New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame announces 2026 inductees

Release

Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture

November 14, 2025

FREDERICTON (GNB) – The New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame will add six new members next spring.

“We are very proud to announce the addition of these inspiring athletes and sport builders into the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame,” said Jamie Wolverton, the hall’s executive director. “We are also very excited to recognize the city of Moncton as the host community for our 56th annual induction gala.”

The new members, being recognized for making a lasting impact in their field of sport, will be inducted during a ceremony May 23 at the Capitol Theatre. More than 800 people have been inducted since the hall was established in 1970.

The 2026 inductees are:

Marc Beaudoin

Marc Beaudoin of Moncton has been involved in developing athletes in track and field, cross-country and running at the regional, provincial, national and international levels for over 40 years. He was head coach for New Brunswick’s Canada Games team and various national teams, including at the Jeux de la Francophonie.

Tom Coolen

Tom Coolen of Fredericton has coached various levels of hockey throughout Atlantic Canada, as well as professional teams in Finland, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Scotland, Denmark, Austria, Poland, Latvia and the United States. He was also an assistant coach for Latvia’s national team at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Sam Johnston

Sam Johnston of Miramichi is an eight-degree black belt in taekwondo. He was the New Brunswick heavyweight champion, Maritime champion, Eastern Canada heavyweight champion, and won a world championship in 2017.

Geneviève Lalonde

Geneviève Lalonde of Moncton is a two-time Olympian in athletics, four-time Canadian steeplechase champion and three-time Canadian cross-country champion. She has competed internationally in 13 countries during her competitive career and is the only Canadian woman to advance to a final in the 3,000-metre steeplechase in a world championship or Olympic competition.

Donald Ryan

Donald Ryan of Fredericton has been head coach of the University of New Brunswick wrestling program for over 33 years and is a 16-time winner of the Atlantic University Sport award for wrestling coach of the year. He has served as vice-president of United World Wrestling Americas and president of the Commonwealth Wrestling Committee.

Heather Smith

Heather Smith of Tantramar has won four national curling championships, 17 provincial championships, and competed in the Scotties Tournament of Hearts six times, winning a bronze medal in 2012.

Tickets for the 56th annual induction gala will be available through the Capitol Theatre box office beginning Dec. 1. Event details are available online.

The New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the province’s sporting heritage.

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