Leslie D. "Les" Norman (December 2, 1939 in Sexsmith, Alberta – December 2010) was a Canadian professional and amateur box lacrosse goaltender. A long-time member of the New Westminster Salmonbellies franchise, Norman was a winner of three Mann Cups as a Canadian Lacrosse Champion, the 1968 National Lacrosse Association professional championship,[2] and the 1965 Mann Cup's most valuable player.[3] Norman was also the first goaltender to post a shutout in a Western Lacrosse Association (then ICLL) game.[4] Les Norman was inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1989.[5]

Les Norman
BornDecember 2, 1939
Sexsmith, Alberta
DiedDecember 2010
NationalityCanadian
PositionGoaltender
ICLL teamNew Westminster Salmonbellies
Nanaimo Labatts
Pro career1958–1971
Career highlights

Mann Cup: 1959, 1962, 1965
NLA Championship: 1968
Mike Kelly Memorial Trophy: 1965
Commission Trophy: 1961
McDonald Trophy: 1962
Baily Trophy: 1959
Nicholson Trophy: 1961, 1962, 1965[1]

Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame, 1989

Career

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In 1958, Norman played for both the Senior and Junior teams in New Westminster. In the 1959 season, he was chosen to replace legend Bunny Joseph. By the end of the season, Norman was named a First Team All-Star and Rookie of the Year of the ICLL. He capped off the season by leading the O'Keefes to a 4-games-to-none Mann Cup victory over the Peterborough Mercurys. The Mercurys's legendary goaltender Moon Wootton proclaimed after the series, "That guy Norman is some goalie. He'll be getting the name I've had for some years."[4][6]

In 1962, Norman, now a veteran of the team, helped the O'Keefes to a second ICLL championship and another 4-games-to-none sweep in a Mann Cup final, this time against the Brampton Ramblers. On May 3, 1962, he led the O'Keefes to a 27-save shutout over the Victoria Shamrocks, the first shutout in ICLL/WLA history.[4]

In 1965, Norman would lead the O'Keefes to a third league title. Norman would claim his third and final Mann Cup in seven games over the Brooklin Merchants and win the Mike Kelly Memorial Trophy as the Mann Cup's most valuable player.[3][7][8]

In 1968, Norman went professional when his Salmonbellies joined the Western Division of the National Lacrosse Association. Despite being passed over for all major awards and all-star teams and a third-place finish in the West, Norman would lead the Salmonbellies to a seven-game victory over the Vancouver Carlings and a six-game victory to knock off the first-place and Joe Comeau-less Portland Adanacs to win the West. The Salmonbellies would meet Gaylord Powless the Detroit Olympias in the NLA final and beat them four games to two.[2]

After playing nine games in a second NLA season, Norman left lacrosse. He would return for the 1971 season and then retire. He was inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1989.[5] He died in December 2010 after a short battle with brain cancer.[9]

Statistics

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Source: Wamper's Bible of Lacrosse[10] and Stan Shillington's "Who's Who in Lacrosse 1933–2013: Goaltending Records".[11]

Season Team League GP G A P PIM Sv% Team GAA
1958 New Westminster ICLL 2 0 1 1 0 0.630 10.00
- New Westminster P/O 1 0 0 0 0 0.718 -
1959 New Westminster ICLL 18 0 1 1 0 0.736 10.20
- New Westminster P/O 9 0 0 0 0 0.780 -
1960 New Westminster ICLL 27 0 0 0 7 0.750 9.63
- NWM/Nanaimo P/O 6 0 1 1 2 0.761 -
1961 New Westminster ICLL 28 0 3 3 2 0.791 8.20
- New Westminster P/O 5 0 0 0 0 0.677 -
1962 New Westminster ICLL 30 0 3 3 2 0.789 8.22
- New Westminster P/O 16 0 2 2 2 0.797 -
1963 New Westminster ICLL 28 0 1 1 16 0.750 8.77
- New Westminster P/O 8 0 0 0 10 0.695 -
1964 New Westminster ICLL 19 0 2 2 11 0.771 9.31
- New Westminster P/O 7 0 2 2 0 0.753 -
1965 New Westminster ICLL 27 0.763
- New Westminster P/O 12 0.774
1966 New Westminster ICLL 26 0.732
- New Westminster P/O 2 0.714
1967 New Westminster ICLL 23 0.709
1968 New Westminster NLA 32 0.762
- New Westminster P/O 16 0.741
1969 New Westminster NLA 8 0.737
1970 Did Not Participate
1971 New Westminster WLA 14 0.792
- New Westminster P/O 4 0.767

References

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  1. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 3, 2014. Retrieved March 1, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. ^ a b "newstats/1968nllproWEST". wampsbibleoflacrosse.com. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
  3. ^ a b "Mann Cup - Past Champions and MVPs". tsn.ca. Retrieved March 1, 2014.
  4. ^ a b c "British Columbia Lacrosse Association". bclaregistration.com. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
  5. ^ a b "Home". canadianlacrossehalloffame.org. Archived from the original on February 19, 2014. Retrieved March 1, 2014.
  6. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 22, 2014. Retrieved March 1, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. ^ "newstats/manncup". wampsbibleoflacrosse.com. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
  8. ^ "Canadian Lacrosse Association | Most Valuable Players | Pointstreak Sites". cla.pointstreaksites.com. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
  9. ^ "Steve Forsythe says Colorado has Mammoth expectations, Rock confirm McNulty & Queener cuts, plus the links | IL Indoor.com". ilindoor.com. Archived from the original on March 2, 2014. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
  10. ^ Bible of Lacrosse – statistics
  11. ^ Stan Shillington's "Who's Who in Lacrosse" by Stan Shillington Western Lacrosse Association. 2013.