A member of the Hockey Hall of Fame will be the guest speaker on Saturday, April 1 when the Dresden Sports Hall of Fame dinner and induction ceremony is held in the Lambton-Kent Composite School auditorium.
Former NHL star Brad Park, who was inducted back in 1988, was arguably one of the best defenseman to ever play the game.
“Park was drafted by the New York Rangers in 1966. He played most of the 1968-69 season for the Rangers and the league recognized the reserved man’s poise and savvy. His play improved each of his four seasons with New York and he excelled at the 1972 Summit Series,” Dresden Sports Hall of Fame organizers said.
“When he was traded to Boston in the ‘Esposito trade’, he was the Rangers’ all-time leading scorer for defensemen. His offensive style fit with the Bruins and they did well in the playoffs. Park was traded to Detroit for the final two years of his career and he won the Masterton trophy in 1984. He published his autobiography Straight Shooter: The Brad Park Story in 2012.”
The event will run on Saturday from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Dinner is catered by Burns’ Family Restaurant and doors open at 5 p.m.
Cost is $40 for adults and $20 for kids.
Tickets are available at McKellar’s Flowers & Gifts in Dresden, or by calling Mike Wicks at 519-683-2254 or Brian McCabe at 519-683-6113.
Here are this year’s inductees:
Bob Everitt – The Lynn Martin Memorial Award
The Dresden Sports Hall of Fame is pleased to present a new award this year – The Lynn Martin Memorial Award. This award will acknowledge those special individuals who have consistently demonstrated their passion and support for the Dresden sports community. The first recipient of this award is Bob Everitt.
Sadly, Bob passed away in February of this year. Bob loved sports. In his younger days he was a referee, travelling all over Southwestern Ontario and Michigan doing games at all different levels, including the old professional International Hockey League. Bob coached baseball. In 1970, the Chatham-Kent Concretes won the O.B.A. Senior ‘A’ Baseball Championship with Bob as one of the coaches. That team was recently inducted into the Chatham Sports Hall of Fame. Above all else, Bob had a soft spot for kids. He could often be found at the arena watching Dresden’s teams competing on the ice or at one of the ball parks in town watching some baseball.
His obituary notice featured a picture of his favourite stool where he sat and watched hockey at the Dresden Arena. Bob organized the Dresden Legion’s Annual Kids Fishing Derby for over 25 years, making it a fun day for all who participated. When kids were involved, you could count on support from Bob Everitt.
Bob North – Builder Award
Bob North is being inducted into the Dresden Sports Hall of Fame as Builder for all of the tireless work that he has done in the town of Dresden and beyond. Bob graduated the University of Western Ontario with an Honors degree in physical education. His teaching career began in 1964 in Wallaceburg at WDSS in geography and physical education.
In all, Bob had nine placements at six different schools and every community that he taught in was better for it. LKCS in his hometown of Dresden was one of those schools. Bob was instrumental in the rise of the volleyball and wrestling programs at the school before moving on.
Bob also coached minor hockey in town and started a community basketball league. Most notably though, lawn bowling was his true passion in sport. Bob served as President of the Ontario Lawn Bowling Association. He was a Bowls Canada board member and also served on the Selection Committee, High Performance Committee. He was also a National Team staff member for the 2005 Asia Pacific Championships and 2006 Commonwealth Games.
Bob received the Bowls Canada Award of Merit for High Performance and the Province of Ontario Syl Apps Volunteer Achievement Award in 2012.
A funny story that he shared is that in high school he entered in the 400 yard dash as there were only 2 other contestants and he would surely win a ribbon. After dashing off from the start he had a commanding 100 yard lead but could not finish the race and did not place.
As well as this year’s induction, Bob North is also an inductee into Wallaceburg’s Sports Hall of Fame.
Brian Chinnick – Legend
Brian’s early years in minor hockey were played in the old Dresden arena from pee wee to juvenile, 1961 throuhg 1965. He was a member of the juvenile team coached by Don Brooker that brought an OMHA championship title home to Dresden. Brian went to high school in Wallaceburg and excelled in track and field and volleyball. He loved fastball and played in Dover Center in the Chatham and District Fastball League.
He also played junior baseball in Tupperville for two years. One of those Tupperville teams was a finalist in the OBA Championship.
After a single season with the Jr. B Wallaceburg Hornets, Brian moved to London to attend high school at South Secondary School and play for the London Nationals and later the London Knights OHA Junior ‘A’ Team. This is where he caught the eye of NHL scouts and was drafted in 1970 by the Los Angeles Kings in the 8th round.
Brian returned to London to complete his education and graduated from UWO in 1972. He remained active in hockey, playing for the Peterborough Petes Junior ‘A’ team, UWO Western Mustangs, London Kings Senior ‘A’, Chatham Maroons Senior ‘A’ and finished in 2015 with the London Rebels Old Timers.
In all, eight seasons of Senior ‘A’ hockey as well as five seasons of Senior ‘A’ fastball.
Brian and his wife Barbara have been married since 1970. They have two sons, Bart and Dan as well as six grandchildren. In 1970 he established a well known and respected business named Complete Mobile Wash. The company has expanded to five locations in London, Chatham, Sarnia, Windsor and Brantford proving, as always, the value of a good education.
