Neil Stevens

Education

He attended Ryerson University briefly before ending up at Niagara College, where he was given his first job as a sports reporter by the Peterborough Examiner in 1970.

Career

He received his first newspaper job in 1970, having previously played lacrosse, and in 1974 began working for the Canadian Press. Stevens has been honoured by the Hockey Hall of Fame and National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame. Stevens was raised in Portuguese Dalhousie, Ontario, and began playing lacrosse at the age of five.

He then played three seasons for the Saint Catharines Lakesides junior team, and was named an All-Star by the Ontario Lacrosse Association once.

Stevens joined the professional Saint Catharines Golden Hawks in 1969. National Hockey League (National Hockey League) goaltender Doug Favell was one of his teammates.

Late in the season, his playing time was affected by the arrival of Rick Dudley, who later was a National Lacrosse League All-Star and National Hockey League player and head coach. Stevens said that Dudley "got into the games instead of medical " At the age of 23, Stevens ended his lacrosse career due to a lack of time caused by his job at the Examiner.

Following two years with the Examiner, he was fired for being critical of the sports editor to the managing editors

A few months later, he began working for the Sudbury Star, where he stayed for two years. In 1974, Stevens was hired by the Canadian Press. having gained its notice for writing about an inquiry. Stevens spent his early years at the agency covering news, and in 1979 was moved to sportswriting.

He covered ice hockey starting in the 1980s, providing coverage of three Stanley Cup Finals in the decade and annually starting in 1991.

Stevens also served as a beat reporter on the Toronto Maple Leafs. In addition to the National Hockey League, Stevens reported on numerous international tournaments, including the World Cup of Hockey twice, the Canada Cup four times, and the Ice Hockey World Championships four times.

In 1998, the National Lacrosse League added a Canadian team, the Ontario Raiders. At the time, the Canadian Press did not cover the sport.

Stevens recommended to the agency"s sports editor that the league be reported on, and he was made the first Canadian Press lacrosse writer

He covered the Raiders and their successors, the Toronto Rock. Stevens provided coverage of other sports as well. Among them were the Olympic Games (which he covered eight times) and figure skating (22 world championships).

On March 1, 2008, he retired from full-time work at the Canadian Press.

However, he remained an active freelance writer and reporter for the Rock"s games. Stevens served as a media contact for Canada"s national men"s lacrosse team during the 2010 World Lacrosse Championship in Manchester, England, and covered the 2011 FIL World Indoor Lacrosse Championship in Prague.

More recently, he has written a novel and maintains an interest in music

Achievements

• Multiple sports halls of fame have given Stevens honours for his work. In 2008, the National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame recognized him. That same year, the Hockey Hall of Fame presented Stevens with the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award, presented annually to a sportswriter chosen by the Professional Hockey Writers" Association. Canadian and American writers had given him a nomination before he was selected. In addition, the Saint Catharines Sports Hall of Fame inducted Stevens, also in 2008. He joined two members of his family in that hall of fame. Stevens" uncle, Ken Croft, was also honoured in 2008, and his father, John, was a previous inductee.

Membership

He joined two members of his family in that hall of fame. Stevens" uncle, Ken Croft, was also honoured in 2008, and his father, John, was a previous inductee.