Local

August 16, 2026

John Grant Jr. Adds Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame to Growing List of Honours

August 16, 2026/ Scott Arnold

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.

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.

A Class That Spans Lacrosse History

Grant Jr. is the name that will immediately stand out locally, but the 2026 class represents a broad cross-section of Canadian lacrosse.

Glenn Clark is being honoured for a career that included championships with the Brooklin Redmen, Coquitlam Adanacs and Toronto Rock, as well as international success with Canada.

Grant Hamilton is being recognized for a career that included championships with the Victoria Shamrocks and Calgary Roughnecks, along with his contributions as both a player and leader.

Karolyn Karpun is being inducted after an extraordinary career in both box and field lacrosse, including 10 Canadian senior women's field lacrosse championships and appearances at three World Cups.

Bruce Murray is being honoured for a career that saw him evolve from a scoring forward into one of the era's most respected defenders, while also representing Canada internationally.

The Veteran category includes Michael John Howard, who won nine Minto Cups during his career; Jim Weller, a standout at the University of Massachusetts who represented Canada at three World Cups; and Steve Manning, who was part of two Mann Cup-winning New Westminster Salmonbellies teams as a player and later contributed as a coach.

The Builder category recognizes Walt Christianson, whose coaching career has included national and international success, and Bob McMahon, whose decades of coaching have included Team Canada's 2003 World Indoor Championship victory.

Ray Durante, who spent 31 years as an on-floor referee after a 12-year playing career, is being inducted in the Officials category.

And Team Canada Women’s Sixes 2022 is being honoured after winning the first-ever World Games gold medal in women's Sixes lacrosse.

For Grant Jr., though, the announcement brings the focus back home.

Peterborough has been part of his lacrosse story from the beginning, and this latest honour is another recognition of just how significant that story has become.

In June, Grant Jr. could say that the Peterborough & District Sports Hall of Fame was his first Hall of Fame induction in Canada.

By October 24th, he'll have another one to add to the résumé.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

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