Both players will have their names on banners raised to the Meridian Centre rafters. Pictured: Marcel Dionne and Brian Cullen. Photo Credit: CHL.
The Niagara IceDogs will honour hockey royalty tonight as a pair of the greatest players to hit the ice for major junior hockey in St. Catharines – Marcel Dionne and Brian Cullen – will be part of a banner-raising ceremony initiated by St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe, in partnership with the IceDogs.
Dionne, who played three seasons with the St. Catharines Blackhawks from 1968 to 1971, is still the all-time regular season and playoff points record holder in the city’s major junior hockey history, with 507 points. He is also sixth on the NHL’s all-time scoring list with 1,771 career points, and was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1992.
Cullen played with the St. Catharines Teepees from 1951 until 1954. In his first season he was the league’s top rookie. In 1954 he helped lead the Teepees to a Memorial Cup as captain. During that season, he scored 68 goals and 93 assists, setting a league record of 161 points. No St. Catharines junior player has ever broken Cullen’s point’s record from that season.
Both players will have their names on banners raised to the Meridian Centre rafters tonight in a special ceremony before the Niagara IceDogs take on the Sarnia Sting in a 7:00 p.m. puck drop.
“We’re honoured that we can help celebrate these two hockey giants – that started their junior careers and eventual pro careers here in St. Catharines,” said Niagara IceDogs Owner and Governor Darren DeDobbelaer.
“To know what these two gentlemen have done on the ice, and it all started here, is simply amazing,” Siscoe said.
“I’m honoured that we can celebrate Mr. Dionne and Mr. Cullen’s careers, and legacy to hockey, in St. Catharines on Friday. I’d like to thank hockey author and historian John Hewitt and longtime local philanthropist Archie Katzman for approaching me about this initiative.”
This marks the second and third banner to be raised at the Meridian Centre to honour those who have contributed to hockey history here in St. Catharines, after Stan Mikita’s banner was raised in 2018.
“I look forward to working with both the IceDogs and the hockey historians in our community to continue to raise banners to celebrate the legacy of excellence established on the ice here in St. Catharines for years to come,” Siscoe added.
Both Dionne and Cullen will be signing copies of John Hewitt’s book ‘Garden City Hockey Heroes’ which will be on sale during tonight’s IceDogs game on the concourse at the Meridian Centre.
All proceeds of the sale of the book will be donated back to a charity of the IceDogs choosing.
The IceDogs will also be wearing an 80’s night “specialty jersey” on Friday.
All jerseys will be auctioned off online after the game in support of Community Care St. Catharines and Thorold, and the Brain Injury Association of Niagara.
The Niagara IceDogs arrived in the Region in 2007, and since then have been crowned Eastern Conference Champions twice.
The team is one of 20 in the Ontario Hockey League, playing out of the beautiful Meridian Centre in downtown St. Catharines.
The IceDogs have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to local charities over the years and welcome all groups and teams to find out what they offer in terms of partnerships.
Visit niagaraicedogs.net for more information.
Rod Mawhood is a lifelong Niagara native who has had the pleasure of working in all three mediums – Radio, Print and TV – for over 20 years. His first announcing gig was with the then St. Catharines Stompers. Since then he’s worked in radio and TV in Toronto, and currently is the announcer for the Niagara IceDogs and Niagara River Lions.
Rod also covers the Buffalo Bills for FOX Sports and the Buffalo Sabres for NBC Sports.
