For one Huntsville, ON native, mastering two sports that go “stick in hand” made him a dual sports star.
Jack Bionda was the first true superstar of Lacrosse in Canada and many observers consider him to be the finest player that sport has ever produced. Bionda’s accomplishments, which have included several Mann Cup victories and multiple Most Valuable Player awards are made all the more impressive when you consider that he did all this while simultaneously pursing a professional hockey career.
On the ice, Bionda was a tough defenseman who led the AHL in penalty minutes the same year he made his NHL debut, in 1955-56. Bionda’s big league career began with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but his time with them spanned just 13 games and the following season he was claimed by the Boston Bruins in the Intra-League draft.
Bionda spent parts of the next three seasons filling in on the Bruins blue line, suiting up for 80 games and providing three goals and eight assists.
His impressive lacrosse career spanned over two decades between 1945-1968. He spent most of those years on the west coast playing for senior lacrosse teams in Victoria, Nanaimo and Portland, Oregon. Bionda helped his teams win the Mann Cup symbolic of Canadian lacrosse superiority 5 times in 14 years
In total the multi-talented Bionda was able to accumulate twelve seasons of professional hockey, while at the same time re-writing lacrosse record books en route to his Hall of Fame career in the sport.
Bionda has been inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame (1974), Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame (1982) and the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame (1998.) For one Huntsville, ON native, mastering two sports that go “stick in hand” made him a dual sports star.
Jack Bionda was the first true superstar of Lacrosse in Canada and many observers consider him to be the finest player that sport has ever produced. Bionda’s accomplishments, which have included several Mann Cup victories and multiple Most Valuable Player awards are made all the more impressive when you consider that he did all this while simultaneously pursing a professional hockey career.
On the ice, Bionda was a tough defenseman who led the AHL in penalty minutes the same year he made his NHL debut, in 1955-56. Bionda’s big league career began with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but his time with them spanned just 13 games and the following season he was claimed by the Boston Bruins in the Intra-League draft.
Bionda spent parts of the next three seasons filling in on the Bruins blue line, suiting up for 80 games and providing three goals and eight assists.
His impressive lacrosse career spanned over two decades between 1945-1968. He spent most of those years on the west coast playing for senior lacrosse teams in Victoria, Nanaimo and Portland, Oregon. Bionda helped his teams win the Mann Cup symbolic of Canadian lacrosse superiority 5 times in 14 years
In total the multi-talented Bionda was able to accumulate twelve seasons of professional hockey, while at the same time re-writing lacrosse record books en route to his Hall of Fame career in the sport.
Bionda has been inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame (1974), Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame (1982) and the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame (1998.) 
