John Grant Jr. Adds Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame to Growing List of Honours
/By Scott Arnold
Just two months after entering the Peterborough & District Sports Hall of Fame, Peterborough native John Grant Jr. is headed into another Hall of Fame.
Peterborough lacrosse legend John Grant Jr. (centre), pictured with Peterborough Lakers broadcasters Scott Arnold (left) and Pete Dalliday, is adding another Hall of Fame honour to a career that has already seen him recognized among the greatest players in the history of the sport.
Grant Jr. was announced Sunday as one of 12 inductees into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026, adding another major honour to a career that has already earned him recognition in several of the sport’s most prestigious halls.
The Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame announced its new class on August 16th, with Grant Jr. joining Glenn Clark, Grant Hamilton, Karolyn Karpun and Bruce Murray in the Player category.
The Veteran inductees are Michael John Howard, Jim Weller and Steve Manning. Walt Christianson and Bob McMahon were selected as Builders, Ray Durante was named in the Officials category, and the Team Canada Women’s Sixes 2022 squad was selected for induction.
The formal induction banquet and ceremonies are scheduled for October 24th at the Anvil Centre in New Westminster, British Columbia.
For Grant Jr., the announcement comes remarkably soon after his June induction into the Peterborough & District Sports Hall of Fame, where he joined his father, John Grant Sr., as a member.
After already being inducted into several Halls of Fame in the United States, Grant Jr.'s induction into the Peterborough & District Sports Hall of Fame in June marked his first Hall of Fame induction in Canada.
Now, just a couple of months later, he's about to add another Canadian Hall of Fame to the list.
And this one is specifically dedicated to the sport that has defined his career.
A young John Grant Jr. takes the floor as a Minor Peterborough Laker, long before the Peterborough native would go on to become one of the most decorated players in lacrosse history.
A Career Built in Peterborough
Grant Jr.'s connection to lacrosse began in Peterborough, where he played Junior A with the Lakers from 1991 to 1995 and Major Series Lacrosse with the Peterborough Lakers from 1994 through 2016.
His career eventually took him across North America and onto the international stage, but Peterborough remained a significant part of the story.
He represented Canada in both box and field lacrosse, playing on national teams at multiple World Championships. His championship résumé includes three World Indoor Lacrosse Championship gold medals, a World Field Championship gold medal, five Mann Cup championships and an NLL championship.
He was also a five-time Major League Lacrosse champion.
Individually, the list is just as extensive. Grant Jr. was an OLA Junior A MVP, MSL Rookie of the Year, USILA National Collegiate Player of the Year, NLL Rookie of the Year, a two-time NLL MVP and NLL Championship MVP. He was also a two-time Mann Cup MVP.
Over a playing career spanning more than 25 years, he accumulated more than 3,000 points.
The Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame induction adds to a list of Hall of Fame honours that already includes the NJCAA Hall of Fame in 2010, NLL Hall of Fame in 2021, Professional Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2022 and US Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2024.
His playing career eventually gave way to coaching, where he has continued to contribute to the sport at the professional and collegiate levels in the United States.
Peterborough lacrosse legend John Grant Jr. receives the key to the city from then-Mayor Daryl Bennett, another honour recognizing the impact his remarkable career has had both on the sport and the community he grew up in.
