Inductee Type: Athlete

Clarke Pulford was born in Newton Robinson and grew up in Weston, a talented and skilled all-round athlete from a family of athletes. He played football and hockey for Weston Collegiate, junior lacrosse for his local league and Junior B hockey for Woodbridge, winning the Ontario Hockey Association Junior B Championship in 1954.

At the University of Western Ontario, where he studied Physical and Health Education, he played football and hockey for the varsity teams.

On graduation, he was drafted – ninth overall – by the Saskatchewan Roughriders, but he had always wanted to teach high school, and went to the Ontario College of Education instead. He started at Northern Secondary School the next year and remained there until his retirement, teaching physical education and math, and coaching senior football, junior and senior hockey, swimming, and track and field.

During his thirty-five year career he coached eleven TSSAA Senior football championship teams. One of those teams went on to win the Metro Bowl, and one of his hockey teams won the Toronto District Catholic Athletic Association Junior Championship. In 1970, he coached the Lakeshore Maple Leafs Junior Minto Cup champions.

Several of the players he coached and taught went on to pursue successful professional football careers. He himself continued playing and coaching lacrosse outside of school – he played (forward) for the Brampton Excelsiors and coached the Toronto Maple Leafs professional lacrosse team, as well as junior lacrosse.

In honour of his personal accomplishments in sport and the outstanding contribution he made to young athletes, the new sports field at Northern Secondary School has been named the Clarke Pulford Field, after him.

Clarke and his wife Joan now live in Stouffville. They have two children, Sandi and Jill and 5 grandchildren.

David was born in Etobicoke on May 15, 1964, and lived there with his parents and two brothers until 1981 when he was drafted by the Peterborough Petes of the O.H.L. He played there for 3 seasons enjoying a successful junior career.

In 1982, David was drafted 60th overall by the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League. In December of 1983 he played his first game with the Boston Bruins and from 1984 to 1988 David continued to play with the Bruins organization. He signed in 1988 as a free agent with the team he idolized as a child, the Toronto Maple Leafs.

He wore the blue and white for 3 years, and in the ’90-’91 season led the NHL with 8 shorthanded goals. A feat which tied Dave Keons’ 21 year old Maple Leaf record. David moved back to Boston as a free agent and played the next 5 seasons with the Bruins.

In 1996, David signed as a Free Agent with the Dallas Stars where he played for 3 seasons. As a member of the Stars organization, he won his first Stanley Cup in the spring of 1999. In the fall of that year he signed with the Colorado Avalanche and played his final two seasons in the NHL.

In David’s final game of his career in June 2001 he lifted the Stanley Cup for the second time. At the conclusions of 18 seasons in the National Hockey League, David had played 961 regular season games and 118 playoff games.

David is grateful to all of the coaches and volunteers who made his Minor Hockey days so enjoyable. From his first days outdoors at the West Mall Arena with the Eringate Minor Hockey Association, through the West End AC’s to his three best years of minor hockey with the Royal York Rangers of the Etobicoke Hockey Association a passion for the game was fostered in David that remains with him to this day. He attributes his desire to help in Minor Hockey in his community to the wonderful start he had in Etobicoke.

Upon retirement from playing in 200 I, David began a new career as a Hockey Analyst with the NHL Network and TSN. David resides in Ennismore, Ontario with his wife of 18 years, Kathy and their two children, Jessica and Alec.

Dave Bolland was born in 1986 in Etobicoke, a suburb of Toronto, Ontario, and lived in the Mimico. He started playing hockey at the local Mimico Arena, where he played for the Queensway Canadiens.

He then played minor hockey for the Toronto Red Wings in the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL) from 2000 until 2002. The Redwings would go on to win the OHL All Ontario Bantam Championship with Bolland recording four points in the championship game.

Bolland was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the second round (32nd overall) of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. Prior to joining the Blackhawks full-time, Bolland played in the American Hockey League (AHL) for the Norfolk Admirals and Rockford IceHogs.

While playing junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), Bolland helped the London Knights capture the 2005 Memorial Cup. He also competed at the 2006 World Junior Championships, where he helped Canada capture the gold medal.

Bolland has won the Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks in both 2010 and 2013. He is currently property of the Arizona Coyotes of the National Hockey League.

Bolland earned the nickname The Rat for his ability to get under the skin of opponents, similar to the play of Ken Linseman, the first player to have the nickname.

