Remembering Neil E. Wasson
Sincere condolences are extended to the family of Peterborough & District Sports Hall of Fame & Museum inductee Neil Wasson, who passed away April 9, 2020.
Neil was inducted into the Hall in 1998 for his athletic prowess in both hockey and softball.
Wasson, (along with his brother Don), was more recently honoured by the Peterborough Men’s Softball Association in August of 2017, having his #6 sweater retired by the Association.
The following is from Neil’s 1998 induction biography:
Neil came from an athletic family and built a reputation as a hustling competitor in both softball and hockey.
In hockey his first taste of championship play came in 1948 when the Lakefield Bantams went to the OMHA finals. His 1955 Peterborough Petes Jr. B team were Ontario semi-finalists and in 1956 Neil led the Lakefield Kingdon Lumber Intermediate A club to the Lakeshore League championship. He accepted an athletic scholarship to Clarkson College, NY, then played briefly with the Fort Wayne Komets of the International Hockey League. Neil played OHA hockey with Lakefield, Port Hope, Campbellford and Warsaw. He was noted as an excellent scorer, powerful skater, rough tough checker and had a knack of coming up with the puck in heavy traffic.
These aggressive traits carried over to softball. In 1953 he was Rookie of the Year in the Peterborough Mens’ City League. During a 22 year career, championships came often — ten City League, five more in Lindsay and three All-Ontario Intermediate A titles with Lakefield Charlton’s in 1956, 1959 and 1960. Considered one of Peterborough’s best shortstops Neil possessed great lateral quickness and daring speed on the bases. He won two batting crowns in 1963 and 1964 with averages of .380 and .435.
For twenty years, Neil coached minor hockey and softball teams in Lakefield, Lindsay and Peterborough. In 1979 his Lakefield Jr. D hockey team won the Ontario championship.