JACK KIRBY , Player Jack started playing lacrosse in 1945 at the age of thirteen . Two years later he was part of the Isaac Brock bantam box lacrosse team that won the 1947 Manitoba Bantam Championship . The following year Jack moved up to play at the juvenile level with the West End Memorials , culminating with the second provincial title of his budding career as the team won the Manitoba Juvenile Championship . In 1949 , at the age of 17 , Jack was recruited to play for the Deer Lodge senior club . In 1952 , still of junior age while competing at the senior level , Jack was selected for the Manitoba Junior All-Stars as they entered into the regional playoffs for the Minto Cup , emblematic of Canadian Junior A box lacrosse supremacy . Jack was integral to the Deer Lodge team winning the 1952 Winnipeg Senior League Championship . The following year Deer Lodge captured its second consecutive Senior League title . Ranking among the Senior League ’ s top scorers in each of the ten years in which he competed , Jack is recognized as one of the elite , if not the very best , defenseman to play during the 1950s .
MERES DUCH and HARRY ROSENBAUM , Builders In 1969 a small group of community leaders in Winnipeg ’ s North End , led by Meres Duch and Harry Rosenbaum , came together to establish Boyd Park Community Centre where they served , respectively , as president and vice president . Subsequently , the group was approached by the Nor ’ Westers lacrosse organization to develop a youth lacrosse program for the area , a necessary building-block for the successful continuation of the existing Nor ’ Westers midget and juvenile teams . Once exposed to the sport , both Meres and Harry fell in love with the game and the Boyd Park Nor ’ Westers were formed . Incredibly , through the tireless efforts of both men , a comprehensive minor box lacrosse program for ages 8-17 , plus a competitive junior team , was established within the period of just one year . In time , a senior team was also formed . Harry and Meres then turned their attention to joining forces with similar fledgling lacrosse organizations in other communities across the city , giving birth to the Greater Winnipeg Minor Lacrosse Association . Through the efforts of Meres and Harry and the many lives they touched , either directly or indirectly , a strong foundation was created for lacrosse in Winnipeg`s North End where the game continues to thrive .
BILL CROOK , Player Bill grew up in Elmwood , just a couple of blocks from the Kelvin Community Centre , where he played his first game as a goaltender on Kelvin ’ s juvenile box lacrosse team . From that beginning Bill proved to be a natural at the position , back-stopping the team to the Provincial Juvenile Championship in 1965 . With the Kelvin Terriers , Bill captured consecutive Provincial Junior B Championships in 1966 and 1967 . Upon graduating to the senior level he initially played for the South End Olympics . The team reorganized in 1971 to become the St . Boniface Clubs , where Bill played for the remainder of his senior boxla career . Bill was the Clubs key to success , proving to be the main difference in his team being on the right side of the final outcome of a game or series despite , in some instances , having been badly outshot and outplayed . His MVP performances led the Clubs to three Provincial Senior Championships in 1974 , 1975 and 1978 . Bill is generally recognized as the best goalkeeper of his era . Aside from his accomplishments as a player , Bill was involved in refereeing junior and senior boxla games during the 1970s . Notably , he also served as president of the Manitoba Lacrosse Association , 1972 - 1973 .
DOUG KROCHAK , Builder Doug started playing minor lacrosse in 1966 for Northwood Centre , marking the beginning of his continued involvement and contributions to the game of lacrosse in Manitoba over the next fifty years . In 1969 he founded Nor`Westers Lacrosse , comprised initially of just two box teams , one midget and one juvenile . Doug coached at various levels during the following decade , including taking the Nor ’ Westers junior club to the Provincial Junior B Championship in 1976 , which then advanced to complete for the national title at the Founders Cup Tournament in Windsor , Ontario . While coaching , Doug continued to compete as a player as well with the St . Boniface Clubs . His hard-nosed style helped the Clubs capture consecutive Provincial Senior B Box Lacrosse Championships in 1975 and 1976 . In total , Doug served as coach of six provincial teams : two midget , two junior and two senior . Notwithstanding all his accomplishments as a coach , Doug is especially praiseworthy for his contributions at the administrative level . Doug has been the recipient of a number of awards for his contributions to the sport , including : The 2013 Manitoba Lacrosse Alumni Sam Thompson Award , the 2014 Queen Elizabeth Jubilee Medal and the 2015 Ukrainian Sportsman of the Year , 2015 .
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