The Hamilton Sports Hall of Fame has announced its class of 2018.
Canadian football hall of famer Peter Dalla Riva, late former NHL forward Murray Oliver, former Hamilton Olympic Club president Melvin Marks (Bobby) Robinson, former Hamilton Tiger-Cats player and coach Don Sutherin, and the 1965 Little League World Series team finalist from Stoney Creek.
Peter Dalla Riva emigrated from Italy to Hamilton in 1953. After playing Junior football in Burlington and Oakville, he had a pro career with the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes from 1968 to 1981. The tight end played 197 regular season games, catching 450 passes for 6,413 yards and 55 touchdowns.
Riva played in six Grey Cup games, winning the CFL Championship in 1970, 1974 and 1977. He was a CFL All-Canadian in 1972, ’73 and ’75 and was an East All-Star four times. Riva was the All-Star game MVP in 1973. He was a nominee for the Outstanding Canadian award in 1975 and 1976, as well as a nominee for the Outstanding Player award in 1976.
The Alouettes retired Dalla’s number 74 in 1981. He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1993.
Murray Oliver starred with the Hamilton Tiger Cubs of the Ontario Hockey Association, signing his first pro contract with the Detroit Red Wings. Oliver played parts of three seasons with the Red Wings, and was then dealt to the Boston Bruins where he played on a line with Johnny Bucyk and Tommy Williams.
After seven years with the Bruins, Oliver was dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs where he played for three seasons. He finished the final five years of his NHL career with the Minnesota North Stars. Oliver played 1,127 regular season games over 18 NHL season, scoring 274 goals with 454 assists for 728 points. He played in five All-Star games.
Oliver also spent time behind the bench as a head coach and an assistant with the North Stars. He also scouted for the Vancouver Canucks.
On Nov. 23, 2014, Murray Oliver died of a heart attack at the age of 77.
Melvin Marks (Bobby) Robinson was the president of the Hamilton Olympic Club, a two-time Canadian Olympic manager, and sports editor of the Hamilton Spectator. He is best known as the founder of the British Empire Games, now known as the Commonwealth Games.
The first games were hosted by Hamilton in 1930, drawing 400 athletes from 11 countries. The men competed in lawn bowling, boxing, rowing, swimming and wrestling. Women took part in swimming.
The 1930 games led to the building of Civic Stadium, now known as Tim Hortons Field, and the Municipal Swimming Pool at Scott Park.
The Commonwealth Games will turn will turn 100 in 2030.
Don Sutherin is an Empire, Ohio, native. He famously kicked the game-winning field goal in the 1958 Rose Bowl, as his Ohio State Buckeyes won the NCAA National Championship.
Drafted by the NFL’s New York Giants, Sutherin started his pro career with the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats. After a brief stint with the Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers, he returned to the Ticats to resume a 12-year career as a defensive back and kicker.
Sutherin won win three East Division scoring titles and six Eastern Conference All-Star honours. He played in eight Grey Cup games, winning four, including the 1963 and 1965 titles with the Tiger-Cats.
Sutherin also played with Ottawa and Toronto.
He won three Grey Cups as an assistant coach, including 1999 as defensive coordinator of the Ticats. Sutherin was also Hamilton’s head coach from 1994 to 1997.
He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1992. Sutherin’s name was added to the Tiger-Cats Wall of Honour in 2008.
Stoney Creek is the only Canadian team to make it to baseball’s Little League World Series Final.
It happened in 1965 in Williamsport, Penn., before 21,000 fans, the largest crowd in Little League history.
Stoney Creek was the lone Canadian representative in the four-team international group.
In the quarter finals, Stoney Creek blanked Spain 6-0, and edged Indiana 1-0 in the semifinal before losing 3-1 in the final to Windsor Locks Connecticut.
Stoney Creek was coached and managed by the late Bert Carrigan and the late George Bender.
The playing roster included Brad Ackles, Gary Bartkiewicz, the late Karl Betz, Len Bromley, Geoff Dalton, Rick Ferroni, Ron Kenny, William Lockhart, Doug McKay, Darrell Ostrosser, Joe Palango, the late Doug Smees, David Sutin and Jim Vlajkov.
The Ninth Annual Hamilton Sports Hall of Fame Induction Reception is scheduled for 12 p.m. on Oct. 10, at Michelangelo Events and Conference Centre.
Tickets can be purchased for $35 at the following locations:
Hutch’s On The Beach, 280 Van Wagner’s Beach Rd, Hamilton
United Trophy, 99 Cannon St. E. Hamilton
R&R Trophies & Awards, 4155 Fairview St. Unit #9 Burlington
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