Emcee Rod Black was in fine form on Thursday night at the 13th Annual Aurora Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration at the opulent Royal Venetian Mansion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He promised humorously that \u201cWe\u2019re going to finish this thing before 2:30 AM,\u201d amused the audience with a string of abbreviations and acronyms he\u2019s worked for over the decades, and delineated the purpose of the evening: \u201cWe\u2019re highlighting the stars in the city of lights\u2014in Aurora, named after the Northern Lights.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After his celestial allusions, the legendary broadcaster at TSN and CTV and current radio host on AM 640 welcomed hundreds of guests to the lavish proceedings during which four individuals\u2014long-time AMHA President and coach Joe Bentolila; Paralympian Gold Medalist and TSN Broadcaster Paul Rosen; Ultramarathoner George Biondic; and former NHLer Shayne Stevenson\u2014were enshrined in the Aurora Sports Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Hall\u2019s main event of the year\u2014sponsored by Canadian Tire Aurora and Jump Start Aurora\u2014was filled with pomp and pageantry. A five-man Colour Guard from the venerable Aurora Legion led inductees and The Class of 2026 to the stage. The procession of Legion veterans and inductees were piped in solemnly by SAC student John Reid whose rendition of \u201cScotland the Brave\u201d stirred the soul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After the engaging introductory formalities were completed, Black invited newly-reelected Mayor Tom Mrakas to deliver a keynote address prior to the inductions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mayor Mrakas noted that \u201cEvery community has a history and tonight we honor those people who have made extraordinary contributions to our community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After delineating concisely and reverently the inspirational achievements of The Class of 2026, Mayor Mrakas closed with a personal touch: \u201cTo all inductees\u2014George, Joe, Paul, Shayne, and the Church Dodgers\u2014the time has come for your achievements to be celebrated. You\u2019ve provided examples to be followed. That\u2019s how a legacy lives. Aurora rises to celebrate you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to the enshrinement of local heroes like Bentolila, Rosen, Biondic, and Stevenson, attendees witnessed the first team to be immortalized in the Hall. In a nod to the rich history of Oldtimers\u2019 Recreation hockey in the area, a trailblazing team known for their charity work around Aurora and their international exhibition games was inducted. The term \u201cAurora Church Dodgers\u201d was coined to describe the mischievous boys\u2019 propensity to miss religious services due to their Sunday morning ice times at the ACC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although they didn\u2019t darken many Church doors with their shadows, the Dodgers raised significant sums over decades of community service for the Rotary Club. Their international trip to Sweden in 1974 cemented their cultural status when the towns of Leksand and Aurora were twinned because of the team\u2019s fun-loving ways in Scandinavia versus myriad pro teams on the ice and during the post-game parties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was appropriate that the team\u2019s first captain, Tom McPherson, accepted the induction on behalf of the 13 Dodgers on stage. After teammate George Dell offered a series of humorous anecdotes about the Dodgers\u2019 capacity for carousing, the equally-amiable McPherson observed that between 1967 and 1998, the trailblazing, barnstorming team really enjoyed its exhibition tours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe played tournaments in Montreal, Sweden, Niagara Falls, New York\u2014we didn\u2019t win many but we played. We were told by one opponent that \u2018You\u2019re better with beer openers than hockey sticks.\u2019 The fellowship we had was as important as the sport itself. It was a big part of my life. Thanks for having us here tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the community-spirited Dodgers departed the stage, Black reassured them that \u201cGod does love you\u2014even though you didn\u2019t go to church.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The evening\u2019s festivities featured a heavy focus on hockey and reinforced the Town\u2019s strong hockey roots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Current AMHA President Corby Saltzman was summoned to the stage by Emcee Black and slipped the maroon ASHOF jacket on to his predecessor Joe Bentolila.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Black noted the extent of Bentolila\u2019s impact: \u201cJoe Bentolila is one of those great leaders\u2014and he\u2019s had more arena coffee than anyone in the area. He\u2019s influenced so many kids, so many teams, and the greatest player to come out of the area: Connor McDavid.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The affable 25-year President of the AMHA was taken by the honor of enshrinement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGetting inducted into the Hall of Fame is something I never imagined,\u201d he said. \u201cOver those 25 years, I had the opportunity to serve in several positions and as President, I had the ability to listen and to stand behind my decisions. The bigger picture was about the children. It was about much more than winning and losing\u2014it was about making things better for the next generation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Black noted, Bentolila was instrumental in shaping a generational talent and offered his engaging story about providing six-year-old Connor McDavid with his first rep hockey playing opportunity as an Aurora Tiger\u2014a connection that the Bentolila cherishes and was reinforced by the gifts that McDavid sent to Bentolila\u2019s surprise retirement party at the ACC in 2023. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Black invited another area NHLer to the stage and complimented Shayne Stevenson\u2019s connection to the Town.
