Best of the best to be honoured Saturday

Three of the most distinguished careers in lacrosse will be honoured before Saturday night’s Heritage Cup.

The Heritage Cup, which matches the Canadian national men’s box lacrosse team against its U.S. counterpart, will be played Saturday night at FirstOntario Centre at 7 p.m.

Cup organizers will honour the late Gaylord Powless, the Six Nations superstar who will be inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame next month and who transcended lacrosse as the cornerstone of the famous Oshawa Green Gaels junior Minto Cup dynasty of the 1960s.

He will be represented by members of his family.

His grandson, David Anderson, will suit up for Team Canada in the U-17 game between Canada and the Iroquois Nation, which will be played in conjunction with the marquee game.

Bobby Allan, of Peterborough, will also be honoured at the game. During the 1960s, any player who shot the ball over his shoulder and behind his back was said to be using “the Bobby Allan shot,” a manoeuvre he perfected.

Allan, now 84, first picked up a lacrosse stick when he was 11 and is still active in the game as an executive with the Peterborough Lakers, the reigning Mann Cup champions.

Allan appeared in 10 Mann Cup finals as a player, winning five, and coached Peterborough to another two Mann Cups.

His single-season scoring record of 89 goals in 1956 has never been broken. He is in the Ontario and Canadian Lacrosse Halls of Fame and the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame.

George “Potsy” Burrows will also be recognized for his long career in lacrosse. The 99-year-old from Brampton was a longtime goalie and referee and has been involved in the game since he was eight years old.

He was largely responsible for the formation of the vibrant Lakeshore Lacrosse League.

Ed Comeau, of Hamilton, will coach the Canadian Heritage Cup team, and his squad will include Hamilton natives Ryan Dilks, Joey Cupido and Kiel Matisz. Burlington resident Dan Dawson will captain the team.

Tickets are available at ticketmaster.ca