Gerry Cizmar (hockey player)
| Gerry Cizmar | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1955 |
| Died | 2006 |
| Years in Thunder Bay | 1960–at least 1974; 1978–1980; by 1983–2006 |
Gerry Cizmar (1955–2006) was a versatile multi-sport athlete and coach who was a record-setting scorer for the Thunder Bay Twins and a dominant regional tennis champion. Gerry Cizmar was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2022 as an athlete.[1]
Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame
Gerry Cizmar was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame on 17 September 2022 in the athlete category for hockey, tennis, baseball and soccer, representing Thunder Bay.[1]
Career
Raised in Port Arthur during the 1960s, Cizmar established himself as a prominent competitor in Hockey, Baseball, and Tennis. During his youth, he was the scoring leader and most valuable player in the Port Arthur Minor Hockey Association, where he contributed to multiple city and league championships. He progressed to Junior hockey with the CASE Eagles, finishing as the team's top scorer during his first season. By the 1973-74 season, he led the Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League in total points and secured league titles with his club.[1]
After attending a try-out with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League, Cizmar joined the Thunder Bay Twins in Senior hockey. He was honored as the Central Amateur Senior Hockey League Rookie of the Year for the 1978-79 season. His tenure with the Twins lasted 13 seasons, the longest duration of any player in the history of the franchise. During the early 1980s, he also spent time playing professionally in Swiss hockey leagues.[1]
Wearing jersey number 20, Cizmar became the all-time leading scorer for both the Thunder Bay Twins and the CASH League, holding records for career goals, assists, and points. He earned five team scoring titles and two league scoring titles. His offensive production was a key factor in the Twins winning four Allan Cup national championships in 1984, 1985, 1988, and 1989.[1]
In summer competition, Cizmar was a dominant force at the Thunder Bay Tennis Club from the 1970s through the 2000s. He secured nearly 20 singles championships in Thunder Bay and won numerous doubles titles, including the Mid-Canada Tennis Classic. In 1983, he earned a gold medal at the Ontario Summer Games. He frequently won the "triple crown" at tournaments by taking titles in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles disciplines.[1]
Beyond his playing career, Cizmar served as a coach for youth Baseball, Soccer, and Hockey. He held administrative and professional roles at the Thunder Bay Tennis Club, serving as Assistant Director and Manager-Pro while supporting the Junior Development program. He remained active in the Thunder Bay sports community until his death in 2006 at the age of 51.[1]
Residence in the Thunder Bay area (1960–at least 1974; 1978–1980; by 1983–2006) rests on the following dated evidence. Born in 1955 and raised in Port Arthur, he played junior hockey until 1974, joined the Twins in 1978, played in Switzerland in the early 1980s, and returned for the 1983 Ontario Summer Games and a 13-season Twins career until his death in 2006.[1]
Honours and achievements
- Won four Allan Cup national senior hockey championships in 1984, 1985, 1988, and 1989
- Set the all-time career scoring records for goals, assists, and points for the Thunder Bay Twins
- Established the record as the all-time leading scorer in the Central Amateur Senior Hockey League
- Captured nearly twenty city singles tennis championships between the 1970s and 2000s
- Won a gold medal in tennis at the 1983 Ontario Summer Games
- Led the Thunder Bay Junior A league in scoring during the 1973-74 season
- Named the 1978-79 Rookie of the Year in the Central Amateur Senior Hockey League
- Played 13 seasons with the Thunder Bay Twins, the most in franchise history[1]
Other records
The following comes from the page Gerry Cizmar, which is taken to be the same person (an index entry of a 51-year-old "hockey player" who died in 2006, matching the Hall of Fame hockey player who lived 1955–2006).
Gerry Cizmar (died 1 July 2006) was a resident of Thunder Bay, Ontario.[2] The newspaper index notes: 51/hockey player.
Newspaper record
- Biographical notice in The Chronicle-Journal, 1984-01-13.[3]
- Index note: Origins of local nicknames article.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 "Gerry Cizmar", athlete profile, Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, https://www.nwosportshalloffame.com/athlete-profile/c48d2f46-617c-4741-96a0-bb178831d542 (accessed 31 October 2026). Archived copy on datum.locker.
- ↑ The Chronicle-Journal, 3 July 2006, p. 3(B)
- ↑ The Chronicle-Journal, 13 January 1984, p. 17