The Players Series-John Grant SR.

John Grant Senior

Almost an Oshawa Green Gael ???

Written by Rad Joseph

John Grant was born and raised in Peterborough, Ontario. He played both lacrosse and hockey. He began playing lacrosse at age nine when the organizers of minor lacrosse in Peterborough had a promotion - they were giving out free chocolate milk if you came out to try playing lacrosse. Living in the south end of Peterborough the news spread – “Free chocolate milk at the Civic arena”. John had never had a lacrosse stick in his hands. But the freebie enticed him and a couple of friends to hustle down to the arena where they received a free 6-ounce container of chocolate milk. In return for the chocolate milk, you had to go out on the floor and you were given a lacrosse stick out of a barrel to begin trying passing and catching drills. This was the beginning of John Grant’s lacrosse career and in the summer of 1960, he played both novice level house league and rep lacrosse.

As the seasons progressed, John went onto play Junior “A” with the Peterborough PCOs Junior “A” team who won the Minto Cup in 1972 (They lost the 1971 Minto Cup in overtime in the 7th game of the series). John Grant’s performance in the 1972 series won him the Jim McConaghy Memorial Award as the Most Valuable Player of the series. (scoring 15 points in 4 games). In three years of Junior “A” lacrosse John scored 93 goals, added 204 assists for 297 points in 70 regular season games. In the playoffs, he scored 43 goals, added 80 assists for 123 points in 36 games. His accumulated points playing Junior “A” totaled 136 goals, 284 assists for 420 points in 106 games.

When his junior lacrosse career ended with a Minto Cup championship, John Grant began playing for the Senior “A” Peterborough Lakers who won the 1973 Mann Cup. He would be part of two more Mann Cup championship teams (1982 and 1984). When the Lakers won the Mann Cup in 1984, John was the recipient of the Mike Kelley Memorial Award as the Most Valuable Player of the series. His Major lacrosse career spanned 12 seasons with Peterborough over the period from 1973-1992. In 203 games played at the Major level, he amassed 245 goals, 506 assists for 751 regular season points. During the playoffs, in 107 games, Grant scored 105 goals, added 191 assists for a total of 296 points. His accumulated points playing Major Series Lacrosse totaled 350 goals scored, 697 assists for a total of 1047 points in 310 games.

Classic John Grant shooting style

● John Grant was also a star player with Philadelphia Wings of the National Lacrosse League in 1974 and 1975. He played 86 games scoring 142 goals and recording 239 assists for a total of 381 points.

● In addition, he was a top-level player with the Canadian National Field Lacrosse team representing Canada in 1978, 1982 and 1986. The 1978 team won the World Championship in Manchester, England.

● John Grant was recognized as the Senior Male Athlete of the Year award for the City of Peterborough in 1984.

John Grant has been inducted into four Sports Hall of Fame as a Player

Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1997

Peterborough and District Sports Hall of Fame in 2004

Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2008

Valley East (Sudbury) Sports Hall of Fame

John Grant was also a member of the Peterborough PCOs Junior “A” team inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame (Winners of four consecutive Minto Cups – 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975 – John played on the 1972 team)

How did John Grant almost become an Oshawa Green Gael?

In 1971, John and his close friend Jim Wasson went to the Oshawa Civic Centre to watch the Green Gaels play and they discussed the prospect of both of them playing for the Gaels. Jim Wasson decided not to. Shortly afterwards, Green Gaels personnel approached John Grant about playing for the Gaels. John expressed interest if they could find him a job. He moved into the home of a local Oshawa family. John had been playing Junior ‘B’ hockey in Peterborough with the Peterborough Lions in 1969-1970. However, he requested a release from Peterborough to play for the Oshawa Crushmen Junior ‘B’ hockey team.

In the 1971 season, John Grant actually dressed for the Gaels in an exhibition game against St. Catharines. He had attended only one practice. The team was coached by Bob Hanna. John ‘found it interesting’ to put on a Gaels jersey and play in the Civic Arena with a team which included Terry Rowland, Larry Shrigley, Terry Lloyd, Bob Goulding, Joe Greentree and a young rookie Stan Cockerton. Sitting in the dressing room, John sensed from his new teammates ‘What is this Peterborough guy doing in this dressing room?’ And he felt the same – ‘What am I doing in a Green Gaels’ dressing room?’

John did not remain an Oshawa Green Gael. He was living in Peterborough and had been hitchhiking back and forth. The Peterborough management appealed to the Ontario Lacrosse Association and due to the residency rule, John Grant was deemed Peterborough property. The OLA ruled in Peterborough’s favour. John joined the PCOs roster and became part of the Peterborough team who won the Ontario championship defeating Etobicoke in the finals and headed West to play in the Minto Cup losing in overtime in the seventh game of the series. The next season (1972), Peterborough won the Ontario championship and hosted Richmond and swept the series four straight to win the Minto Cup.

How did John Grant end up wearing #12?

As a youngster, John Grant was a big fan of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League who were coached by Bud Grant. Although no relation to John, he told people Bud Grant was his grandfather). Kenny Ploen (Footnote; see details below) was a star quarterback who wore #12 for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. John recalls watching Ploen and thinking he is a great quarterback who wears #12 and I just liked the number. And other great athletes such as Joe Namath and Terry Bradshaw wore # 12. This compelled John Grant to begin wearing #12 and he stuck with it.

The obvious subsequent question - Why does John Grant Junior wear #24, not #12. John Junior had always worn #12 in minor lacrosse. After a practice, Bob Wasson approached Junior and advised him…”Why don’t you wear # 24 and become twice the player your Dad was? And such is the beginning of #24 of the Laker legacy.

In assessing why he became such a great player, John Grant will tell you – “As a player, my stick has always been my best friend. Having the skill to play the game and to develop has always been about my best friend, my stick. Sports keeps you grounded and lacrosse certainly did that for me. You learn to deal with success and failure. As a player, you have an intellectual approach to the game, to have insight about developing, learning how to deal with success and failure”. John is well aware and acknowledges the benefit he reaped growing up in Peterborough – “Living in a small town, you can be protected. You have guidelines and there are expectations. I have been fortunate in experiencing so many of the good things lacrosse can give a person. I was able to do things I might not have done otherwise”. However, John knows the game today is different from the game when he played – “If you watch the game now, it has less picks and rolls and less movement. Plenty of outside shots, less inside action. It is a perimeter game now. The game is different. I grew up with five-man units. We were a team on the floor. We went both ways. With offence/defense style of play, it is a different game from what I and my teammates played”.

John Grant is still a huge fan of the game. He continues to contribute in his role as a Member of the Board of Directors with the Peterborough Lakers of Major Series Lacrosse and has played an integral role in the Lakers winning four more Mann Cups (2017, 2018, 2019, 2022).

John Grant – Member of the Board of Directors

Peterborough Lakers Major Series Lacrosse Club

When thinking back, it does not cross John Grant’s thoughts - he could have had a junior lacrosse career as a Green Gael. He played one exhibition game; the OLA ruled his rights belonged to Peterborough and he ended up where he should have been - one of the great players of the game - a Peterborough lacrosse icon.

1Kenny Ploen

Kenny Ploen played quarterback for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League from 1957 to 1967. At times, he also played halfback and safety. Ploen led Winnipeg to six Grey Cup championship appearances, winning four times and losing twice. He was voted the 1961 Grey Cup Most Valuable Player. Kenny Ploen was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1975, the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame in 1987, The Rose Bowl Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Iowa Sports Hall of Fame in 2002. In 2005, Kenny Ploen was named one of the 20 All-Time Winnipeg Blue Bomber Greats.