Neil Stevens

Neil Stevens (June 14, 1947 – April 1, 2022) was a Canadian sportswriter who covered numerous sports, including ice hockey, indoor lacrosse, the Olympic Games, and figure skating. He received his first newspaper job in 1970, having previously played lacrosse, and in 1974 began working for the Canadian Press. Stevens has been honoured by the Hockey Hall of Fame, National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame, and St. Catharines Sports Hall of Fame.

Early life and lacrosse career Born on June 14, 1947, in St. Catharines, Ontario,

Writing career Stevens attended Ryerson Institute of Technology briefly before backpacking through Europe. He ended up at Niagara College, leaving early after being hired as a sports reporter by the Peterborough Examiner in 1970. At the age of 23, Stevens ended his lacrosse career due to a lack of time caused by his job at the Examiner. providing coverage of the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 1982. After reporting on the 1986 and 1989 championship series, he covered the event annually starting in 1991. By 2008, Stevens had written on 20 Finals series. That year, Professional Hockey Writers' Association president Kevin Allen said of Stevens that "he might have been the most widely read hockey writer in Canada for the past 30 years." Stevens also served as a beat reporter on the Toronto Maple Leafs. Stevens served as a media contact for Canada's national men's lacrosse team during the 2010 World Lacrosse Championship in Manchester, England, and covered the 2011 FIL World Indoor Lacrosse Championship in Prague and the 2015 event in Syracuse, New York. He was a book author and maintained an interest in music.

Later life and death After retiring in 2008, Stevens spent time at his home in Brampton and a Lake Huron cottage. He died on April 1, 2022, aged 74, from cancer.

Honours Multiple sports halls of fame have given Stevens honours for his work. In 2008, the National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame recognized him. Canadian and American writers had given him a nomination before he was selected. In addition, the St. Catharines Sports Hall of Fame inducted Stevens, also in 2008. He joined two members of his family in that hall of fame; Stevens' uncle, Ken Croft, was also honoured in 2008, and his father, John, was a previous inductee.