JOHN WESLEY McCAULEY

JOHN WESLEY McCAULEY

(19441989)

John McCauley, a superb athlete, was to lacrosse what a young Wayne Gretzky

was to hockey.

At 14, McCauley helped Brampton Excelsiors win their third consecutive Canadian junior lacrosse championship in 1959. McCauley, always an Excelsior, bolstered the Hasting Legionaires and Oshawa Green Gaels in Canadian junior championship marches in 1961 and 1963 respectively.

He excelled as a hockey goaltender, practiced with Brampton junior Bs while still playing peewee, served as a backup goalie to the Metro JuniorA Brampton Seven Ups and starred with Brampton’s OMHA juvenile A champions in 1961 ’62.

Fullback John McCauley was the “Big Train Lionel Conacher” of the Central Peel Griffins in the ’60s. In the spring, there was also track and field for the 100 and 200yard sprinter. The stress of excelling in four sports, probably cost McCauley an NHL goaltending career.

McCauley began his professional officiating career in 1967, advanced to the National Hockey League in 1970 where he refereed 442 games over 10 seasons.

He retired as a result of an eye injury and was named assistant director of officiating in May, 1981. He became director of officiating in 1986, a post he held at the time of his death in June of 1989.

For McCauley, lacrosse was always his first love. He was defensive coach of Canada’s World Lacrosse champions in 1978. He coached Brampton Excelsiors to a Mann Cup Canadian senior championship in 1980. His senior Excelsiors also won Eastern Canadian titles in 1976, ’77, ’80 and ’81. He guided Brampton peewee Excelsiors to a Canadian championship in 1983.