Neil Stevens
Encyclopedia
Neil Stevens is a Canadian sportswriter who has covered numerous sports, including ice hockey
, indoor lacrosse, the Olympic Games
, and figure skating
. 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
.
, and began playing lacrosse at the age of five. At 16, his midget team won the Ontario championship, though Stevens, a center, missed the deciding game of the finals due to injury. He then played three seasons for the St. Catharines Lakesides junior team, and was named an All-Star by the Ontario Lacrosse Association
once. Stevens joined the professional St. Catharines Golden Hawks in 1969; National Hockey League
(NHL) 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 NHL player and head coach; Stevens said that Dudley "got into the games instead of me."
briefly before ending up at Niagara College
, where he was given his first job as a sports reporter by the Peterborough Examiner
in 1970. At the age of 23, Stevens ended his lacrosse career due to a lack of time caused by his job at the Examiner. Stevens travelled for the first time as a reporter in 1971, when he provided coverage of the Minto Cup
junior lacrosse event. Following two years with the Examiner, he was fired for being critical of the sports editor to the managing editor. 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 NHL, 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
.
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 St. 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.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
, indoor lacrosse, the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, and figure skating
Figure skating
Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...
. He received his first newspaper job in 1970, having previously played lacrosse, and in 1974 began working for the Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Canadian Press Enterprises Inc. is the entity which "will take over the operations of the Canadian Press" according to a November 26, 2010 article in the Toronto Star...
. Stevens has been honoured by the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
and National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame
National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame
The National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame was established on June 16, 2005. The National Lacrosse League has 7 teams in the United States and 3 in Canada...
.
Early life and lacrosse career
Stevens was raised in Port Dalhousie, OntarioPort Dalhousie, Ontario
Port Dalhousie is a community in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. It is known for its waterfront appeal. It is also home to the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta and is historically significant as the terminus for the first three routes of the Welland Canal.The city's most popular beach, on the...
, and began playing lacrosse at the age of five. At 16, his midget team won the Ontario championship, though Stevens, a center, missed the deciding game of the finals due to injury. He then played three seasons for the St. Catharines Lakesides junior team, and was named an All-Star by the Ontario Lacrosse Association
Ontario Lacrosse Association
Ontario Lacrosse Association is a sanctioned sports body in Ontario, Canada. Empowered by the Canadian Lacrosse Association, the OLA controls and regulates Minor level, Junior level and Senior level Lacrosse...
once. Stevens joined the professional St. Catharines Golden Hawks in 1969; National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL) goaltender Doug Favell
Doug Favell
Douglas Robert Favell is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender, most notably for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League. He was also a box lacrosse player.-Playing career:...
was one of his teammates. Late in the season, his playing time was affected by the arrival of Rick Dudley
Rick Dudley
Richard Clarence Dudley is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive and former player. Dudley was previously the general manager of several hockey teams. Dudley played in the World Hockey Association and in the National Hockey League. Dudley has also served as a head coach in the National...
, who later was a National Lacrosse League All-Star and NHL player and head coach; Stevens said that Dudley "got into the games instead of me."
Writing career
He attended Ryerson UniversityRyerson University
Ryerson University is a public research university located in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its urban campus is adjacent to Yonge-Dundas Square located at the busiest intersection in Downtown Toronto. The majority of its buildings are in the blocks northeast of the square in Toronto's Garden...
briefly before ending up at Niagara College
Niagara College
Niagara College is a College of Applied Arts and Technology within the Niagara Region of Southern Ontario. The College has four campuses: the Welland Campus in Welland, the Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake, the Maid of the Mist Campus in Niagara Falls, home of the Tourism Industry...
, where he was given his first job as a sports reporter by the Peterborough Examiner
Peterborough Examiner
The Peterborough Examiner is a newspaper that services Peterborough, Ontario and area. The paper started circulation in 1847, and is currently owned by the Sun Media, division of Quebecor Media. At one time, it was edited by Canadian man of letters Robertson Davies. It is the only daily newspaper...
in 1970. At the age of 23, Stevens ended his lacrosse career due to a lack of time caused by his job at the Examiner. Stevens travelled for the first time as a reporter in 1971, when he provided coverage of the Minto Cup
Minto Cup
The Minto Cup is awarded annually to the champion junior men's lacrosse team of Canada.It was donated in 1901 by the Governor-General, Lord Minto, and from 1901 until 1909 awarded to the senior men's champion of Canada...
junior lacrosse event. Following two years with the Examiner, he was fired for being critical of the sports editor to the managing editor. A few months later, he began working for the Sudbury Star
Sudbury Star
The Sudbury Star is a Canadian daily regional newspaper, published in Sudbury, Ontario. It is run by the media conglomerate Sun Media, which is controlled by Quebecor....
