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Down Memory Lane - Ike Hildebrand
Down Memory Lane Articles - by Stan Shillington



Ike Hildebrand, one of Canada's most outstanding athletes, died in St. Albert, Alberta, on August 27, 2006.

Born Isaac Hildebrand in Winnipeg on May 27, 1927, he grew up in New Westminster where he excelled at both lacrosse and hockey.

Just 18 days after turning 16 years of age, Ike scored his first senior lacrosse goal as a regular' in the New Westminster Salmonbellies' lineup. It was the beginning of a 396-game senior boxla career that took him frmm the Royal City to Mimico and finally Peterborough.

His other sport -- hockey -- often overlapped the lacrosse season, giving him little time to catch his breath.

After a junior career in Oshawa, Ike spent ten years playing professional hockey with minor teams in the Pacific Coast, American, U.S., and Quebec leagues as well as New York Rangers and Chicago Black Hawks of the NHL.

He later regained his amateur status and, as playing-coach, led the Belleville McFarlands to the 1958 Allan Cup title and the 1959 World Championship in Prague, Czechoslovakia.

Ike participated in five Mann Cup championships (1944, 1946, 1947. 1955. 1956), winning in 1955. He also a member of teams that went to the national finals on six other seasons but, due to hockey commitments, could not play in the title series.

A perennial lacrosse all-star, Ike won scoring titles in 1946 and 1948 with New Westminster and 1955 with Peterborough. Over his senior career in B.C. and Ontario, he accumulated 1,257 points on 683 goals and 574 assists.`

Ike was inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1972 and the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1985. He is also a member of the Sports Halls of Fame in Peterborough (1978), Belleville (1989) and Oshawa (1993).