Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that long-time Ottawa 67’s Assistant Coach Bert O’Brien and Officiating Manager Sam Sisco will each be the recipients of the Bill Long Award for Distinguished Service. The award is presented in recognition and appreciation of an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the OHL.
O’Brien served as an Assistant Coach of the Ottawa 67’s for 23 seasons before announcing his retirement following the 2008-09 season. Sisco has served as an Officiating Manager in the league for 21 seasons and will be retiring at the conclusion of the 2008-09 OHL Playoffs.
O’Brien joined 67’s Head Coach Brian Kilrea behind the bench in 1986 where he won a Memorial Cup Championship in 1999. Prior to that role he served nine years with the Ottawa 67’s Junior B team that won three Ottawa District Hockey Association Championships. The City of Ottawa honoured O’Brien earlier this season when they proclaimed Friday March 6th to be Bert O’Brien Day.
Sisco had an on-ice hockey career as a referee lasting from 1957-1990 before retiring to become a supervisor of officials which included nine years in that role with the NHL until 1999. Earlier this season he received the Legacy Award at the 2008 Windsor and Essex County Sports Persons of the Year banquet in his hometown of Windsor.
“The Ontario Hockey League is most pleased to present Bert and Sam with the Bill Long Award as an expression of our appreciation for their remarkable and distinguished careers in the Ontario Hockey League” said OHL Commissioner David Branch.
“Both of these gentlemen have made outstanding contributions to the game and have been major contributors to the growth and development of the Ontario Hockey League to be recognized as the premier development league in the world” added Branch.
The award was initiated in 1989 to commemorate the efforts and contributions of Bill Long during his days in the Ontario Hockey League, spanning over three decades as a coach and manager of the Niagara Falls Flyers, Ottawa 67’s and London Knights. Don Brankley with the London Knights and Gil Hughes with the Oshawa Generals each received the honour last season. Other recipients include Brian Kilrea who was presented the award in 1994.
The Bill Long Award will be formally presented to Bert O’Brien and Sam Sisco at the OHL Awards Ceremony on Wednesday June 3, 2009, at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
