Nominating an OJHL Hall of Famer

OVERVIEW

Eligible nominees are those who have brought distinction to the OJHL, and those who have made a major contribution to the development and advancement of the OJHL.  Each year the OJHL HOF will induct up to five (5) individuals from either the Original Era and Other Leagues or the Modern Era.

Nominees can be inducted from the Original Era and other Leagues or the Modern Era.  A special category consists of the Central Junior B Hockey League (CJBHL) 1954 – 1993 where hockey franchises that have a lineage to current OJHL franchises will be eligible for an OJHL HOF Award of Distinction.

The OJHL Hall of Fame has three categories consisting of Player, Builder and Award of Distinction which can be a Player, Coach, Builder, member of the Media, Trainer, Athletic Therapist or Volunteer.  Nominees can come from three distinct areas that include the Original Era and other Leagues, Modern Era or have played in the Central Jr. B Hockey League in which teams have a lineage to the current members of the OJHL.

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Who is ELIGIBLE?

Since the OJHL is the preeminent and dominate junior A league in Ontario today it is felt that the league should honour the individual history of all leagues in Ontario that got us to this point as well as the current OJHL teams who have history and played in the CJBHL.  Additionally, anyone during the period who played in the CJBHL prior to 1992-1993 would be eligible for a HOF Award of Distinction only.  All other leagues would be eligible for all OJHL HOF induction awards including the HOF Award of Distinction.

Leagues whose players will have eligibility for OJHL HOF:

Original Era and other Leagues SOJHL 1970 – 1977

  • OPJHL 1972 – 1987
  • MetJHL 1991 – 1998 (OJHL Lineage)
  • CJBHL 1954 – 1992 (OJHL Lineage) *
  • CJAHL 1992 – 1993 (Pilot Junior A Season)

Modern Era

  • OPJHL 1993 – 2008 (CJAHL Changed name to OPJHL in 1993)
  • OJHL 2008 – Present (OPJHL Changed name to OJHL in 2008)

* OJHL HOF Award of Distinction Only 

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Who may nominate?

Anyone with knowledge about an athlete/builder and willing to invest the time and effort necessary for this task as well as the OJHL HOF Selection Committee.

What does a good nomination look like?

  • Everything should be submitted digitally on letter size paper
  • At least a two-page biographical sketch about the nominee
  • Supporting materials that document the factual information in the biographical sketch (can be links)
  • At least two letters of support (can be scanned or cut and paste)
  • Sports-related photographs
  • All supporting documents and photos should be sent in digitally with your digital nomination form

What should be included in the biographical sketch?

The bio-sketch should include detailed information about the person’s OJHL and other hockey achievements. Include awards won, medals received, records achieved, highest level achieved and honours won, etc. The bio-sketch can be presented in narrative form for general descriptive information or in bulleted form for factual information about athletic achievements, records, awards, etc. Personal information about the individual is valuable in presenting a balanced view and should be included, but the selection decision is first and foremost a decision about athletic accomplishment.

What kind of supporting materials should be included?

The supporting material should back-up the information included in the bio-sketch, e.g. Hockey DB link, Elite Prospects link, news clipping could be included that documents that participation, or information can be presented about hockey participation from yearbooks, public relations releases, athletic fact books, newsletters, fall and spring athletic guides, etc. The idea is to be completely accurate with information rather than presenting someone’s opinion that might be based on faulty memory.  Do not include items of value or materials that cannot easily be copied.  Additionally, several photos other person throughout their development including time in the OJHL, minor hockey and advanced leagues is a must.

Who should write support letters and what should be their content?

Letters of support are intended to add weight to your recommendation. They can be solicited from former coaches, mentors, teammates, university officials, and others who have had direct observation of the individual. These letters should speak to the athletic accomplishments of the individual and state an opinion about the person’s potential for OJHL Hall membership, given the mission and high selection standards of the Hall. References to good character in these letters are welcome and should be included.

How do I submit photos?

As much as possible we would like your submission to be digital.   Photos should be sports-related.  You should not expect the photos you submit to be returned, so good copies are acceptable.  Additional photo’s may be requested after an announcement is made if necessary.

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How do I find out the details about the athlete I am nominating?

Some possible sources:

  • Factual information available from family members of the individual; family scrapbooks and photo albums are often useful to get you started (but you should not send the entire book, only relevant information that you copy and submit in the desired format)
  • Team records from teams on which the individual played, or records of accomplishment in non-team sports
  • News clippings
  • Information and records from professional organizations, often associated with a particular sport or league
  • Information gathered from searching the world wide web
  • High school athletic records
  • University athletic participation information. Often a sports information officer at a university can be of great assistance
  • Contact individuals who you know are in a position to know information, and also ask them for the names of others. You will create a network of people who know the individual and can provide leads to other valuable information. Don’t hesitate on a search like this to contact someone more than once.
  • You may want to review some of the write-ups on the Hall of Fame website of those who have been inducted to gain historical information and perspective about hall members. It might be particularly good to do this for the sport of the person you are going to nominate.

What kind of balance should I have in the nomination between athletic performance/career information and personal information?

The Hall honours athletic accomplishment both in the OJHL and at advanced levels, so your primary task is to present information about the person’s athletic achievements. However, a person with a strong athletic record and who is a person of quality, honesty, integrity, and compassion may be looked upon with greater interest than one with a great athletic record and dubious personal background. Focus on athletic accomplishment and outstanding contributions to the development and advancement of the OJHL and beyond, but don’t avoid some additional information about the person.

Should I include information that detracts from the recommendation should the athlete have been disciplined or sanctioned in the past?

Be honest. If the nominee has a “past” don’t shy away from including it. The selection committee needs to know all information, good or bad, and character is sometimes a key factor. It is best to know about it upfront than to find out later, e.g. if a nominee was suspended for hitting an official or was “busted” for using performance enhancers, the committee needs to know.

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What if my nomination is not approved the first year of consideration?

Nominations will be considered by the selection committee for three consecutive years. Given the competition for entrance into the Hall, people of great accomplishment are often selected on the second or third try. After three years of consideration, a nomination is no longer active and a new nomination request with additional information is required for further consideration.

What happens to the nomination when it arrives at the Hall of Fame? Who makes the selection and when?

All the active nominations are referred to the Selection Committee that meets annually. The recommendations of the Selection Committee must be approved by the OJHL Board of Directors. Final decisions are announced following the Board’s approval. The goal is to induct up to five (5) people each year, but this may vary depending on the number and quality of the nominations.

Is there anything I can do to make the process easier for the Hall of Fame Staff?

Please ensure to have all the elements requested in your submission.  As we are requesting digital submissions we are hoping this help the process with the OJHL Staff.

Is there a deadline for submisssion?

Submissions for each year will start in the first week of  September in conjunction with the opening of the OJHL regular season.  The Nomination period will stay open until November 30th of each year.  You will have this period of time to send in your nominations.

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If selected for membership in the Hall, what will happen next?

If selected, the OJHL Hall of Fame will notify both the person selected and the person making the nomination. If not selected, only the person making the nomination will be notified.

Should I tell the person being nominated of the nomination?

Advising the person is your choice. You can make that decision yourself. In some cases, it may be wise not to tell them and in other instances, it may be advantageous to tell them, e.g. the individual might have information that could be helpful in preparing the nomination and you could miss that information. You make the call.

when would the person be inducted if selected?

There is no set induction date. Announcements will be made during the OJHL Playoffs in March or April of each year.  Where possible we try to have one evening where all of that year’s selections will be inducted, but there may be occasions when a smaller, or even an individual, private induction is necessary.

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