Dr. Paul Dennis

Paul Dennis, an Etobicoke native, made a significant impact on the Toronto Maple Leafs as a player development coach, mental skills coach, and video coach for 20 years. Despite not recording any on-ice statistics, Dennis’ contributions to the Leafs during some challenging years earned him respect and admiration within the organization and the broader hockey community.

Dennis began his career in sports as head of the physical and health education department at Father Henry Carr Catholic Secondary School in Etobicoke. He later coached the Toronto Marlboros’ OHL team and became president of the Marlboro organization. In 1989, Toronto head coach Pat Quinn appointed Dennis as the team’s video coach, marking the start of a close relationship that lasted until Quinn’s passing in 2014.

Beyond his work with the Maple Leafs, Dennis was involved in international hockey, serving as the video coach for the host country at the 1991 Canada Cup and as the sports psychologist for Canada’s World Junior hockey team in 2002 and 2003. He also played a role in establishing the Ontario Hockey League’s “exceptional athletes status” program in 2005, with John Tavares being the first applicant.

Dennis’ impact extended beyond hockey. He worked with the Toronto Raptors (NBA) and Toronto FC (MLS) as a sport psychology consultant, taught sports psychology at the University of Toronto and York University, and became a published author and sought-after lecturer.

Throughout his career, Dennis remained well-liked and respected by players, coaches, and colleagues alike. His dedication to his work, coupled with his ability to understand and connect with people, has left a lasting legacy in the sports community. Dennis credits much of his success to the unwavering support of his wife, Lynn, who played a crucial role in raising their two sons while he pursued his career in hockey and sports psychology.

In retirement, Dennis continues to do consulting work with the Ontario Hockey League and guest lecturing at universities, reflecting on a career that has spanned several decades and left a lasting impact on the world of sports.

Mike McCarron

Over its storied history, many future stars and hall of famers have skated with the St. Michael’s Buzzers. Mike McCarron was not one of them.

McCarron likes to jokingly say that his claim to fame is being the worst goalie in St. Mike’s history. But his relationship with the Buzzers did not end after his last game between the pipes. The Etobicoke native later rescued the team from financial ruin, and as majority owner for nearly 15 years, he led a movement to revitalize the entire Ontario Junior Hockey League.

Like many kids growing up in central Etobicoke in the 1960s, McCarron was a rink rat. He played minor hockey with the Royal York Rangers. “It was all local kids,” he recalls. “For me, it was a sense of community.”

“Ace”—a childhood nickname that stuck—remembers seeing other kids wearing their Rangers jackets in the pews of All Saints Catholic Church, and playing against some of his Rangers teammates in the Catholic Youth Organization hockey league. “It was almost like small-town hockey,” he said of the tightknit CYO. “It became very competitive for bragging rights.”

While at St. Michael’s College School, he played metro junior B with the Buzzers. “I was proud to be part of the St. Mike’s hockey legacy. It’s a staggering history,” said McCarron, who felt a thrill to put on the jersey worn by such hockey greats as Red Kelly, Tim Horton, Dick Duff and the Mahovlich brothers.

After graduating from the University of Toronto with a bachelor’s in political science and economics, McCarron began a lifelong career in trucking and transportation. He hadn’t planned on getting back into hockey until Fr. Daniel Zorzi, the Basilian priest in charge of St. Michael’s College School, asked McCarron to share a meal that would change his life.

The Basilians were looking to sell the financially beleaguered Buzzers, and Fr. Zorzi convinced McCarron to help. “I met a guy for dinner and came home owning a hockey team,” McCarron said with a laugh, adding that he was honoured to take over the business side of a franchise that was close to his heart. “I just fell in love with the team, and I felt it was worth hanging onto,” he said. “It became a hobby and a passion.”

McCarron took over in January 2001, and with the support of his business partners from the trucking industry—who loved opportunities to meet famous Buzzers alumni at fundraising dinners and be in the presence of the Stanley Cup – he kept the team afloat. Not long after his arrival, the Buzzers were crowned OJHL champs, winning the Buckland Cup in 2005 and successfully defending their title the following year.