Bruce Driver was born in Etobicoke in 1962. At 4 he started playing organized hockey here, showing early promise that never failed him.

He moved into the Metro Toronto Hockey League in 1970, was named a Toronto Telegram all-star and played on 4 MTHL championship teams. He stayed with the MTHL through 1980, ending up with the provincial Junior A Royal York Royals. In his second year with them, Bruce was top league scorer among defencemen and voted onto the all-star team.

The Oshawa Generals of the OHL drafted him, but instead he accepted a hockey scholarship at the University of Wisconsin. During his 4 years with the Wisconsin Badgers, they won 2 NCAA Championships. Bruce became captain by his second year and an all-American, as well as an NCAA all-star. He was drafted by the Colorado Rockies – a New Jersey Devils team – and inducted into the Wisconsin Hockey Hall of Fame.

At Sarajevo in ‘84 he was top-scorer among defenceman on the Canadian Olympic Team. His sweater is in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

After Sarajevo, he went to the Maine Mariners in the AHL, helping win the Calder Cup. He started with the Devils next, staying with them for 12 seasons, some as assistant captain, and then for a year as captain. In 1995, he brought the Stanley cup home to Etobicoke.

He retired in 1998, after 3 years with the New York Rangers, and 15 seasons of professional hockey.

A true sportsman, Bruce accumulated fewer than 700 minutes in penalties in over 1,000 NHL games. The New York/New Jersey media presented him with the “Good Guy Award” for his leadership and dignity as a player.

In his free time, he coaches youth hockey and baseball, helping to repay those who sacrificed their time for him when he was a boy.

Eddie Litzenberger was born in 1932 in Neudorf, Saskatchewan. He played Junior Hockey with the Regina Pats, and was signed by the Montreal Canadiens in the early 50s.

He debuted with Montreal in 1954, and was selected as the NHL’s rookie of the year. He was soon traded to Chicago, where he was a 30-goal scorer for the Black Hawks three years running, making him one of the consistent top scorers in the league at the time.

While playing with the Black Hawks in 1955, he was awarded the Calder Memorial Trophy.

In 1961, as Captain of the Hawks, Eddie led the club to a Stanley Cup victory, but was then quickly traded to Detroit, and then onto Toronto. As a Leaf, he played on three consecutive Stanley Cup teams, 1962, 1963 and 1964.

The right-winger, rounded out his NHL career with 178 goals and 238 assists for 416 points in 618 regular season NHL games.

He hung his skates in 1966, but went on to a successful business career in the Stock Market and later, a family owned construction company.

Eddie returned to Chicago in 1996 along with many of the 1961 Stanley Cup team to celebrate the 35th anniversary of their win.

His three children, sons Dean and John, and daughter Kelly, all attended Richview Collegiate. Ed and his wife Gayle have lived in Etobicoke for more than 45 years.

Born April 15, 1929 in Toronto, Hugh Bolton was a gifted athlete excelling at baseball, football and hockey.

While attending Queen’s University, Bolton was enticed to join the Toronto Marlboros junior squad which, at the time was coached by Syl Apps. Bolton left Queen’s on the premise that he would be paid $5,000. Over time to help finance his education.

In 1950, he helped the Marlboros win an Allan Cup under the direction of Joe Primeau. After making the cut for the Toronto Maple Leafs he went to win a Stanley Cup in 1951 and was named to the NHL All Star team in 1956.

Bolton played all of his eight seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs for a total of 235 games from 1949-1957. Once retired from the NHL, Bolton played for the NHL Old Timers travelling to rural communities where he continued to show the love he had for the game of hockey. After his hockey career, Hugh became an educator teaching Physics and coaching football at Scarlett Heights Collegiate.

Hugh Bolton passed away October 17, 1999 but not without having a massive impact on many young people’s lives through his dedication to sports, education and Etobicoke.

Born in Kirkland Lake and now an Etobicoke resident, Dave Poulin held the Philadelphia Flyers record for a rookie season with 76 points and named Captain in the 1984/85 season.

During his thirteen year career in the NHL, Poulin made it to the Stanley Cup finals three times (85/86, 87/88 with the Flyers 89/90 with the Bruins). He was awarded the Frank J. Selke trophy for outstanding play in 1986 and named to the NHL All Star team in 1986 and 1988. Poulin also won the King Clancy Trophy in the 1992/1993 season which is given to a player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and who has made a significant humanitarian contribution to his community.

