Lisa Bentley

Lisa Bentley is an 11-time Ironman champion and one of Canada’s all-time best triathletes— a feat made all the more impressive by the fact that the upbeat athlete from Alderwood often finds it hard to breathe.

Bentley has a mild strain of cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease that causes frequent lung infections, along with coughing fits that can last for hours. But she also has the determination and mental toughness to persevere, no matter the obstacles.

Growing up, Bentley ran track and field at St. Ambrose Catholic School, but the serious-minded student didn’t think she could commit to high school sports and maintain the grades for a university scholarship. A math teacher at Michael Power/St. Joseph High School saw her potential and encouraged Bentley to compete in an upcoming race. She won, and was convinced that she could excel in the classroom and on the track.

Her illness was a factor early on. “When I was a kid, I was sick all the time. I was on antibiotics all winter long,” Bentley remembers. Her family thought she had particularly bad allergies, until her older sister was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis and all four siblings were tested. Bentley had full lung capacity as a child, but she was susceptible to infection—a cold bug that would knock an otherwise healthy person out for a few days put her on medication for six weeks.

The budding triathlete loved to be active. She spent hours swimming at Alderwood Pool, running along Lakeshore Boulevard and Browns Line, and biking around a deserted Sherway Gardens parking lot on Sunday afternoons. Bentley first tried triathlon—a grueling race consisting of a 3.8 km swim, 180 km bike ride, and 42 km run—at the University of Waterloo, where she swam and cycled as cross-training while recovering from her frequent running injuries. “I just thought, this was such a fun thing. The whole body is involved,” she said. After graduation, Bentley scheduled training and competitions around teaching high school mathematics and computer science, before her early success inspired her to focus full-time on sports.

She competed at home and abroad with Canada’s World Championship Elite Team, earning the chance to represent her country at the 1995 Pan American Games in Mar del Plata, Argentina. The Canadian triathlon team won gold. “To hear the national anthem was unbelievable, and filled with so many emotions,” Bentley said. “To be part of a big sports field like that, where you’re racing for your country, that was my Olympics.”

Along with respiratory challenges that sometimes leave her coughing through an entire race, cystic fibrosis causes Bentley to lose sodium more quickly than the average athlete—a big problem when sweating through a triathlon. She also frequently ruptured her weakened Achilles tendons. “Many times I race unwell,” she said. But, she persevered. “If I didn’t do it because of cystic fibrosis, I’m going to do nothing. So I have to keep going.”

Bentley began her impressive global Ironman run by placing ninth at the 1997 Ironman World Championships, notching the second fastest debut time in history. She finished among the top ten at five different world championships, and peaked with a third place result in 2006. She came up through the ranks with fellow Canadians Lori Bowden and Heather Fuhr, who competed against one another as hard as they rooted for each other. “We weren’t superstars, we were just Canadian kids around the same age, pretty like-minded,” she said.

In national competition, Bentley captured 11 Ironman championships in eight years, the last coming after battling a heel injury at Ironman Canada in 2007. That tally includes three Canadian titles and five straight Ironman Australia wins. “It feels amazing when you can execute everything you’ve done in training,” said Triathlete magazine’s 2004 triathlete of the year.

Bentley’s relentless preparation gives her the physical and mental strength to adjust her race strategy if her illness flares up. She goes into every race knowing that she isn’t in perfect health, and that she may have to slow to a crawl to get through it. During one triathlon, with lungs burning and her body near collapse from sodium loss, she barely had the strength to stumble across the finish line and into the medical tent. “But I finished the race, because I don’t know if I’ll ever get to do this again,” she said. “I can’t quit. I just can’t. I finish what I start—no matter how hard it is.”

Her success is a validation of her hard work. “When I would cross the finish line and win, I thought of it as having the physical ability, nutrition and the mental toughness to problem solve and battle all the elements, and battle with my subconscious telling myself I can’t do it,” Bentley said. Learning to lose graciously was an equally valuable experience, she added.

The veteran athlete drew on her two decades of professional racing experience to provide colour commentary on CTV for the recent men’s and women’s Olympic marathons. Bentley has also been part of the broadcast team at numerous triathlon and Ironman events, and regularly gives motivational speeches to school groups and running clubs. But her most important audiences are youth with cystic fibrosis. “Cystic fibrosis is a gift. I can touch all these people’s lives and give them hope,” Bentley said. “For (young people) to see an athlete traveling the world and racing, that gave them hope. Of course, I started every race wanting to win, but I started to see my racing as having a bigger purpose.” She now promotes the need for research into cystic fibrosis as part of the Cure4CF campaign.