The Buzzers never became a financial windfall, but McCarron wasn’t in it for the money. He says his favourite part of owning the team was seeing his players develop on and off the ice. “Before the championships, it’s the amount of kids we sent to the next level. That’s more important,” he said. “Nothing used to excite me more than having a parent call and say, ‘My kid just signed a deal.’”

One of those kids in particular stuck out for McCarron—his son Patrick. “There’s no question the highlight for me was my third-last year. My son was the captain and they won the championship,” he said of the 2013 season. Twenty-two players from that team went on to play in the NCAA, CIS or OHL, with five ending up in an NHL training camp. Patrick, a defenceman, played for Cornell and recently skated at the Detroit Red Wings prospect camp.

McCarron is also proud of the structural changes he introduced at St. Mike’s that later became adapted throughout the junior hockey community. The Buzzers were known for never making deals with incoming players—no one was paid to play, and no roster spots were up for sale. McCarron says such practices, which were common in junior A at the time, had a negative effect in the dressing room. “(Side deals) absolutely kill the kids. It doesn’t take long for them to figure out who doesn’t belong there.”

The Buzzers stipulated that players had to pay to be on the team. That policy ran counter to Ontario Hockey Association rules, but McCarron believed it would increase the players’ level of commitment. He expected blowback from the league, but says he never heard a word of objection. Today, pay-to-play models are common throughout junior hockey.

The hardworking owner also tackled the problem of the OJHL’s diluted on-ice product. There were 37 teams in the league when McCarron arrived, and just 22 when he left. Through a blind auction process that saw the board of governors buy out teams and then contract them, the talent on the remaining teams increased, while junior B, C and midget hockey became more competitive as former junior A players moved to the lower levels.

McCarron’s bold moves, driven by his desire to make the league credible and fair, paid off. “A lot of the things we were doing were getting noticed by Hockey Canada,” he said. “The league is fully sustainable now.”

His work with the Buzzers led to other opportunities in hockey. In January 2015, McCarron co-ordinated the awards ceremony that saw Team Canada receive their gold medals after winning the world juniors. McCarron called it “the thrill of a lifetime” and a “great honour” to carry the medals onto the ice. Before the ceremony, McCarron himself ironed the championship banner that would hang from the rafters at the Air Canada Centre.

He coached hockey at Humber Valley, leading the undefeated 1994 AA Sharks squad— with Patrick McCarron on the blue line—to All Ontario, North American Silver Stick, GTHL and Carnation Cup championships. “Coach Ace” credits an unusual approach for the team’s success—his Sharks didn’t track stats or name a captain, and coaches rotated the lines equally rather than skating their best players more often.

“It was a really interesting dynamic. We taught them hockey without consequences,” McCarron said, explaining that theirs was the only team that didn’t choose most valuable players after games. “The guys knew we didn’t (name MVPs), because the MVP’s the team.”

McCarron says playing team sports as a child helped him later in life, a pattern he has seen repeated in the lives of kids he’s coached. “You’ve got to work hard, be committed to something, make sacrifices, work and think like a team—all the things that make you a success in business are the same as sports,” he said.

With help from Hockey Hall of Famer and Buzzers alumnus Jim Gregory, McCarron arranged for a CBC Hockey Day in Canada special to be filmed on location in January 2009 to commemorate 100 years of hockey at St. Michael’s College School. “I told them we could get Dave Keon to come up, and we delivered,” McCarron said. “It was a great day—a great celebration of hockey. A lot of work, but a lot of fun.”

Everyone who has donned the uniform—from a legend like Keon to Etobicoke Sports Hall of Famer Mike Walton and highly touted Maple Leafs prospect Connor Brown—shares the same enduring pride in the Buzzers, and is eager to give back. “Everyone’s so good about St. Mike’s,” McCarron said. “The bond is very strong.”

McCarron sold his controlling interest in the Buzzers in August 2015. He was away from the club a fair bit that season, watching his son’s Cornell games and launching a new transportation consulting firm. Having raised their three children—Danielle, Alicia and Patrick—McCarron and his wife Tammy live on the Kingsway and remain active in the Etobicoke community.

Looking back at his life in hockey, McCarron said he had a blast. “It’s been a lot of fun. Met a lot of great people. It was a hell of a ride.”

