OLHOF Class of 2023
ONTARIO LACROSSE HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2023
Since its inception in 1997, the mission of the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame has been to recognize and celebrate the great players and builders of the game in Ontario with the honour of induction into the Hall of Fame.
We are pleased to announce our 2023 inductees who have been nominated by individuals within the Ontario Lacrosse Association community. The Honoured Inductees for 2023 include 3 players, 1 builder and 1 veteran player. For more information about submitting your nominations please visit the OLHOF website.
2023 Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame Inductees
Player Category: Steve Dietrich, Tracey Kelusky, Bob Watson
Builder Category: William (Bill) Hutton
Veteran Player Category: Larry Lloyd
Steve Dietrich – Player Category
To win championships it is paramount to have outstanding goaltending, and if you want to win – think Steve “Chugger” Dietrich. Playing with and against many of the greatest players of his generation, Steve achieved immense success winning championships and individual awards at every level he played.
Over a career of 24 seasons within the Ontario Lacrosse Association (OLA) he was always a major factor in the success of his teams. He was a clutch goaltender, winning 11 championships as a player at the highest levels of lacrosse.
- OLA Junior “B”: 4 seasons with the Kitchener-Waterloo Braves winning two Founders Cups (1987 and 1988). He was three-time winner of the Junior “B” Top Goaltender Award (1988, 1989,1990).
- OLA Major Series: 10 seasons winning 2 Mann Cups with Brampton Excelsiors (1992,1993) and was awarded the Jim Murphy Award as Major Series MVP in 2006.
- OLA Senior “B”: 8 seasons winning 4 Presidents Cups – 2 with Kitchener-Waterloo Kodiaks (2003, 2005) and 2 with Owen Sound Woodsmen (2008, 2009).
- National Lacrosse League: 19 seasons winning the NLL Champions Cup in 1997 with the Rochester Knighthawks.
- Steve was Major Indoor Lacrosse All-Pro in 1995 and 1996; voted NLL goaltender of the year in 2005 and 2006; and voted the NLL MVP in 2006.
An exceptionally lengthy and successful career has rewarded Steve Dietrich with inductions into National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame (2012) and the Waterloo Region Hall of Fame (2016).
Tracey Kelusky – Player Category
Known for being an all-around hard-working skilled player, Tracey Kelusky had a stellar lacrosse career and was a genuine super star. Tracey Kelusky was respected and admired by teammates, fans and opposition players. Consistently a top player on every team he played, Tracey was the epitome of what a great lacrosse player should be.
During his Junior “A” career, Tracey was amongst the top scorers in the league placing in the top three scorers in 1994, 1995, and 1996. Beyond his scoring prowess, Tracey was the recipient of the OLA Junior “A” league’s Top Defensive Player in 1996.
In Senior lacrosse, Tracey continued his success as a goal scorer making a significant contribution to the Peterborough Lakers winning 4 Mann Cup championships (2006, 2007, 2010, 2012).
Tracey played 5 seasons of Senior lacrosse in the Western Lacrosse Association (1999 with North Shore; 2002-2005 with Coquitlam). He was a 1st Team All-Star in 2003; a 2nd Team All-Star in 2004 and was in the WLA Top Ten Scorers in both 2003 and 2004.
Tracey Kelusky was also a high achiever in the National Lacrosse League playing from 2001-2014 for Calgary, Buffalo, Philadelphia and Columbus and was a member of 2 NLL Champions Cup teams. During his NLL career, Tracey was Rookie of the Year and a 2nd Team All-Star in 2001; a 1st Team All-Star in 2002; the NLL Most Valuable Player and 1st Team All-Star in 2003; member of the NLL Champions Cup Calgary Roughnecks and 1st Team All-Star in 2004; the NLL All-Star Game MVP in 2005; NLL Champions Cup with Calgary and recipient of the NLL Sportsmanship Award in 2009.
Tracey was inducted into the National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame in 2016.
Bob Watson – Player Category
Bob “Whipper” Watson was considered one of the very best goalies of his era and was known for his stellar play and clutch goaltending. Winning 9 championships over a lengthy and successful career, Bob played with and against some of the greatest players in the history of the game.