As a fitness and running coach in Caledon, Bentley encourages her clients to develop a lifelong love of sports. “It’s so amazing to see the evolution from non-athlete to athlete,” she said of her students. “That’s the goal for all my athletes—I want them to do sports forever.”

In 2009, Bentley lost significant lung function and ended up on an IV after coughing up blood during a race. She was forced to take a few steps back and get well, but still competes in triathlons and foot races, finishing the 2011 Boston Marathon with a time of 2:58. Her faith grounds her and helps her do her best. “God gave me talents, and this is my path,” she said. Bentley is grateful for her wide-ranging career, and for the advances in medicine that allowed her to compete at a high level. She is proud to be a role model for her students, clients, and people with cystic fibrosis. “If I quit, what kind of example is that?” she said.

Bentley is flattered that her career merits recognition from her hometown. “I always wanted to win, every time, but I never looked for acknowledgement. (The Hall of Fame) is an amazing bonus for me,” she said. “The first thing I thought of was my mom (Mary Laffradi) and dad (Albert, who passed away last year)—especially my dad, because he loved sports so much. I’m thinking how proud he’d be.

“I love sports, and I guess it comes down to what my parents always said: you do your best with what you have, every single time. That’s always been what I’ve done my entire career—turn negatives

into positives.”

Laura Konantz

Laura Konantz began to run at age 20, while at the University of Guelph. Since she wasn’t an especially athletic child, and only tried running because she was tired of fighting for space in the university’s crowded swimming pool, the consumer studies student didn’t think her first halting jogs around campus would lead to anything special.

How wrong she was. Konantz quickly discovered she had a natural talent for running.

At first, she was content with her short 20 minute jogs, until a friend encouraged her to extend them to 40 minutes, something the future marathoner thought quite impossible.

“I thought, I can’t do that, I’ll never be able to keep up,” she laughed. “I really just was doing it for fun.” But once she laced up the proper shoes and improved her technique, Konantz was off to the races—literally.

“Some people start running and it’s the worst thing they’ve ever done. They feel lots of aches and pains and wish it was all over,” she said. “I seemed to be able to improve quite quickly, to the point that it wasn’t too much of a struggle.”

After graduation, Konantz moved to Toronto and began training with the Longboat Roadrunners, which eased her transition to the big city and proved to be the catalyst for her stellar career. Though as recounted in the Winnipeg Free Press, her first foray with the club was less than auspicious: “She was so slow in her first Wednesday night 10–mile run that she lost sight of the pack and failed to find the finish point, ending up alone, lost and in tears.”

After building up speed and stamina, Konantz entered the 1986 Toronto Marathon, where to everyone’s surprise—including her own—the rookie runner was the top Canadian woman and second overall, finishing in 2 hours, 50 minutes.

“I was so elated you would have thought I had won the Olympics!” Konantz remembers. The globetrotting roadrunner has since competed in Europe, Japan, and many points in between, becoming what one admirer calls “one of Canada’s hardest-working, hardest-training and most successful female marathoners.” The busy athlete thrived on competition, from multiple wins at Hamilton’s Around the Bay 30K to representing Canada at the 1989 Francophone Games in Casablanca, Morocco, and the 1991 Pan American Games in Cuba.

Konantz says she loved the camaraderie of the running scene, though on race day she was an intense competitor who blocked out all distractions, to the point that she couldn’t remember anything of the scenery along the route. Her strategy was to start slow and pick up the pace toward the end, as her adrenalin kicked in and her competitors began to tire.

“People don’t realize what a mental as well as physical challenge a marathon can be. You really build up for so many months before the one race, especially when you’re at a high competitive level,” she said. She felt particularly strong during the 1990 Coors Light Half Marathon in Toronto, a “picture perfect day for running” when she finished second to American Olympic gold medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson. “I didn’t beat Joan—that wasn’t really the goal—but I was second to her, and ran a massive personal best. Everything clicked,” Konantz remembered.

At the 1990 Toronto Marathon, the confident Konantz ran one of the best races of her life. Her goal had always been to crack the two hour, 40 minute mark, and on a sunny fall day, she did just that, coming in second with her best ever time of 2:39:57.