, 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
Stanley Cup Finals
The Stanley Cup Finals is the championship series to determine the winner of the Stanley Cup, emblematic of the professional club championship of ice hockey. Although the Cup itself has existed since 1893, an annual championship series between professional teams was not established until 1913...
in the decade and annually starting in 1991. Stevens also served as a beat reporter
Beat reporting
Beat reporting, also known as specialized reporting, is a genre of journalism that can be described as the craft of in-depth reporting on a particular issue, sector, organization or institution over time. Beat reporters build up a base of knowledge on and gain familiarity with the topic, allowing...
on the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. In addition to the NHL, Stevens reported on numerous international tournaments, including the World Cup of Hockey
World Cup of Hockey
The World Cup of Hockey is an international ice hockey tournament. Inaugurated in 1996, it is the successor to the previous Canada Cup, which ran from 1976 to 1991...
twice, the Canada Cup
Canada Cup
The Canada Cup refers to several types of professional sporting events held in Canada: It is also the previous name of the World Cup of Golf and the World Cup of Hockey.* Canada Cup for men's professional ice hockey* Canada Cup...
four times, and the Ice Hockey World Championships
Ice Hockey World Championships
The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European...
four times.
In 1998, the National Lacrosse League added a Canadian team, the Ontario Raiders
Ontario Raiders
The Ontario Raiders were a member of the National Lacrosse League during the 1998 NLL season. The Raiders played at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario. After only one season in Hamilton, the franchise was moved to Toronto, becoming the Toronto Rock....
. 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
Toronto Rock
The Toronto Rock is a lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League . They play at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario. The Rock of the late 1990s / early 2000s has been called a dynasty, having won five NLL championships in seven years. From 1999 to 2003, the Rock appeared in an NLL-record...
. Stevens provided coverage of other sports as well; among them were the Olympic Games (which he covered eight times) and figure skating
Figure skating
Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...
(22 world championships
World Figure Skating Championships
The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion...
). On March 1, 2008, he retired from full-time work at the Canadian Press. However, he remained an active freelance writer
Freelancer
A freelancer, freelance worker, or freelance is somebody who is self-employed and is not committed to a particular employer long term. These workers are often represented by a company or an agency that resells their labor and that of others to its clients with or without project management and...
and reporter for the Rock's games. Stevens served as a media contact for Canada's national men's lacrosse team
Canada men's national lacrosse team
Canada men's national lacrosse team is one of the best national lacrosse teams in the world. Although that Team USA is much more successful and won the gold medal almost on almost every championship, Canada gained a historical result on two competitions, last time in 2006, finishing on the first...
during the 2010 World Lacrosse Championship
2010 World Lacrosse Championship
The 2010 FIL World Lacrosse Championship was held between 15–24 July 2010. The premier international men's lacrosse tournament took place in Manchester, United Kingdom...
in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, England, and covered the 2011 FIL World Indoor Lacrosse Championship
2011 FIL World Indoor Lacrosse Championship
- Pool B :All times are local .-Final round:All times are local .- Quarter-finals:- Semi-finals :- 7th place playoff :Ireland won 17–15 on aggregate.- 5th place playoff :- Bronze medal game :- Gold medal game :...
in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
.
Honours
Multiple sports halls of fameHall of Fame
A hall of fame, wall of fame, walk of fame, walk of stars or avenue of stars is a type of attraction established for any field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field...
have given Stevens honours for his work. In 2008, the National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame
National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame
The National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame was established on June 16, 2005. The National Lacrosse League has 7 teams in the United States and 3 in Canada...
recognized him. That same year, the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
presented Stevens with the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award
Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award
The Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award is an award given "in recognition of distinguished members of the newspaper profession whose words have brought honour to journalism and to hockey". Recipients are selected by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association and gain automatic entrance into the Hockey...
, presented annually to a sportswriter chosen by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association
Professional Hockey Writers' Association
The Professional Hockey Writers' Association is a North American professional association for ice hockey journalists writing for newspapers, magazines and websites...
. Canadian and American writers had given him a nomination before he was selected. In addition, the St. 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.