Town gives high-fives to these hometown sports heroes

Three hometown sports braves will be feted for their extraordinary contributions as they are called to the Newmarket Sports Hall of Fame.

The 2018 inductees include a soccer coach, pro hockey player and softball pitcher, all recognized as the best and brightest athletes and sports builders in their respective arenas. They will hold court Nov. 4 at an induction ceremony to be held in the council chambers at Newmarket’s Municipal Offices, 395 Mulock Dr.

The Hall of Fame is located at the Magna Centre, on the first floor just before the entrance to the changing rooms, 800 Mulock Dr.

Inductee Bernie Salter said he was “quite elated” to learn that he will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. He has always felt compelled to be involved in his community and had a strong desire to give back in some way.

When he first emigrated to Canada in 1957 from England, he brought his love of soccer with him, or football as it’s commonly referred to across the pond. Once he and his family settled in Newmarket in 1974, Salter volunteered as an assistant coach with the Newmarket Soccer Club, as his nine-year-old son was a player on the team. The rest, as the saying goes, is history.

Under Salter’s leadership as head coach, the adult competitive team, Newmarket Rovers, with the Newmarket and District Soccer league, became league and cup champions within five years of his becoming head coach.

“We won everything that was going around,” Salter said, recalling this period as a personal highlight for him.

The retired travel agent, who arrived in Canada with an engineering degree, perhaps counts the establishment of Soccerfest as among his most impactful community works. The house league tourney continues to be a popular event for youth club members.

“That was my baby,” said Salter, who officially retired from the club in 2006. “I always enjoyed it.”

In 1991, Salter was named the Town of Newmarket’s Citizen of the Year, and he was inducted into the York Region Soccer Association Hall of Fame in 2014. He was also bestowed with the Coach of the Year accolade and is the first honorary lifetime member of the Newmarket Soccer Club.

“I’m a backseat driver now. I just watch soccer on TV,” Salter said, with a laugh.

Softball pitcher Robin Mackin began her sports career with the Newmarket Stingers Association.  She helped that team to a Tier II Provincial Championship in 1996 and 1999.

While at Newmarket High School, Mackin led that school team to four York Region Championships. In Grade 12, she represented Ontario at the Canada Summer Games and brought home a silver medal.  

Later that summer, Mackin was invited to the Team Canada tryouts and at 17 years old, she started a five-year gig with the Canadian National Softball team.

Mackin was also a top recruit for several American Division 1 programs while still in high school. She attended Fresno State University on full scholarship.

In her first year, she was selected as starting pitcher and hitter of the top 25 ranked program. The team won the Western Athletic Conference and she was named Conference Pitcher of the year and Conference Freshman of the year.

Internationally, Mackin was a member of the Canadian National Softball team from 2005 to 2009. The team finished second place at the Pan American Qualifiers, fifth place in the 2006 World Championships in Beijing, second place at the 2007 Pan American Championships in Brazil, and first place at the World University Games in 2008.

Mackin’s international crown was a fourth place finish at the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing.

Gerry Meehan, a retired pro hockey left winger and former general manager and senior vice-president of the Buffalo Sabres, landed in Newmarket in 1953.

His 12-year National Hockey League career was capped with 13 years in NHL management, including as the Sabre’s assistant manager, general manager and executive vice-president of hockey operations until 1996.

During the time he called Newmarket home, he also played lacrosse and minor ball, as well as minor hockey.

Sixty years later, Meehan still holds four playoff-scoring records in minor hockey as a Major Novice from 1956 to '57.

He played Metro Jr. A for Neil McNeil Maroons in 1962 to '63. In 1963, Meehan was drafted 21st by the Toronto Maple Leafs. He also played for four years with the Toronto Marlboros (OHA Jr. A) leading his team as captain to a 1967 Memorial Cup victory.

After turning NHL pro in 1968, Meehan played for Toronto, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Vancouver, Atlanta and Washington. Meehan played 670 NHL games, scoring 180 goals and 243 assists.

For more information on the Newmarket Sports Hall of Fame, visit here