Field Hockey Canada and its Hall of Fame selection committee has chosen Janet Ellis, Hagurnek “Nick” Sandhu, and the 1964 Canadian Men’s Olympic Team to be inducted as its 2016 Hall of Fame Class.
In an Olympic year with Canada’s current Men’s National Team set to compete at the 2016 Games in Brazil this summer, each of this year’s Hall of Fame inductees has a special tie to the Olympic Games.
Janet Ellis
For many years, Ellis was top-flight official in international field hockey. In addition to serving as a technical official at the Pan American level, Ellis was Technical Official at the highest level of international hockey, including at three Olympic Games (2012 in London, 2008 in Beijing, and 2000 in Sydney), and the 2010 World Cup, and 2009 Champions Trophy. She also served on Field Hockey Canada’s Board of Directors and as President during the period of 1991-2002.
Hagurnek “Nick” Sandhu
After beginning his international career on the Junior level, Sandhu was a member of the Canadian Senior Men’s National Team from 1980-1990. During that time, he competed at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul. The Canadian men finished tenth at the Los Angeles Games, which still stands as Canada’s men’s best Olympic performance. Sandhu also was a member of the team that went to the 1990 World Cup of Hockey in Lahore, Pakistan.
1964 Canadian Men’s Olympic Field Hockey Team
After forming and playing its first International match in 1963, the 1964 Canadian men’s field hockey team made history in Tokyo, becoming the first Canadian field hockey team to compete in an Olympic Games. The team consisted of athletes Ron Aldridge, Derrick Anderson, Tony Boyd, Peter C. Buckland, Richard Chopping, Gerd Heidinger, Ian Johnston, Harry Preston, Allan Raphael, Gerard Ronan, Patrick Ruttle, Peter Vander Pyl, Victor Warren, Lee Wright, Andrew Yeoman, and John Young; and coach Michael Wheaton.
The induction class will be honoured in a ceremony at 7:00pm on July 8, 2016 at St. George’s School in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The event is part of an Olympic-themed week that will also feature Canada’s Rio 2016 Olympic team naming and the Canadian men hosting the United States in the “Summer Games Send-off presented by London Drugs.”
Tickets to the Hall of Fame induction ceremony can be purchased here.
Next year’s induction ceremony will take place in Eastern Canada and honour a Hall of Fame class with ties to that region.
