March 7, 2019
ROCK HALL OF FAME GROWS BY FIVE
Kasey Beirnes, Sandy Chapman, Colin Doyle, Josh Sanderson and Aaron Wilson Will Be Inducted April 2nd
Oakville, ON – Toronto Rock Owner, President and GM Jamie Dawick announced the 2019 Toronto Rock Hall of Fame Induction Class on Thursday. Rock greats Kasey Beirnes, Sandy Chapman, Colin Doyle, Josh Sanderson and Aaron Wilson will be inducted on Tue., Apr. 2 at the Toronto Rock Athletic Centre in Oakville, ON.
Prior to the Rock’s home game on Fri., Apr. 5 against the Buffalo Bandits, Chapman, the most recently retired of the group, will be honoured with a special pre-game tribute highlighting his Rock career.
The new inductees join the inaugural class of 2014. The first six members of the Rock Hall of Fame were Pat Coyle, Dan Ladouceur, Blaine Manning, Dan Stroup, Jim Veltman and Bob Watson.
“We have assembled our second class of great players worthy of induction into the Rock Hall of Fame,” said Dawick. “The five players being inducted are being recognized for their tremendous contributions to this franchise and were all members of championship teams.”
Beirnes retired following the 2017 campaign and spent the last 10 seasons of his 16-year NLL career with the Rock. ‘Boom Boom’ was an instrumental part of the 2011 Rock championship squad and is in the top 10 in Rock franchise history in games played (6th – 156), goals (4th – 245), assists (8th – 179) and points (8th – 424). He also exhibited an unmatched chemistry with Doyle, never needing the ball for more than a second to do his damage and put the ball in the back of the net.
Originally drafted in the first round of the 2001 NLL Draft by the Rock, Chapman spent all but four of his 17 NLL seasons with the Rock. He finished with four Rock championship rings and also won the NLL’s defensive player of the year in 2010. Often referred to as the ultimate pro, the Acton, ON native led both on and off the floor with his work ethic setting him apart from the rest. His 194 games in a Rock jersey rank him third in franchise history and he is fourth all-time with 783 loose balls.
Doyle retired after the 2016 season and left the game as the most decorated player in team history. He is the all-time leader in games played (218), goals (440), assists (664) and points (1104). He was also a member of all six Rock championship teams and was a three-time championship game MVP and won the NLL’s regular season MVP in 2005. He also won the NLL rookie of the year award in 1998 with the Ontario Raiders.
Sanderson, like Doyle, played his final NLL season with the Rock in 2016 and finished fifth all-time in goals with 217, third in assists with 458 and third in points with 675. Regarded as one of the purest passers of all-time, Sanderson always made the players around him better and was truly a field general, quarterbacking the team’s offence. ‘Shooter’ was a member of the Rock championship team of 2005, which was the same year the Rock boasted three-100 point scorers with Doyle and Manning also topping the century mark.
Known as the ‘Wildman’ to Rock fans or ‘7-11’ to his teammates because he was always open, Wilson topped the 20-goal mark in every one of his six seasons in Toronto, highlighted by a 41-goal campaign in 2005. He won championship rings with the Rock in 2003 and 2005. He is top 10 in Rock franchise history in goals (6th – 190), assists (9th – 144) and points (9th – 334).
“There are some great connections among this induction class. You have Colin and Kasey and Colin and Aaron, with how well they meshed together on the floor. Chappy is just the pros pro and Josh was such a warrior and a big-game player. All no-brainers and deserving of a place in the Rock Hall of Fame,” said Dawick.
Stay tuned to torontorock.com and the team’s social channels for full coverage of the 2019 Rock Hall of Fame induction.
2018-19 Toronto Rock Single Game Tickets along with the 4 Game Pack and 6 Ticket Flex Pack are on sale now. To purchase or for more information, please visit torontorock.com or call 416-596-3075.
