Burnaby Sports Hall of Fame to Induct Lacrosse Legends

The Burnaby Sports Hall of Fame is adding a pair of lacrosse legends to its group.

Fred Usselman and Dan Mattinson will join four other individuals and another team have brought honour and recognition to Burnaby through their athletic accomplishments on various levels – international, national, and provincial. 

 The 19th annual Induction Dinner, honouring these athletes, builders and coaches, will be held on Thursday, February, 27, 2020 at the Firefighters' Social and Athletic Club Metrotown, 6515 Bonsor Avenue., Burnaby. The evening will begin with a reception and refreshments at 6 p.m., followed by the buffet dinner at 7 p.m. The induction ceremony will begin at approximately 8 p.m. There will be a silent auction of various items and authentic sports memorabilia! (At the event, we accept cash, cheques and Interac e-Transfer, but not credit or debit cards).

Fred Usselman 

Usselman, who grew up in East Burnaby, played in two Minto Cup Canadian junior lacrosse championships including being part of the 1956 champion Mount Pleasant Legion. He was lethal playing on one of the era’s most prolific lines alongside two other Burnaby Sports Hall of Fame inductees, Gord Gimple and Alex Carey as the Vancouver Burrards/Carlings won the 1961, 1963 and 1964 Mann Cup Canadian senior men’s titles. A five-time Western Lacrosse Association all-star, Usselman scored 476 goals and 773 points in his 12-year career. He was inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1979. 

Dan Mattinson

The Willingdon Heights product was coaching soccer for Norburn Athletic Club when legendary lacrosse builder Jack Crosby (2001 inductee), got him into the lacrosse box, Mattinson devoured all he could learn about the sport and coaching. It paid off as he led Burnaby Cablevision to six Minto Cups, including winning three years in a row — 1977, 1978 and 1979 — unprecedented for western Canadian teams. In 12 regular seasons behind the Burnaby bench his squads had a 223-75-3 record.