Year Inducted: 2001
Home Town: Oshawa
More about Thomas Leo OConner:
Born in Oshawa, Tom (Chico) OConnor's outstanding sporting career started in 1945, playing for both Oshawa minor hockey and Oshawa Legion baseball teams.
uc0u8232 Over the next five years Tom honed his hockey and baseball skills, winning MVP awards and a scoring title.'a0 In 1950 Tom moved through the junior ranks in both sports, including the 1951/52 season with the Oshawa Generals.
uc0u8232 In hockey, from 1954 to 1960, Tom starred with the Whitby Dunlops, who won the Allen Cup national championships in 1957 and 1959.'a0 He also played a major role on Canada's World Championship team in Oslo, Norway in 1958.
uc0u8232 In baseball, Tom won an Ontario title with the 1953 McCallum Transporters and four consecutive Ontario championships as an outfielder for the Gale Lumber Senior B Fastball Club from 1967 to 1970.'a0
uc0u8232 Tom also coached the Oshawa Juvenile Fastball Team to an Ontario championship in 1973.
Year Inducted: 2015
Home Town: Oshawa
More about Tom Olinyk:
To say that Tom Olinyk was a multi-sport athlete would be an understatement. He could play basketball, football and eventually rugby, all with the same grit and enthusiasm.And it was his play on the basketball court and football field while attending Oshawa Central Collegiate which established him as a pretty good athlete. He remained on the court during his tenure as a student at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute (now Ryerson University) and his contribution to this program was such, he earned student athlete of the year honors in 1959. His leadership qualities took hold while being named captain of the Ryerson squad, which would win provincial basketball honors in 1959 and 1961. Olinyk ventured into the rugby world in 1960 and competed on a high level with the Oshawa Vikings during a 20-year span. He later turned his attention at an executive level with the very same organization.Returning to the basketball court, Olinyk competed with the Oshawa Hawks and emerged provincial A and B champions. And once back on the football field, he played with the Oshawa Imps, turned Impalas and eventually the Hawkeyes as a linebacker.Olinyk would later turn his attention to officiating in basketball and football, including holding the sticks at several Canadian Football League (CFL) games in Toronto.
Year Inducted: 2022
Home Town: Oshawa
More about Vaso Vujanovic:
Oshawa resident Vaso Vujanovic, a coaching giant on the collegiate and university soccer scene.Vujanovic has an extensive soccer background that dates back to his native Yugoslavia, where he played semi-professionally. He began coaching at Durham College in 1973 and led the men’s team for 17 seasons, compiling an overall record of 128-35-7 for a phenomenal winning percentage of .774, while winning 12 OCAA provincial medals, including two gold and CCAA national bronze medal. Vujanovic won the inaugural CCAA national coach of the year award in 1988.Vujanovic returned to the Durham College athletic program in 1999 to take on the role as head coach of the women’s team. The Lords were dominant for the next decade, racking up an incredible record of 119-37-11 and winning five provincial championships in a seven-year span between 2002 and 2007 and one CCAA national bronze medal.Vujanovic later became the first coach of the men’s soccer team at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) in 2009 and laid the groundwork toward building a perennial contender for the Ridgebacks program. The field where both the Ridgebacks and Lords play is now named Vaso’s Field in his honour.Vujanovic has also been active in the Durham Region soccer community as a coach and executive member. He has coached teams of both genders and various age groups, and was involved in the Durham Region Soccer Association on the executive level for many years.
Year Inducted: 2024
Home Town: Oshawa
More about Veronica Dyer Tearney:
Veronica Dyer Tearney dominated the high school track and field scene locally and went on to a distinguished university career in the sport. Born and raised in Oshawa, Veronica was a star athlete representing R.S. McLaughlin Collegiate and Vocational Institute. She was a four-time OFSAA provincial gold medallist, an eight-time OFSAA medallist, and led her high school to the OFSAA junior girls team title in 1993 on home soil at the Oshawa Civic track. During that time, Veronica was also a two-time Canadian junior track team member, competing at the Pan Am Juniors and World Juniors, and was the 1995 Canadian junior champion in the women’s 100-metre sprint hurdles. Veronica earned a full track and field scholarship to Syracuse University, where she continued to excel. She set school records in the indoor pentathlon and 60-metre hurdles, earned the outstanding freshman athlete of the year award in 1996, and was named captain of the women’s track and field team in 1998. She was also named a Big East Conference performer several times in sprint hurdles, long jump and relay events, and was recognized as a Big East Conference academic all-star in 1996 and 1997. Internationally, Veronica represented Canada at the 2001 World University Games in the 100-metre hurdles and 4x100-metre sprint relay, helping the team to a sixth-place finish. She also won a bronze medal at the 2000 Olympic trials in the sprint hurdles. For her many accomplishments on the track, Veronica Dyer Tearney is a terrific addition to the Oshawa Sports Hall of Fame.
Year Inducted: 2007
Birth Date: May 25, 1921
Home Town: Berwick
More about Wallace Wilson:.jpg)
Born in Berwick, Nova Scotia on May 25, 1921, Wally and his parents moved to Oshawa when he was only four. Wally developed his hockey skills in Oshawa and joined the Oshawa Generals for the 1939-1940 season helping lead them to the Memorial Cup Championship. He turned professional with the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League in 1941-1942 before joining the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1942 and playing for various R.C.A.F. teams the next four years, and joined the Quebec Aces of the Quebec Senior Hockey League to make an Allen Cup apperance in 1944-1945. In 1945, he was claimed by the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League and played for the Pittsburgh Hornets in the A.H.L. for two seasons, leading them in scoring in the 1945-1946 season. He was then traded to the Boston Bruins of the N.H.L. and played there in 1947-1948, before walking away from the second year of his contract to go into the business world (Cliff Mills Motors) back in Oshawa. Special recognition goes to Wally as he was the first to develop his skills in Oshawa, play for the Oshawa Generals and proceed to the N.H.L. He has truly earned his place in the Oshawa Sports Hall of Fame.