’68 Dresden Peewee Hockey Team – Team inductee
This team was truly a championship team. Coached by DMHA newcomer Don Kellett and Lloyd Ross, the peewees had that great combination of good offence and good defense.
Competing in the East Kent League with Wallaceburg, Blenheim, Ridgetown and West Lorne, Dresden was league champions.
Defenceman Mike Houston led the team in scoring and recorded many hat tricks during the season.
In their first tournament of the year in Leamington the boys were ‘C’ Division Finalists. Dresden entered the Silver Stick Tournament in Watford, winning the championship by defeating Lambeth in the finals. That qualified Dresden for the North American Silver Stick Tournament in Port Huron. The locals defeated a tough Port Colbourne team 6-5 in the final to claim the title.
Later that day the Dresden Bantams also became Silver Stick champions. Then began the second season, the OMHA Playoffs. Back in those days each series was a best two-out-of three. Dresden defeated Ridgetown, Lambeth, Corunna, Durham, and Caledonia before meeting Bolton in the finals. After winning Game 1 in Dresden, the team travelled to Bolton and doubled up the home team 6-3 to claim the OMHA Peewee ‘C’ Championship.
Lauren Nicholson – Walter McFadden Memorial Award as Athlete of the Year
In 2015-16 Lauren’s Chatham Outlaws won the Lower Great Lakes Girls Championship.
Completing four years at Ursuline College in Chatham as an honours student, Lauren enrolled at Ryerson University in Toronto.
She made the Ryerson Rams women’s hockey team and enjoyed a great rookie season, finishing third in team scoring with 5 goals and 4 assists.
Lauren was named Ryerson’s Female Athlete of the Week on October 24, 2016.
Lauren is the daughter of Bill and Linda Nicholson of Dresden.
Gregory Martin Dreveny – Male Athlete
Born June 23, 1972, Greg is the son of Jerry and Lorraine Dreveny, and has two older siblings, Jamie and Kathy. Greg grew up in a small farming community near Tupperville, Ontario, and played minor hockey in Dresden Ontario, starting at just five years of age; and enjoyed many years of minor hockey success, helping a team from a small town of just 2,600 people achieve multiple championships at the provincial and international levels.
– Dresden Minor Hockey Achievements
– Novice OMHA Champions
– Atom North American Silver Stick Champions
– Atom OMHA Champions
– Bantam Silver Stick Finalists
– Bantam OMHA Champions
At 14 years of age, Greg split time between the Dresden Junior Kings and the Wallaceburg Lakers in his first year of OHA Junior ‘C’.
Greg left home at the age of 15 to pursue a hockey career with the Waterloo Siskins, of the Mid-Western Jr. B hockey league, where he holds the record for the lowest goals against average of 1.96 during the 1988-89 year.
Greg was also named to the Mid-Western Junior ‘B’ All-star Team, won the ’88-’89 Midwestern Junior ‘B’ Team Goaltending Award and was named the Waterloo Siskins Rookie of the Year.
That following summer Greg was the first goalie drafted in the OHL priority draft, being selected in the second round by the Belleville Bulls of the Ontario Hockey League.
During his three years at Belleville, Greg led OHL goalies with 30 Wins in 1991. He played a league leading 61 games in 1992, was twice the winner of the Belleville Bulls Unsung Hero Award and averaged 25 wins over his last OHL seasons.
After 3 years with Belleville, Greg attended the Buffalo Sabers training camp in 1992 and chose to play his overage year with the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL, where he earned Playoff MVP honors after returning from surgery midway through the year.
After a hockey injury, Greg decided to go to university and obtain his degree in Recreational Therapy from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. While getting his degree, Greg played for the Dalhousie Tigers and earned Rookie of the Year Honor for the Tigers, was named the CIAU All-star team in his sophomore year and rounded things out as the Playoff MVP in the 1994/95 season.
After becoming certified as at Therapeutic Recreational Specialist, Greg was recruited by fellow Dresden native Mike Zruna to play pro hockey for the Birmingham Bulls of the E.C.H.L, enjoying a 10-0-1 undefeated streak in his first 11 games. Greg played pro throughout the 2001 year on various minor pro teams, and settled down in Birmingham Alabama with his wife Patti, and two sons, Dylan and Dawson.
Holly (Law) Dodd – Female Athlete
Holly Dodd has excelled in sports all of her life. Beginning in 1967 at Lambton-Kent Composite School, Holly participated in every sports activity that time permitted.
She participated in badminton, basketball, volleyball, track and field and was one the first participants in girls hockey in Dresden. She even played hockey in figure skates to start out with.
Holly bowled weekly in Dresden, taught swimming for five years and served as a life guard at the pool.
While at the University of Guelph she taught swimming and was a life guard for two years.
While at The University of Guelph, Holly played varsity hockey for six seasons, captained the team for three and played on three Ontario Championship Teams.
She was skilled enough to play on the OVC men’s intramural hockey squad.
After graduation, Holly played the 1976/1977 season in the Peterborough competitive hockey league where she was the high scorer as well as league MVP.
She played competitive body contact women’s hockey from 1977 to 1992 in Cambridge, Burlington, and St. Clements winning various leagues and tournaments.
Holly retired from competitive hockey in 2007 after playing 15 seasons in the U of G Intramural ‘A’ League.
A love of sport that spanned 40 years.
– Submitted photos