Bob had individual success winning awards for his consistently reliable play and was known for mentoring teammates who admired his cool and calm nature and considered him a humble superstar.
Watson played four seasons of OLA Junior “B” winning two Founders Cups with the Kitchener-Waterloo Braves – one in 1990 and again in 1992. He went on to play 13 seasons of OLA Major Series lacrosse winning a Mann Cup with the Brampton Excelsiors in 2002. He was a two-time winner of the Harry Lumley Award for least goals against in 2000 and 2002. He also played 2 seasons in the OLA Senior “B” League with the Wellington Aces.
Watson played 15 seasons in the National Lacrosse League winning six NLL Champions Cups with the Toronto Rock in 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2011. In 2003 and 2011, he was voted Most Valuable Player in the Champions Cup. In 2001 and 2008, he was selected as the NLL Goalie of the Year.
In 2011, Bob Watson was inducted into the National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame, the Guelph Sports Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2021.
William (Bill) Hutton – Builder Category
With a dedicated direct involvement totaling more than five decades in lacrosse, many lacrosse insiders consider William “Bill” Hutton as the most influential President to ever lead the Canadian Lacrosse Association (now Lacrosse Canada). Bill Hutton served in various roles at the local, provincial, national and international levels as a coach, tournament convenor, Ontario Minor Lacrosse President, Ontario Lacrosse Association President and Canadian Lacrosse Association Chairperson (now Lacrosse Canada). In addition, he has been the Chair of the Canadian Lacrosse Foundation.
Included among his major accomplishments was leading amalgamation of the Ontario Minor Lacrosse Association and the Ontario Lacrosse Association, which led to greater efficiencies for the sport. Bill Hutton also chaired the 1986 World Field Lacrosse Championship when the government and other entities had turned their backs on the project. He restructured the Canadian Lacrosse Association at a time when his stellar leadership was required.
Bill Hutton was a key force in getting lacrosse recognized as Canada’s National Summer Sport with the implementation of Bill C-212 which recognized lacrosse as Canada’s National Summer Sport in 1994.
His fifty plus years of commitment have been acknowledged with Bill having received numerous accolades including Olympic Celebration Award (1988); Canada’s 125th Governor General’s Award (1993); the Canadian Lacrosse Association Lester B. Pearson Award (1981); the Ontario Lacrosse Association Mr. Lacrosse Award (1986); Life Membership into the Ontario Lacrosse Association (1986); and induction in the Builder category into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame (2003). He still serves on the final appeals committee for the OLA, a testimony of his respect for the game!
Larry Lloyd – Veteran Player Category
Playing in an era when players played both ends of the floor, Larry Lloyd had a career as a highly skilled offensive player. His total points combining his Junior, Senior and Professional careers are an astounding 525 goals scored; 515 assists, for a grand total of 1040 points in 307 games. His offensive prowess made him a true sniper.
He had seasons where he scored 59, 68, 71, 80 and 82 goals. Larry also contributed to his team’s offence as a set up player having seasons where he notched 46, 48, 53, 76, and 91 assists.
Larry played 4 seasons of OLA Junior “A” with the legendary Oshawa Green Gaels of the 1960s. He was on winning Minto Cup teams in 1965, 1967 1968, 1969. Larry scored 212 goals and 168 assists – for a total of 380 points in 91 combined regular season and playoff games.
He played two seasons of senior lacrosse for the Brooklin Redmen and one season for the Windsor Warlocks. In those three seasons Larry scored 206 goals, added 149 assists for a total of 355 points in 100 games.
Larry was also a prolific player in the National Lacrosse League in the 1970s with the Philadelphia Wings. Over two seasons, he played a total of 96 games scoring 173 goals, 179 assists for a total of 352 points. Larry was selected for the 1st All-Star team in 1974 and the 2nd All-Star team in 1975.
During his illustrious career, Larry Lloyd played with and against many of the greatest players in the history of the game – where he more than competed – he excelled! Larry Lloyd was inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2015 and the Oshawa Sports Hall of Fame in 2023.