Who is the best all-time athlete from Vancouver Island?
, Silken Laumann, Ryder Hesjedal, Steve Nash, Simon Whitfield B次元官网网址� the contenders are many.
ThereB次元官网网址檚 only one sporting way to decide: A SIXTY-FOUR ATHLETE ONLINE TOURNAMENT BRACKET!
Visit the long list below (which is over well over 64). If you think anyoneB次元官网网址檚 missing, have a look and email me at reporter@saanichnews.com, or Tweet me @travisapaterson.
Soon, based on your dedicated input and my exhaustive research, I will whittle the list of names down to 64. From there, we will invite the public to vote via an online poll. Get your arguments in loud and early, because IB次元官网网址檓 running through this on Sunday night and IB次元官网网址檓 not staying up past midnight.
When the time comes, we will be Tweeting/Instagramming/Facebooking this tournament like itB次元官网网址檚 on fire.
And hey, we know itB次元官网网址檚 a debate sure to fire up Island sports enthusiasts and Canadians alike.
First, a little clarification on transplants vs. Island-born. Transplants are allowed. To a degree. The threshold is that the athlete was established here before asserting themselves on the world scene.
Laumann wonB次元官网网址檛 crack the list, as the three-time Olympic medal winner and world champion Laumann of Ontario was a Western University athlete who moved to the Saanich Peninsula mid rowing-career. Whitfield, however, arrived here in 1997, years before he became a household name winning gold at the 2000 Sidney Olympics.
HeB次元官网网址檒l make it in.
For added reference: Despite inventing the rules that , Lester Patrick played and won the Stanley Cup for the Victoria Cougars but was already established before he moved here. He will not make the list, but his Victoria-born sons Muzz and Lynn could (the trio won the 1940 Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers with Lester as coach, and Muzz was also the national heavyweight boxing champion).
Was Muzz better than Jamie Benn? Hmmm. Is Jamie better than Rod the Bod BrindB次元官网网址橝mour? Hmmm.
(Inset photo, Muzz and Lynn with dad Lester Patrick on the NHL New York Rangers.)
Here are th names weB次元官网网址檙e considering, with kudos to the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame, B.C. Sports Hall of Fame and Wikipedia for the bios.
Rochelle Low - field hockey
Deb Whitten - field hockey
Laurelee Kopeck - field hockey
Ali Baggott - field hockey
Andy Rushton - field hockey
Jan Crook - field hockey
Milena Gaiga - field hockey
Ryan Cochrane - swimming
Gillian Carleton - cycling
- lacrosse
- soccer
- baseball
- lacrosse
- rugby
- basketball
- basketball
- hockey
- hockey
Bob Court
- rowing
Phil Olsen - javelin
- football
Richard Peter
Shane Sutcliffe
Al Howie
- auto racing
Billy Foster - auto racing
George Pakos - soccer
Nick Gilbert
Mike Piechnik
Doug Chase
- curling
Gary Kershaw - racecar driver
Eddie Murray - football
Red Thomson
Stan Kern
Kim de Macedo
Anna Vander Kamp
Wendy Pattenden - tennis
Catherine Willis
- baseball
Clark Davis
Mike Mason
Spencer OB次元官网网址橞rien
Geoff Courtnall - hockey
Russ Courtnall - hockey
Muzz Patrick - hockey
- hockey
- hockey
Jamie Benn- hockey
Tyson Barrie - hockey
Dave Calder - rowing
Lindsay Jennerich - rowing
Patricia Obee - rowing
Kevin Light - rowing
Malcolm Howard - rowing
Steve Nash - basketball
Lucy Smith - running/triathlon
Cheryl Murphy - running/duathlon
Phil Nicholls - running
Nic Pivetta - baseball
Rich Harden - baseball
Michael Saunders - baseball
Peter Reid - triathlon
Steve Smith - downhill MTB
Cam Neely - hockey