Jim Nicoletti

Nicoletti regularly reminds the players on his eight Marlboros teams that hockey is a stage in life, not their entire life. The club’s mission is “to nurture the complete player and develop a well-rounded citizen,” which means focusing on family and school before sport.

“That’s a core value for me,” Nicoletti said. “And if they keep that in perspective, they’ll have a very valuable experience through hockey.”

Keeping hockey in perspective is something Nicoletti and his coaches stress with parents as well. “Our kids are in the top 10 percentile of ability level across the country. They’re really talented kids,” he said. “And as a result, sometimes parents’ egos get the best of them, and they don’t understand that there’s more to growing up than playing hockey.”

Teaching and development are top priorities for Nicoletti, a retired educator who learned at a young age the importance of mentorship. Hugh Bolton, an Etobicoke resident who won a Stanley Cup on the Toronto Maple Leafs blue line in 1951, was Nicoletti’s high school football coach at Scarlett Heights. Bolton’s “quiet leadership and firm style” made a lasting impression. Tom Watt, a professor and coach at the University of Toronto, was another mentor to Nicoletti, who was an all-star on the Varsity Blues football defensive line at U of T.

He enjoyed hockey but said he only played for fun. That might be due to his first experience with the Marlboros, which was less than auspicious.
When he was nine or 10, Nicoletti went to George Bell Arena near Runnymede and St. Clair, all set to try out for the club. But he was met with an unwelcomed surprise—the tryout cost two bucks. “Sounds like an insignificant cup of coffee today, but in 1961, two dollars was a significant amount of money,” he said. “And I didn’t have it, so I couldn’t try out.”

Years later, he and Paul Dennis—football teammates at Scarlett Heights who both became teachers—decided they wanted to coach youth sports together. Frank Bonello, who ran the Marlboros at that time, offered the pair the chance to coach the 1983–84 midget team. “And we never looked back,” Nicoletti said. “Paul made a career out of it. He went to work with the Maple Leafs (as a player development coach), and I stayed with the Marlboros all the way through.”

The son of hardworking Italian immigrants—his father Bruno was a bricklayer who laid the paving stones at Etobicoke City Hall—Nicoletti said sports were a welcome outlet as a child. “With working-class parents never being home, that was my refuge,” he said. “Sports really gave meaning to life.”

As did education. After graduating from U of T, he became a high school physical education teacher, eventually shifting into a long career as a VP and principal. “I never worked a day in my life,” Nicoletti said. “I enjoyed teaching Phys Ed, and I was able to give back to kids and watch kids perform to their maximum level.”

That job satisfaction continues with the Marlboros, where Nicoletti has the pleasure of seeing players reach their potential on the ice while developing relationships with their families. He is grateful to have attended weddings of former players, get together for dinners, and reunite with former players and students who enrol their own children in the Marlboros program.

Nicoletti speaks of one former player who, not long before his death, called his old coach to share how much those years with the Marlboros had meant to him. “That was a touching moment,” Nicoletti said. “You make a difference in people’s lives. That’s really what it’s all about.”

Coaching led to Nicoletti becoming the Marlboros general manager, before taking on the top job for the 1992–93 season. Today he oversees eight teams and coaching staffs, encompassing 130 players aged nine to 15 (minor atom to minor midget). “There’s a lot going on to manage those hockey players year in and year out, but I have a lot of support,” he said. “Lynn Dennis, Paul’s wife, manages the books. She’s been a godsend. And I have a terrific general manager in Mike Shraba, who’s been with me from the start.”

Along with developing hockey players and good citizens, Nicoletti sees his mission as upholding the Marlboros legacy, which stretches back to the early 20th century. When Toronto Maple Leafs owner Harold Ballard was in charge, the Marlboros practiced at Maple Leaf Gardens. The team shed its junior A affiliation in 1989, and Ballard died the following year. But at the urging of the Ballard family, who cited their late patriarch’s love of the Marlboros logo, the team endured. “We were basically entrusted to keep this logo going in minor hockey, and we’ve done so for the last 30 years,” Nicoletti said.

He’s done so with the help of many dedicated volunteers, parents, sponsors and “quality guys” behind the bench like Dan Brown, Paul Coffey and Steve Thomas. It’s not uncommon for a Marlboros coach to take a break from the team to raise their family and be welcomed back later in life. “That’s the kind of loyalty that we have,” Nicoletti said. “There’s no shortage of quality people that want to join this organization because of the respectability and the success that we’ve had.”