That personal best came during a year of six marathons, an incredible feat that began in Houston in January and finished in Barbados, with stops in Columbus, Pittsburgh, Winnipeg and Toronto. The 31–year-old was at her prime, and the results confirmed it.

Expectations were high when Konantz toed the starting line at the Los Angeles Marathon in March 1991. Against a tough field, she somehow managed to match her Toronto Marathon time down to the second, digging deep to pass running icon Priscilla Welch and place ninth.

“For somebody who wasn’t much of an athlete growing up, I was quite proud of myself,” Konantz said. So was her coach, Paul Poce of the Toronto Olympic Club, though he did have one tiny complaint. “When I got back, my coach asked, ‘you couldn’t have run one second faster?’” Konantz said, laughing. Two months later, in the blistering Ottawa heat, she won the Canadian Marathon Championships and qualified for the Pan Am Games in Havana, though an injury prevented her from competing. Konantz’s past students at the High Park Running Room and current fitness class participants in the City of Brampton’s recreation department have heard little about their modest teacher’s running exploits. But she cannot hide from her many adoring fans in Barbados.

Her strong finish in Toronto led her to Bridgetown in 1986, where she won the women’s Barbados Marathon by an astonishing 30 minutes. “I didn’t realize I was so far ahead, and I was so nervous that I just kept going. And (Toronto Marathon organizer Allen Brookes) is beside me in one of those little mopeds going, ‘You can slow down—you don’t have to run quite so fast!’” she laughed. “The Queen of the Marathon” would defend her title for the next four years, setting a course record that still stands today and becoming somewhat of a local celebrity.

“I’ve always had a place in my heart for Barbados. I was recognized all along the route—‘there she is! The little girl from Canada!’” Konantz recalled. She was also recognized whenever she raced in her home province. The Winnipeg native won the Manitoba Marathon five times in front of family and friends, including her sisters Patty and Martha, her mother Mary—who would often drive alongside the course to watch Laura in action – and her father Bill, an avid sportsman who enjoyed seeing his daughter win her hometown race. Childhood friends marveled that someone who never ran in high school was now winning marathons.

While winning was “really gratifying,” Konantz felt a greater sense of accomplishment when setting a personal best. “I thrived on trying to improve myself, focusing on getting a little bit faster. I wanted to see what my potential was,” she said. Konantz ran her 55th and final marathon in Winnipeg in 2003. Today, the 52–year-old still runs regularly through High Park and by the lake, and competes in shorter races.

“I really just find it quite therapeutic. I can get into my zone, and I just feel better and have much more energy after I run,” she said. The accomplished athlete praises her coach, Paul Poce, for his guidance and support, and her massage therapist, Walter Schmanda, for keeping her race-ready for so many years. Her husband Dave, whom she met when he signed up for her running class, has been “incredibly supportive” of her career, she said.

Ironman triathlete Lynn O’Connor credits Konantz with encouraging her to pursue the sport. A respected teacher who has motivated hundreds of students, Konantz says she admires the recreational runners who strive to do their best even when the only stakes are bragging rights among friends. “I love it, because running is

a very accepting sport,” she said. “Anybody can enter a race, no matter if they’re at the back of the pack or the front, or anywhere in between.”

She hopes her story convinces others that it’s never too late to follow their passion. “Marathon training is like life—it’s going to have its ups and downs. But ultimately, if you focus on that long-term goal and have short-term goals leading up to it, you will be able to achieve it.”

Marilyn Bell

Marilyn began her swimming career at the age of nine with the Toronto Dolphinettes, under the tutelage of Alex Duff. As an amateur swimmer she had marginal success as a sprinter, but her ability to swim longer distances in open water caught the attention of famed coach Gus Ryder.

Marilyn successfully completed her first course in Lake Ontario at the age of eleven with the water temperature hovering at 49 F. In 1953 Marilyn won the Lou Marsh Trophy, as Canada’s Outstanding Athlete of the Year, after achieving the distinction of being the first woman to finish the well known Atlantic City Marathon.

Marilyn will best be remembered by Canadians, when on September 9, 1954, at age 16, Marilyn Bell became the first person to swim across Lake Ontario. She had entered the lake at Youngstown, New York shortly after 11:00 p.m. on September 8, and was forced to swim much further than the 51.5 kilometre route, due to poor water and weather conditions.