\u201cFrom Aurora to the NHL, Shayne has never forgotten where he\u2019s come from,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stevenson offered his thanks to a pair of Aurora Sports Hall of Famers\u2014his rep hockey coaches Lowell McClenny and Colin Graham.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAt this time, I\u2019d like to thank Lowell and Colin\u2014I first met them when I was 11. My dream\u2014like many kids\u2014was to play in the NHL. I didn\u2019t grasp the magnitude of what I signed up for. I was 15 when I left home for the OHL and 18 when I played in the NHL. My nickname when I started in the NHL was The Legend \u2013 given to me by Bruins veterans who told me, \u2018Shayne, you\u2019re a legend in your own mind.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stevenson closed his speech with a humorous anecdote about one of his more notorious fights while playing for Boston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI wanted to offer a special thank you to Louis Debrusk for my new Colgate smile. Debrusk punched my buck teeth into place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Aurora-raised Stevenson charmed the audience with his stories about life in minor, junior, and professional hockey and equally charming were the anecdotes of ultramarathoner George Biondic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Black referred to Biondic as \u201cThe Forrest Gump of Aurora\u201d \u2013 alluding to the beloved character played by Tom Hanks who crisscrosses America in a show of superhuman endurance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Biondic took little time to acknowledge \u201cThe world\u2019s best partner in crime, Erlinda\u201d\u2014a shout-out to his wife and running partner who was inducted into ASHOF in 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
George remarked his initial training sessions on St. John\u2019s Sideroad to set up crossing the Appalachian Mountains, running through Death Valley, and competing in the \u201cWorld 24-Hour Championship\u201d were techniques \u201cRocky Balboa would have approved of.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The inspirational long-distance runner challenged audience members to take up ultramarathon running by \u201csetting a goal, finding a confidante, and declaring \u201cI Can Do This.\u201d Perhaps the most humorous part of the ultramarathoner\u2019s induction was his wife\u2019s video message: \u201cCongratulations, Georgie\u2014all your hard work has paid off, but none of it would have been possible without me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
George and Erlinda Biondic are the first husband and wife team to be inducted into the Aurora Sports Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the final induction of the evening, Black called upon fellow broadcaster Paul Rosen to come to the stage and he added, \u201cOut of darkness comes a great Northern Light\u2014the oldest player to compete at the Paralympics\u2014C\u2019mon up Rosie!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rosen ascended the stage with his grandson Zach who was taking in the proud moment and wearing his grandfather\u2019s #57 Team Canada jersey from the Torino Olympics \u201cwhich was washed in 2006 and not since\u201d as Zach sniffed the armpits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following the pattern of the previous inductees, Rosen thanked his family members\u2014especially his sister, \u201cwho was the most inspirational person in my life who\u2019s always been there to be help me. You\u2019re the best human being in the world that I\u2019ve met.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The gold medal-winning goalie acknowledged, \u201cMy dad Ron Rosen was my true hero, he was one of a kind, a handshake and your word were everything to him, and I really miss him\u201d and praised his brother for \u201cgiving me the love of sport and music.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe turned me into a really good hockey and baseball player and took me to Varsity Arena to a Chicago concert when I was 12. He gave me a lucky toonie that I wore in my boot at Torino when we won the gold medal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A natural public speaker, Rosen proceeded without notes and riffed about the turning point for his goaltending career and Team Canada\u2019s fortunes in 2006, broke out into a Russian accent, and imitated his dad\u2019s gravelly voice\u2014much to the delight of the audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Rosen concluded his inspirational address with, \u201cI am so honored to be inducted into the Aurora Sports Hall of Fame. I am so honored to live in Aurora,\u201d the chant \u201cRosie, Rosie, Rosie,\u201d swept the ballroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to the four individual inductions and the team induction, two Future Hall of Famers were invited to the stage by Black where Martial Artist Charisma Toupin and MMA fighter Aaron Khaykin were presented with $850 bursary checks by Royal LePage RCR Realty and the Optimist Clubs of Aurora, respectively. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For young and old, the 13th Annual Aurora Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony lived up to its billing as one of the Town\u2019s premier cultural events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By Jim Stewart <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" .<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":39260,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,3,5,24,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39259","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general_news","category-headline_news","category-news","category-news-sports","category-sports"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/2026-11-12-03.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39259","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39259"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39259\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39262,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39259\/revisions\/39262"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39260"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39259"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39259"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39259"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n