Those coaches have produced many great Marlboros alumni—Nicoletti mentioned John Tavares, Connor McDavid, Jason Spezza, Rick Nash and Connor Brown, to name a few—that distinguishes themselves as much by their character as their hockey exploits. “The integrity component is huge, and it can’t be taken lightly,” said Nicoletti. “It’s not just about what happens on the ice.”

Under Nicoletti’s leadership, the Marlboros make remembrance a priority. Every year, players wear a special Remembrance Day jersey and learn about Canada’s military veterans and the meaning of the poppy. “This is a fantastic country we live in, and kids don’t think back enough,” Nicoletti explained. “They don’t appreciate the sacrifices that people made to give us the freedoms that we have.”

Nicoletti’s pride and joy is the Toronto Marlboros International Holiday Classic, which sees more than 130 teams converge in Toronto from across Canada and the United States for a late December tournament that might be the biggest in the country, if not the continent. Some 200 scouts evaluate the 2,000-plus athletes, for whom the tournament is a chance to turn some heads.

“It’s intense for five days, a lot of work, but a huge amount of fun,” Nicoletti said of the Classic, now in its 23rd year. “I can remember one final game a few years back, it was (Steven) Stamkos against Tavares. It was phenomenal to see them as 15-year-olds play against each other.”

Nicoletti gives the credit for his accomplishments to his wife Patti. “She’s always there supporting all the things that I’ve done,” he said. “She’s never said no to all my nights away from home.”

Their three sons—Michael, Daniel and David—each played seven seasons with the Marlboros and now coach in the organization, a source of no small pride for their Dad. When she was younger, their daughter Valerie was an accomplished figure skater with Silver Blades in Etobicoke and helped Marlboros players improve their power skating.

Jim and Patti have put in many volunteer hours at Sick Kids Hospital, a practice that started after their sons were treated for concussions. Jim was honoured to accept the 2006–07 Ontario Hockey Federation volunteer of the year award for his contributions to youth hockey.

Looking ahead, Nicoletti has no plans to slow down. As he tells his Marlboros family, “We have a heritage to be proud of and the future continues to shine as bright as our golden logo.”

Ken Cox

Ken Cox was born in Brampton, Ontario, on February 9th, 1917. His family moved to Etobicoke when he was six years old, where he has since been a resident.

At the age of seventeen, Ken (the only original member of the Faustina Sports Club), along with seven other teenagers organized the Faustina Sports Club. Its primary purpose has always been to initiate, promote, sponsor, and lend assistance to minor sports in the area.

Ken played lacrosse, baseball and hockey in Etobicoke as a boy and young man. He refereed in the M.T.H.L. and Little N.H.L. for years. He was referee in chief and president of L.N.H.L. during the era of Bobby Orr and Jerry Cheevers.

During World War II, the club was disbanded. Ken was in the R.C.A.F., and following the war, re-organized the club in 1947. In 1951, when Lakeshore Memorial Arena was built, under Ken’s guidance, Faustina was the first occupant for minor hockey, and is still there providing hockey for young people in the Etobicoke- Lakeshore area.

Through Ken’s efforts and organization, Faustina has provided glasses for the underprivileged, Christmas baskets for the needy and elderly, bursaries for boys who finished their final year in Hockey, to help with their education, donations for the Home for Battered Women, Queensway Hospital, the Sick Children’s Hospital, and more.

Ken was inducted into the Mississauga Hockey Hall of Fame in 1977 and received the Faustina sportsman of the year award in 1995-1996.

Keith Pelley

Keith Pelley’s journey from a young sports enthusiast in the Etobicoke Minor Football League to the President of Rogers Media is a remarkable story of passion, dedication, and seizing opportunities.

Growing up with a love for sports, Pelley immersed himself in athletics at Martingrove Collegiate, where he excelled in hockey, football, and soccer. His fascination with sports extended beyond the field, as he eagerly followed games and even dabbled in broadcasting, providing play-by-play commentary for high school games alongside future TSN talent Gino Reda.