Just after 8:00 p.m. on September 9, with Gus Ryder’s guidance, and Marilyn’s strong determination, she reached the Toronto shore despite the freezing cold water, stomach cramps, and fatigue.

In July of 1955, Marilyn swam the English Channel, becoming the youngest swimmer to succeed in this event. On August 23 1956, she became the first Canadian woman to swim the Straits of Juan de Fuca.

In the years that followed, Marilyn married Joe Di Lascio and raised four children in Willingboro, New Jersey. She earned a graduate degree in special education, and taught traditional classes as well as programs for children with special needs. In addition, Marilyn has been inducted into both Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and the Ontario Aquatic Hall of Fame . . .

Bob Nadin

Most everyone who is part of the international hockey world knows the name Bob Nadin. One of Canada’s most highly decorated officials, Nadin has made a name for himself as a referee and referee supervisor during a career that has taken him to multiple Olympic Games and international hockey events around the world.

“I guess it all started when I first learned to skate when I was about three years of age,” Nadin said in a documentary about his illustrious career. He was born in Toronto on March 15, 1933, and has spent the bulk of his 80 years in hockey either on the ice or studying the game he learned as a child.

Nadin played hockey throughout his youth, but it was a request from the players in his university inter-faculty league that changed the course of his life and career. “Because I was playing for the university team, they thought I knew something about hockey, so they asked me if I’d referee the games in the inter-faculty league at the university,” he said. “From then on, I liked it and just kept on with it from there, really.”

The University of Toronto student did not expect to play elite-level hockey, so at age 17 he first picked up a whistle and donned the referee’s stripes. “The fact was, I just liked the refereeing,” Nadin said. “I think I got more pleasure from refereeing in the end than I did from playing.”

Nadin started officiating university games before moving up to the Ontario Hockey Association, eventually becoming the referee-in-chief of the CAHA (today known as Hockey Canada) from 1976 to 1986. As head ref, Nadin created the CAHA’s referee certification program, and introduced officiating casebooks for Canadian and international hockey.

The pinnacle of Nadin’s on-ice work was officiating seven games at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, Japan, and working the World Junior Championship in Russia two years later. At the same time, Nadin became a referee supervisor for the Ontario Hockey Association and the Ontario University Association. In 1984, the OHA awarded Nadin – who had been elevated to the league’s referees’ honour roll three years prior – the Gold Stick for outstanding service to the game.

For the greater part of his career, Nadin has been known in international circles as a referee supervisor, travelling the world to support, analyze, and assist officiating crews at every level of the game. He supervised National Hockey League referees from 1992 to 1996, and selected and supervised referees at the 1998 Nagano Games, 2006 Torino Games and other international events. “So it’s just a matter of basically starting at the university and working my way up through the minor hockey system for a few years, andinto the junior system, and then into the international system,” Nadin said humbly.

For almost 30 years, Nadin has been a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation’s Rules and Referee Committee. He is tasked with writing and interpreting new rules, replacing outdated rules, and fielding questions about the rulebook from all corners of the hockey-playing world. “Really, any place where international hockey is played and there’s any rule situations or questions from referees, coaches and players, they always refer to me to give the answer to the rule,” Nadin said. “As a result of that, the president of the ice hockey federation refers to me as the pope of the rules.”

Nadin could also be referred to as the pontiff of hockey stamps. He parlayed his love of the sport and a childhood interest in stamps to amass one of the greatest hockey-themed stamp collections in the world. “There are probably about 600 stamps featuring hockey from around the world,” Nadin told IIHF writer Andrew Podnieks. “And I’m missing about 50, including four from Paraguay.”

“I go through each volume and mark the hockey stamps, and then I try to find them,” Nadin continued. “Each stamp has a number, and I go to stamp stores or go online looking for individual stamps or collections. I think I’ve built up a pretty good collection,and I take my list with me whenever I travel. I always make sure to go to the post office in every city to see what they have. I know the location of every post office as well as I know where the hockey arenas are!”

The basement of Nadin’s Weston home, Podnieks wrote, is “a memorabilia shrine that documents his decades in the game. Mementos from Sapporo and on, thousands of pins, mugs, photos, pennants, and other miscellany fill his walls and shelves.” Nadin said he appreciates the stories behind the stamps. “Hockey stamps aren’t incredibly valuable. Themost expensive is maybe $50, but I think it’s pretty amazing where they come from and I love collecting them.”

