NEWS

On Saturday night in front of Lakefield Chiefs fans and friends, the teams former President and General Manager Terry Dunford was honoured by the OHA for his many years of personal sacrifice and dedication towards the Association.

Born and raised in Peterborough, Terry began working at General Electric following graduating from High School. He would remain with the company for 42 years.

Terry never played minor hockey while growing up. He would not become involved in the game until he became the manager of the Peewee team in Port Elgin and then later a Midget team in Peterborough.

His passion for the game led him to be asked to help the Lakefield Chiefs Junior C Team in 1992 while the club was experiencing difficulties on and off the ice. Once approached to take over as the team’s manager, Terry wasted no time in accepting the position which he would hold for the next 20 years.

With his strong personality, determination and commitment to the club, Terry would waste no time in turning the Chiefs into a contender. With the support of the Chief Board of Directors, Terry would recruit some fantastic young men who would put the Chiefs on the map yet again. In the 1996-97 season, the Chiefs would be crowned the Central Ontario Junior Hockey League Champions, a feat they would repeat the following two seasons. It was in 2000 that the Chiefs would prevail over the Belle River Canadians and win the Schmalz Cup as the top Junior C Team in all of Ontario. In the 2003-04 season, the Chiefs would once again win their league championship.

During his 20 seasons with the Chiefs, Terry would help the team by wearing a number of different hats. He was instrumental in raising funds for the team, he planned fundraising events, he solicited local area businesses for sponsorship and he even ran the clock as the timekeeper or scorekeeper when it was necessary. His love for the Chiefs always pushing him to help the team any way he could. It wasn’t until he got sick in the summer of 2012 that he was forced to step back from his duties with the club.

The Lakefield Chiefs honored Terry for his dedication, commitment and years of service to the club by naming him the team’s first ever Honorary Lifetime Member. The team also created the “Terry Dunford Award,” which is awarded to the Chiefs Playoff MVP and was presented for the first time ever last season.

A father of two sons, Chris and Jeremy, and one daughter, Michelle, Terry has been happily married to his beautiful wife Kaaren for the past 46 years. They enjoy spending time with their six amazing grandchildren.

It’s safe to say that without Terry Dunford the community would not have the Junior Team you see before you today. A humble man who came to be a significant face of the Lakefield Chiefs organization, Terry takes pride in helping his players become great players, but more importantly, great people.

On Saturday night OHA Chairman of the Board Leo Lostracco, along with OHA Directors Terry Lynch and Trevor Tinney, OHA Executive Director Mark Ellis and the Central Junior C League Convenor Liz Basinger presented Terry with his Crystal Puck Award. Congratulations Terry and thank you for everything you've done for the game.