Although Pelley initially aspired to be an actor, his busy schedule as an athlete led him to pursue a career in broadcasting. He honed his skills at Trinity College in London, England, and later at Ryerson University, where he studied Radio and Television Arts.

Pelley’s career trajectory took off when he landed a role as an editorial assistant at TSN, working tirelessly to break into the competitive industry. His determination and expertise eventually earned him the position of assignment editor, where he produced coverage of various sports, including CFL football, curling, tennis, and baseball.

His talents caught the attention of FOX, leading him to produce NHL hockey and NFL football in the United States before returning to TSN, where he eventually rose to the position of president. Under his leadership, TSN introduced innovative programming like Friday Night Football and Off The Record, solidifying its status as a premier sports network in Canada.

In a surprising turn of events, Pelley was offered the opportunity to become president and CEO of the Toronto Argonauts, a role he initially laughed off but ultimately embraced. His tenure with the Argos was marked by unprecedented success, including a Grey Cup championship and a significant increase in attendance.

However, Pelley’s career took another unexpected turn when he was approached to lead the media consortium covering the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Embracing the challenge wholeheartedly, he orchestrated an unparalleled broadcasting effort that captivated the nation and showcased Canada’s culture and spirit to the world.

Pelley’s remarkable achievements continued as he assumed the role of president of Rogers Media, overseeing a vast empire of broadcasting and publishing divisions, including the Toronto Blue Jays. His vision for Sportsnet Canada as the country’s premier sports brand reflects his unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation.

Beyond his professional endeavors, Pelley remains deeply involved in charitable work, dedicating his time to organizations like Special Olympics Canada and the Rick Hansen Foundation. He emphasizes the importance of giving back to the community and instilling philanthropic values in his children.

Pelley’s journey serves as a testament to the power of passion, hard work, and seizing opportunities. From his humble beginnings in Etobicoke to his current role at the helm of one of Canada’s largest media companies, Pelley’s story is an inspiring example of what can be achieved with dedication, perseverance, and a love for what you do.

Marijane and Louis Stong

Marijane and Louis Stong have been a major force in the building of champions in the world of figure skating. Their reputations as outstanding skating coaches have attracted many skaters from around the world to learn from these masters of the art.

Collectively, they have produced eleven Canadian National Champions as well as World and Olympic Champions and Medalists.

They have very impressively coached at the World Championships from 1969 to 1995 and at the Winter Olympics from 1976 to 1998.

Some of their most recent skaters include Kurt Browning, Joseé Chouinard, Karen Preston, Barbara Underhill and Paul Martini, and Tracy Wilson and Robert McCall.

Marijane has been awarded the 3M Coaching Excellence Award for Continued Success and was named Female Coach of the Year in 1992. She continues to coach and offers her talent with costume design, music selection and choreography.

Louis is currently Program director at the ARC Skating Academy and is also employed by the Canadian Figure Skating Association as its Director of Skating Development.

Leo Cahill

Leo Cahill lived in Etobicoke for 18 years. In that comparatively short time he made his presence known in much the same way as he made himself known in professional football circles.

It began in the early 1960s in Montreal, where Cahill was an assistant coach with the Montreal Alouettes football team. His move to Toronto shortly thereafter, which coincided with the start of nearly two decades of residency in Etobicoke, saw him take over direction of the Toronto Rifles of the Continental Football League. He made the move to the Argonauts as Canada celebrated its Centennial.

In his eight years as Argonaut coach, spread over twelve seasons, Cahill brought football to the forefront in Metro. Suddenly, the Argos were popular again and playing no small role in that popularity was Leo Cahill himself.

Among his coups as coach, and later as general manager, none was as notable as outbidding the NFL for the services of quarterback Joe Theismann.

Away from his professional life Cahill always found time for the City of Etobicoke, either running clinics for the area’s up and coming stars or doing a variety of charity work.

Tom Watt

Long-time coach and physical educator, Tom Watt was born in Toronto in 1935. As a child growing up in York Township, he was encouraged by his father to play every sport. Never in his wildest dreams, did Tom set out to be a professional coach.

He graduated from University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Physical Education in 1959, and planned on a career in teaching.