He is a Notre Dame alumnus where he coached from 1995-2004 before being hired by Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment as the General Manager of the Toronto Marlies for two years. From there, he was hired as VP of Hockey Operations for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Dave is highly regarded for his wealth of knowledge for hockey at many different levels as player, scout, coach, general manager, VP of hockey operations and is now a renowned sports analyst for TSN and Sportsnet.

Bob Pulford has excelled at every aspect of hockey: Player, Coach, and General Manager.

Growing up in Weston he played a variety of sports – football for Weston Collegiate, lacrosse and hockey, as part of the Toronto Maple Leafs organization. He also found time to graduate from McMaster University. From 1956 on when his playing career began, he collected 643 points (281 goals, 362 assists) in 1,079 games. During the Leaf’s glory-days in the sixties, Pulford earned four Stanley Cup rings. He was an outstanding penalty killer, registered four 20-or-more goal seasons and was an NHL All-Star six times. He ranks in the Maple Leafs’ Top Ten in goals, assists, points, and games played.

When he retired as a player, Pulford became Head Coach with the Los Angeles Kings. The team developed rapidly under his direction, and in the 1974-1975 season, posted a 42-17-21 record for 105 points. Pulford was named NHL “Coach of the Year.”

After five successful seasons in L.A., Pulford joined the Chicago Blackhawks as Head Coach and General Manager. He led the Blackhawks to a first place finish in the Division and was again named “Coach of the Year.” Twice he relinquished his coaching position to concentrate on management, only to assume it again in mid-season to revive a struggling Hawk team. Under Pulford the Blackhawks won eight division titles and made the Playoffs in 20 consecutive seasons. He posted a 361-325-136 record as an NHL Coach.

In 1990 the Blackhawks’ President, William Wirtz, appointed Bob Pulford Senior Vice President, giving him more input into the crucial areas of team business and marketing. Noted for his meticulous attention to detail, he has said that if he hadn’t had a hockey career, “I probably would have been a lawyer.” Then two seasons later, Pulford was once more called on to take over as General Manager.

Pulford played an extensive role in developing the National Hockey League’s early collective bargaining agreements. In 1967, he became the NHL’s first Player Union President. Today, he plays a key role as Alternate Governor for the team and sitting on the advisory committee to league ownership.

His accomplishments earned him election into the Hockey Hall of Fame on June 21, 1991.

Pulford is also credited with bringing more respect to hockey in the United States as Head Coach of Team USA during the 1976 Canada Cup.

In 1997, after 20 successful seasons in which the Blackhawks always made the playoffs, Pulford stepped down as General Manager. He stepped back twice more, however, between then and June, 2005, always returning to his role as Senior Vice President.

“Pully,” as he is often called, and his wife Roslyn have four children – Wanda, Rob, Lindsay and Jennifer and eight grandchildren. When he’s not involved with hockey, he can be found restoring old automobiles, a long-time hobby, playing golf or fishing.

Born in 1911, David Murray Dryden was the eldest of eight children raised on a Manitoba farm. He has been a sports lover all his life, starting with skating over ice-covered pastures of his family’s farm while dreaming of athletic glories. In those days, his skates were old rusty blades clamped to shoes or boots.

Murray and his wife Margaret moved to Etobicoke in 1948. With their three children, Dave, Ken and Judy, the family was active in both community and church life. Murray believed strongly in the importance of sports in the development of a child.

His company sponsored one of Dave’s hockey teams, and he and Dave coached and managed several of Ken’s teams in the Humber Valley League and Kingsway Baseball League.

Both Ken and Dave went on to successful goaltending careers in the National Hockey League. Murray wrote a weekly baseball update for the Etobicoke Guardian and later wrote three books including one about hockey entitled “Playing the Shots at Both Ends”.

In 1970, Murray and Margaret founded a unique, non-governmental organization for children – Sleeping Children Around the World (SCAW). The $12.8 million raised by the organization has helped 522,600 children, their families, and the economies of 31 developing countries.

Murray and Margaret were inducted into the Etobicoke Hall of Fame in 1987. Murray has received many other honours including being made a Member of the Order of Canada.

Fifty-two years after arriving, Murray still lives in Etobicoke with his wife, Theda. Murray Dryden is a great believer in the importance of sports in Etobicoke.