Year Inducted: 1997
Home Town: Oshawa
More about Walter Mozewsky:
Walter was born in Oshawa in 1931 and received his education at South Simcoe School, OCVI and Central Collegiate. He excelled in several sports, particularly track and field where he successfully represented Oshawa in provincial, national and international competitions, and was named to the 1952 Olympic Team. In 1951, Walter was named Oshawa Athlete of the Year.
While attending Central Collegiate, Walter was the leading scorer at a number of provincial basketball tournaments and played football on the high school teams as well as with the Oshawa Red Raiders. Walter earned a tryout with the Toronto Argonauts but a serious knee injury ended his football career. During his years in athletics, Walter won countless medals, trophies, plaques and ribbons.
Later in his career, as a member of the Canadian Masters Track and Field Team, Walter won both provincial and national championships, and was recognized by the Ontario Government for his achievements.
Year Inducted: 1995
Home Town: Kingston
More about Wayne Cashman:
Born in 1945 in Kingston, Ontario, Wayne played all of his minor hockey in his hometown and helped lead his midget team to an Ontario Championship.
At 15 Wayne moved to Oshawa where he played for the Generals from 1960 to 1964. During his years in Oshawa the Generals won an Ontario Championship, an Eastern Canada Championship and participated in a Memorial Cup.
From 1964 to 1983 Wayne played for the Boston Bruins, collecting 277 goals and 516 assists. He played on two Stanley Cup teams and served as captain of the Bruins from 1977 until 1983. Wayne, along with Phil Esposito and Ken Hodge, formed one of hockey's highest scoring lines.
In 1972 Wayne was a member of Team Canada in the historic series win over the Soviet Union.
Upon completion of his playing days, he became assistant coach with the New York Rangers and is now an assistant coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Year Inducted: 2012
More about Wayne Daniels:
Wayne started out his sporting journey as a trainer with the Oshawa Green Gaels Junior A Lacrosse Team from 1966 to 1968, and taking over the same job with the Oshawa Generals Hockey Club in 1967.
By 1977 he moved into the General Manager's job with the Oshawa Legionaires Junior B Hockey Club, and a couple of years later joined the Oshawa Parkway TV Midget Hockey Teams as trainer, doing that job until 1985.
At that time, he returned to the Generals as a scout, working in that capacity until being appointed the team's Director of Hockey Operations in 1990. Wayne was a scout for the General's team that won the Memorial Cup in 1990 and Director of Hockey Operations when the team won the OHL Championship in 1997.
He held that title until 1999, when the Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL hired him as a scout. He spent six seasons with the Penguins, and then moved to the Ottawa Senators in a similar capacity in 2006 until his retirement.
Year Inducted: 1997
More about William (Bill) Chatterton Morrison: C.jpg)
Bill, who was born in Toronto, moved to Oshawa in 1945 where he attended Albert Street and Cedardale public schools and high school at Central Collegiate Institute. His competitive weightlifting career began in 1969. In 1977 Bill was crowned Ontario Champion in the 165-lb. class. Bill won the Eastern Canadian Championship in 1981 and was again successful in 1983 at the 181-lb. class. Bill's outstanding success continued in 1984 when he won his third Ontario Championship, the Canadian Championship in Vancouver and earned a second-place finish at the World Masters in Perth, Australia. Following his successful career in weightlifting, Bill decided to direct his energies into the sport by establishing the Bodybuilder Gym in Oshawa. This venture soon became the home of the Oshawa Powerlifting Club. Over the years Bill has coached several individuals who have become powerlifting champions.
Year Inducted: 2004
Home Town: Oshawa
More about William (Bill) Kurelo:
Bill Kurelo, is a life long resident of Oshawa, who first volunteered to coach in Minor Hockey in 1952. President for 9 years, he was made a Life Member in 1962, and in 1986 he was awarded the Canadian Amateur Hockey Award for outstanding service.
After being very active in the planning and construction of the Civic Auditorium, Bill was appointed as the first Manager of the new complex in 1964. From 1970 until his retirement in 1989, Bill was Director of the Civic Auditorium and the Arenas. With Bill's leadership ability, Oshawa successfully hosted many prestigious events such as the 1966 Minto Cup, the 1969 Briar, the 1974/75 Canadian Midget Hockey Championships, the 1983 Memorial Cup, and the Mann Cup.
Bill was a founding member of the Oshawa Green Gael Lacrosse Club in 1963, and a Director of the Oshawa Sports Hall of Fame from 1986 to 1989. He has been a Director of the Oshawa Generals Jr. A Hockey Club since 1989, and an executive member of the Legionaires Jr. B. Hockey Club since 1990.
Bill collaborated in the production of two books, the "History of the Oshawa Generals" (1936 - 1990) written by Mrs. Babe Brown. His 25 year collection of over 1200 photographs, that commemorates the Sports and Entertainment of Oshawa, is prominently displayed throughout the Civic for all to enjoy.
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