In 1965 he returned to U of T as both the Head Hockey Coach for the University of Toronto Varsity Blues, and as an Assistant Professor in Physical Education. Between 1965 and 1977, Tom was an offensive line coach.

One of Tom’s proudest moments was when U of T won the first ever national college championship, the Vanier Cup, beating Alberta 14 – 7. During his years as coach, he led The Blues to 9 National and 11 Conference Championships.

He proudly coached Canada’s Olympic Hockey team along side Clare Drake in Lake Placid in 1980. Following his Olympic experience, he joined the Vancouver Canucks as assistant coach for the 1980/81 season.

The following year, he was hired as Head Coach for the Winnipeg Jets, where he led the team to a 48 point improvement, the single largest improvement from one year to the next in the history of the league at that time. He was then awarded the Jack Adams trophy, honoured as the number one coach in the National League, for his tremendous efforts.

In 1989, while he was assistant coach with the Calgary Flames, they won the Stanley Cup. In 1990 he moved back to Toronto to be the Assistant Coach for the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he coached for two more years. He also served as Director of Player Development and Pro Scouting for the Maple Leafs.

Tom was an assistant coach for Team Canada, when they won the coveted Canada Cup in 1984, 1987 and 1991. Tom then became a regular television commentator on numerous Olympic and World Hockey Championships. His career has allowed him to live all over the country, an opportunity for which he is thankful and proud of. Tom stays very active, and is currently Pro Scouting for the Florida Panthers.

Morley Kells

Morley Kells has lived his entire life in Etobicoke, and has spent more than three decades giving many hours of his time to Canada’s National summer sport, lacrosse, as a coach, manager, and also as a team owner.

Morley played for the Juvenile Long Branch (Etobicoke) team in 1954, and in 1955, he became a Minto Cup champion with the Canadian Junior Lacrosse Long Branch team. In 1961 he retired as an active player, and began to coach the Long Branch Junior team.

In 1964, Morely coached the Long Branch Junior “A” team, and in 1966 founded and coached the Toronto Maple Leaf Senior Lacrosse team in the Ontario Lacrosse Association (O.L.A).

By 1969, Morley amalgamated the Alderwood team, which he owned with the Mimico team to form the Lakeshore Maple Leaf Junior “A” team. With this team they won the Minto Cup, National Junior Champions in 1970.

Morley was elected to the Canadian Hall of Fame in 1976, and became a charter member of the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame and Museum in 1997. In 1999, he was chairman of the Advisory Committee for the Toronto Rock of the National Lacrosse League.

Morley spent over three decades in politics, most recently as Parliamentary Assistant to the Hon. Chris Hodgson, Minister of Municipal Affairs & Housing.

Morley and his wife Gloria have four children and eight grandchildren.

Mark Grimes

Mark Grimes, a long-serving city councilor in Toronto, has been a key figure in promoting sports and community development in the city. Throughout his tenure, he has championed various projects aimed at boosting the profile of sports and enhancing recreational facilities.

Grimes’ commitment to sports development began early in his political career when he campaigned on a promise to build a hockey arena in Etobicoke-Lakeshore. In 2009, he fulfilled this promise with the opening of the MasterCard Centre for Hockey Excellence, a state-of-the-art facility that serves as a practice facility for the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Toronto Marlies, among others.

Grimes has also been instrumental in bringing major sporting events to Toronto, such as the NCAA International Bowl, the FIFA U-20 World Cup, and the PGA Championship. He played a key role in the construction of BMO Field, home to Toronto FC and the Toronto Argonauts, and the Biosteel Centre, the Raptors’ practice facility.

In his home ward of Etobicoke-Lakeshore, Grimes has led the construction of several recreational facilities, including an artificial playing turf and dome at Lakeshore Collegiate Institute, a skateboard park on Eighth Street, and the skating trail in Colonel Samuel Smith Park.

Grimes’ efforts have not gone unnoticed, as he has received recognition from various sports organizations, including the Hockey Hall of Fame, the Canada Sports Hall of Fame, and the Toronto Sports Council. He has also been involved in community initiatives, such as the Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer tournament.

Grimes’ dedication to sports and community development reflects his belief in the importance of providing quality recreational facilities and programs for all residents. He continues to work towards creating healthy and vibrant neighborhoods in Etobicoke and across Toronto.