Nadin is one of four Canadians to have received the IIHF Paul Loicq Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the IIHF and international ice hockey. He also received the Pierre de Coubertin Medal from the Olympic Committee in May during a ceremony at the world championship in Stockholm, Sweden, one of the highest hockey honours that can be bestowed at the international level.

The accolades are appreciated, but Nadin especially values the friendships he has formed with referees and officials from around the world. “It’s something you can’t replace, really,” he said of those bonds. The energetic hockey enthusiast’s schedule is busier than ever. Nadin attended the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship Division I in Romanshorn, Switzerland, over New Year’s, and is preparing for the men’s U18 tournament in Sochi, part of a full slate of events lined up for 2013-14.

“He’s a hockey nut…all he thinks about is hockey,” Nadin’s old friend, Henry Seykyrka, said in the documentary. “He puts his whole life into it. He’s just a terrific guy. Hockey is his life.”

Mike Walton

Mike Walton’s story is one of immediate impact and enduring success in the world of professional hockey. From his early days playing junior hockey to his distinguished career in the NHL and WHA, Walton left an indelible mark on the sport with his exceptional skill and charismatic personality.

Raised in Kirkland Lake and later settling in Sutton, Walton’s journey to hockey stardom began on the ice of his local rinks. He quickly made a name for himself with his explosive speed, dazzling stickhandling, and knack for finding the back of the net. His standout performances in junior hockey caught the attention of the Toronto Maple Leafs, who signed him to their Ontario Hockey Association farm team, the Marlboros.

During his time with the Marlboros, Walton showcased his scoring prowess, contributing significantly to the team’s success, including a Memorial Cup win in 1964. His impressive play earned him recognition as a top newcomer in both the Central Professional Hockey League and the American Hockey League in consecutive seasons.

Walton’s dream of playing for his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs became a reality during the 1965-66 season when he received a call-up to the NHL club. His electrifying play on the ice and his larger-than-life personality quickly endeared him to Leafs fans, earning him the nickname “Shakey.”

Throughout his NHL career, Walton continued to dazzle fans with his speed, skill, and creativity on the ice. He was known for his unique techniques, such as taping his stick with white medical tape and warming his sticks in the stove to give his shots more life. Walton’s ability to anticipate plays and make intelligent decisions with the puck made him a formidable opponent and a fan favorite.

After stints with the Philadelphia Flyers and the Boston Bruins, Walton transitioned to the World Hockey Association, where he continued to excel, leading the league in scoring and earning All-Star honors. His dynamic play and contributions to the game were recognized with induction into the inaugural class of the WHA Hall of Fame.

Off the ice, Walton remained a beloved figure in the hockey community, running sports camps and staying involved in the game long after his playing days were over. His enduring love for hockey and his contributions to the sport have left a lasting legacy that continues to inspire players and fans alike.

Today, Walton resides in Etobicoke, where he has lived for nearly five decades. His inclusion among Etobicoke’s sporting greats is a testament to his impact on the game and his status as a true hockey legend.

Lou Cavalaris Jr.

Lou Cavalaris Jr., dreamed of being a baseball pitcher, and played ball right up until his university days. But after serving in the Merchant Marines during World War II, Lou returned home to Hamilton, Ohio.
Lou’s father was in the restaurant business for many years, but also owned many horses… and this is what caught Lou’s attention… horse racing. He started his career at the Detroit Racecourse but later moved to Toronto in 1947, where it didn’t take him long to establish himself as a great trainer.

In 1966, he was named North America’s best trainer, by winning 175 races… and was third leading trainer for races won, in 1967 and 1968.

Lou trained some of Canada’s most outstanding horses, including Victorian Era, Ice Water and Carneys Point. One of his proudest moments, was winning the Wood Memorial in 1968 with horse Dancer’s Image.

In 1978, he became the highly respected Racing Secretary for The Ontario Jockey Club, but after 10 years in the role, Lou couldn’t resist the urge to train horses again.
His achievements were recognized when he was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 1995.
Lou is now retired from racing. He and his wife Helen are long-time residents of Etobicoke.

Linda Tripney

Linda first began competing in archery in 1991. Over a five-year period, Linda won five gold medals at the annual North American Field Archery Championships and the Canadian Field Archery Championships in the Freestyle Limited Class.

In 1996, she attended her first World Games in Washington State and won her first World Field Archery Championship in the Freestyle Limited Class, setting two world records. Two years later, in New Zealand, Linda repeated her gold win and again set another world record.

