Four athletes, an architect and a sport will be inducted into the Hamilton Sports Hall of Fame this fall.
The Class of 2024 includes an NHL veteran, a Grey Cup champion and a legendary race in Hamilton, Ontario, the 130-year-old Around the Bay Road Race.
This famous race, which covers 30 kilometres around Hamilton Harbour, is the oldest long distance road race in North America, having first been held in 1894.
Over the years, its popularity has grown, attracting thousands of participants from all over the world and raising funds for several local charities.
Hamilton-born NHL player Steve Staios will be one of five athletes to join the club.
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Staos played 18 seasons in the NHL, with the Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks, Atlanta Thrashers, Calgary Flames, New York Islanders, and played a major role in the Edmonton Oilers' unexpected run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2006.
He played in more than 1,000 NHL games, accumulated 220 points, and won two gold medals with Canada at the World Hockey Championships.
After retiring in 2012, Staios transitioned into coaching and management, including serving as president and general manager of the Hamilton Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), winning two OHL championships in 2018 and 2022.
Two-time Grey Cup champion Frank Cosentino started out as a multi-sport athlete at Cathedral High School, competing in baseball and football.
After attending the University of Western Ontario, the quarterback was drafted by his hometown Tiger-Cats in 1960 and played for that team, the Edmonton Eskimos, the Toronto Argonauts and Ottawa from 1960 to 1972.
He led the Tiger-Cats to two Grey Cup titles in 1963 and 1965 and became a college head coach after retiring.
In 2024, Staios and Cosentino will be joined by two-time Olympic cyclist Susan Palmer-Koma, first-ever Olympic sailor Norm Robertson, and manager, coach and trainer Ray Jones.
The Hall of Fame's annual induction luncheon is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 23, at the Michelangelo Banquet Center.
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