial Championships that were held in Cobourg. She also helped to organize the 1997 Women’s World Championships, held in Kitchener, and was involved with the Canadian Women’s Olympic Hockey Team. 

One would be hard-pressed to find an athletic pursuit – Hockey, Softball, Basketball, Football, Track & Field – that Al Fenton did not excel in. A regular competitor at Kawartha, COSSA, OFSSA throughout his high-school career, Al’s athletic talents were on constant display. In 1967 he established six new records in six Junior events at C.D.C.I. West’s Field Day. He followed that up by winning 3 races at the Kawartha meet in Peterborough. Then in Oshawa he took home the COSSA championship in the 100- and 220-yard sprints. At the OFSSA championship in Hamilton Al ran a personal best in the 100-yard sprint. 

Al was also a valued member of the West’s Junior Harrier team, regularly competing in Kawartha Cross-Country events. He was one of three Cobourg runners chosen in 1967 to compete at the first Central Ontario-Maritimes track & field meet, held in St. John, New Brunswick. That same year – in team sports – Al was the top scorer on the Bantam ‘A’ Basketball team and was voted the Outstanding Junior Football Player by his teammates. Surprising no one and considering his many accomplishments, a just-turned 16-year-old Al was chosen as Cobourg’s ‘Athlete of the Year’ in 1967. 

Outside of school athletics, Al also played both All-Star Hockey and Softball. In 1968, along with many of his teammates, Al made the jump from Midget All-Star Hockey to the Junior B Cobourg Cougars, where he would be a prolific centreman for the next two seasons. In Softball, his talent at the plate and on the mound, helped his Dairy Queen team capture Provincial OASA championships in 1970 and 1971. Thanks to his athletic and educational prowess, Al received a four-year Division 1 Hockey scholarship at Colgate University, graduating with a BA in 1974. 

Upon invitation, he attended the Toronto Maple Leafs Rookie Camp that fall before returning to Cobourg to work at General Foods, play Fastball in the summer and Mercantile Hockey in the winter. At the same time he studied for his MBA from Western University. Upon receiving his MBA in 1978 Al, along with his young family moved to Wooster, Ohio where he settled into his life’s work, and was instrumental in introducing the sport of hockey to a generation of youngsters through the development and organization of Wooster’s Youth Hockey Club Program.