In 1999, she won the Provincial Field Archery Championship, the Canadian Field Archery Championship, and the North American Field Archery Championship. One of her greatest accomplishments to that time was winning the US Nationals Field Archery Championship.

In 1999, Linda switched from a compound bow to a recurve bow and to her credit achieved the third ranking in Canada. She also served on a committee for junior development.

Kim Lumsdon

Kim Lumsdon was born in 1957, and took up swimming at the age of 9. As a young girl, Kim traveled with her father, famed swimmer and Etobicoke Sports Hall of Famer, the late Cliff Lumsdon.

Kim spent five successful years in the 1970s on the pro-circuit and was ranked in the top three in the world for the Women’s Division. She competed with fellow Canadians Loreen Passfield and Cindy Nichols in the 1977 Lac Saint-Jean 32 km race finishing in 11 hours, 5 minutes.

Kim is particularly proud of her two Lake Ontario crossings – first in 1976 at the age of 19, where she was coached by her father; and for the second time in 2006 at the age of 49.

She says the second crossing was much more challenging, due to the cold temperatures and six-foot waves, but managed to complete the swim in 26 hours and 32 minutes.

Her achievements include placing in the Top 10 for the 1500m Masters in 1994 and 1995, and breaking the 1000 yard freestyle Ontario record in 1997.

Among her awards, the Special Achievement Award by the Province of Ontario in recognition of her contribution to Fitness and Amateur Sport; and 1996 Coach of the Year by the Splash Program.

Kim has three beautiful, grown daughters… Sasha, Jana, and Natasha, all of whom are involved in swimming. She is a long-time resident of Etobicoke, and is currently the Aquatics Manager of the Boulevard Club.

Jerome Drayton

In an age when athletic records are being broken on an almost daily basis, Jerome Drayton’s mark in the marathon stands steadfast and firm. It has been more than a quarter-century since Drayton established the Canadian record of 2:10:09 in the marathon. It is the longest standing record in Canadian Track.

That achievement alone established the Lakeshore Athlete of the Year as a true Hall of Famer. His time, which has withstood the assault of such latter day Canadian marathon stars as Dave Edge and Peter Maher is one of many great accomplishments recorded by the former Etobicoke resident.

Drayton became a hero in Japan for his three victories in the Fukuoka marathon. In 1977 he became the first Canadian in 29 years to win the Boston Marathon, before scolding the organizers of the event to clean up their act. This resulted in a series of much needed changes in the fabled event.

Drayton, who has worked as a fitness consultant for the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Recreation, also won a silver medal at the 1978 Commonwealth Games. He finished a respectable sixth at the Montreal Olympics and was a 12 time Canadian champion in a number of long distance events.

He is most proud of his three victories in Fukuoka, particularly the 1975 race in which he set his record. Just prior to the race he signed a deal with a shoe company and was fitted with a new pair on the eve of the race. “The soles gave way in the last five miles and it caused my ankle to stiffen up” Drayton recalls. “I caught the leader with about three miles to go and it was like a Charlie Chaplin routine. I sort of hopped on by.”

His record holds a certain mystique for Canadian runners. Maher, a successful runner of the international circuit, once said his main goal before retirement was to break Drayton’s record.

Ian “Scotty” Morrison

Ian “Scotty” Morrison has been involved with the game of hockey in numerous capacities. He was a player, a referee, a National Hockey League executive, and a Chair of the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.

Born in Montreal, Morrison played hockey with the likes of Jean Beliveau and Boom Boom Geffrion as a member of the Montreal Canadiens organization.

After finishing in junior hockey, he began his career as a referee with the Quebec Amateur Hockey Association and then the Quebec Senior League. At the age of 24 he became the youngest man to work as a National Hockey League referee.

After two seasons, he left the league to pursue business interests but returned to the NHL in 1965 as Referee-in-Chief. In 1981 he was made an officer of the league and appointed Vice President, Officiating.

In 1986 he was given the position of Vice President for Project Development, Site for the Hall which opened in downtown Toronto in 1993. At that time he was named Chair and Chief Executive Officer of the Hall. He retired from that position in 1998.

Morrison lived in Etobicoke from 1965 until his recent move to Haliburton after retiring. Along with his work with the Hockey Hall of Fame, Morrison helped establish the Etobicoke Sports Hall of Fame. In 1999, Morrison was inducted into the hockey Hall of Fame in the Builder category.