Under the umbrella of the Sudbury Lakers organization, Wayne had been manager of several teams in the SMHA for more than 30 years.
Minor Hockey Week Award in 1991-92.
Winner of the NOHA Angus Campbell Award (order of merit in hockey for outstanding service to the game other than a player) in 2004.
Although many knew Wayne as “The Man behind the Lakers Sports Organization”, Wayne was an elite athlete in his own right. He excelled at hockey, competitive swimming, baseball and basketball.
As a senior on the Sudbury Technical basketball team, he once scored 50 points in a playoff game.
He was well known as a sure-handed infielder, and as a lead-off hitter, who could lay down a bunt and beat out the throw.
He was a member of the North Bay Garland Pepsi’s who won the Canadian Intermediate Basketball Championships. He was then selected to the North Bay Hall of Fame.
An instructor with the machine shop program at Chelmsford High School, he coached the girls’ basketball program.
Throughout his academic career, Wayne was an IAABO certified basketball official, and refereed the local university (Laurentian University), college (Cambrian College), and high school (SDSSAA) games.
After retiring from teaching, Wayne started his second career as “The Man Behind the Lakers”, tirelessly working behind the scenes, fundraising, managing and promoting hockey, baseball and girls’ basketball.
The Sudbury Minor Hockey Association (SMHA) honoured Wayne by launching the annual “Wayne and Lucie Eadie Spirit of the Game Hockey Tournament”.
In a recent newspaper article, Wayne provided the following quote: “I would like to be remembered as a developer of sports, giving kids an opportunity”.
Wayne passed away June 22, 2012; he was 80 years old.
