A two-time Stanley Cup champion, a legendary local basketball coach and a professional volleyball player are among this year’s inductees into the Belleville Sports Hall of Fame.
Five outstanding individuals whose accomplishments have brought distinction to Belleville on provincial, national, and international stages will be inducted this fall.
The Belleville Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2026:
· Jim Barbeau – Builder (Basketball)
· Denis Legros – Athlete (Badminton)
· Gary Magwood – Athlete/Builder (Motorsport)
· Blake Scheerhoorn – Athlete (Volleyball)
· Andrew Shaw – Athlete (Hockey)
“The Belleville Sports Hall of Fame exists to recognize individuals whose accomplishments have enriched our sporting community and inspired others to pursue excellence,” said Ian Press, Chair of the Belleville Sports Hall of Fame. “The Class of 2026 reflects the incredible depth and diversity of athletic talent and leadership that has emerged from Belleville. We are honoured to celebrate their achievements and welcome them into the Hall of Fame.”
The Belleville Sports Hall of Fame 2026 Induction Ceremony, which will take place on Saturday, September 12, 2026.
Festivities begin with a reception at 1:00 p.m. in the Dr. R. L. Vaughan Atrium at the Quinte Sports and Wellness Centre, followed by the official induction ceremony at 1:30 p.m. in the multipurpose room adjacent to the Hall of Fame.
Admission is free, and members of the public are warmly invited to attend as Belleville celebrates another exceptional class of inductees.
More on each athlete below:
JIM BARBEAU – Builder – Basketball
For three decades, Jim Barbeau set the standard for high school basketball in the Bay of Quinte region. While his teams achieved remarkable success, Jim Barbeau’s legacy is found not only in championships, but in the people, programs and community he helped build. Barbeau’s coaching career at Nicholson Catholic College spanned from 1986 to 2015. During that time, his teams captured numerous Bay of Quinte and COSSA championships while establishing Nicholson as one of Ontario’s premier high school basketball programs. His greatest accomplishment came from 2005 to 2007, when Nicholson completed a remarkable three-peat, becoming just the second school in OFSAA history to win three consecutive AA Senior Boys Basketball Championships. That extraordinary achievement earned Barbeau recognition as
Canadian National High School Coach of the Year. Along the way, his teams also captured numerous tournament titles, including the prestigious Coal Bowl Classic in New Waterford, Nova Scotia, competing successfully against elite programs from across Canada and the United States. Former players speak of the discipline, camaraderie and confidence they gained under his leadership, while colleagues recall his meticulous preparation, integrity and unwavering commitment to every student-athlete. Whether coaching championship contenders or introducing young players to the game, his purpose remained the same: helping young people reach their potential both on and off the court. Many of his athletes went on to compete at the university level, carrying with them lessons that extended far beyond basketball. Barbeau’s influence reached well beyond Nicholson. He helped grow the game through the establishment of the After Dinner League and the Boys’ Spirits basketball program and followed Frank Farrell as the leader of the Little NBA. Each of these programs created opportunities for
generations of young athletes. From 1998 to 2011, he founded and organized the Hoops for Hope Charity Basketball Classic, raising more than $160,000 for the Dr. Douglas MacIntosh Cancer Clinic at Belleville General Hospital. Upon his retirement in 2015, Barbeau accepted a part time Sport Coordinator role with OFSAA. Jim Barbeau’s commitment to excellence, sportsmanship and student development has become part of the fabric of basketball in the region making him a deserving inductee into the Belleville Sports Hall of Fame.
DENIS LEGROS – Athlete – Badminton
Denis Legros built his badminton career by succeeding at every new level of competition, from local club play to the national stage, becoming arguably the finest home-grown badminton player in Belleville’s history. At just 15 years old, Legros was granted an exemption to move from the junior to the senior division of the Belleville Badminton Club. The decision was quickly validated as he captured many Club Championships (Singles, Doubles and Mixed Doubles) between the ages of 16 to 18. Representing Quinte Secondary School, Legros dominated local and regional competition, winning many Bay of Quinte and COSSA gold medals before capturing the OFSAA “A” Men’s Singles Championship in his graduating year. Nearly five decades later, he remains the only COSSA male athlete to win the OFSAA “A” singles title. Beyond high school, Legros established himself among Ontario’s elite junior players. In his final Ontario Badminton Association junior season, he was ranked No. 3 in Men’s Singles, No. 2 in Men’s Doubles and No. 1 in Mixed Doubles, while competing in three Canadian National Junior Championships. Choosing York University over UCLA allowed him to train at Canada’s National Training Centre, where he continued his development. At age 20, in his first year of under-23 competition, Legros earned provincial silver medals in both Men’s Singles and Men’s Doubles. That same year, he represented Ontario at the 1983 Canada Winter Games, winning his singles match and helping the province capture the team silver medal, while also contributing to York University’s OUA Championship in his freshman season. In 1984, he advanced to the Round of 16 at the Canadian Open before being eliminated by the world’s second-ranked player. Denis Legros retired from competitive badminton in 1985 to pursue his education after achieving success at every level of the sport. His remarkable record, highlighted by accomplishments that continue to stand decades later, is fittingly recognized with his induction into the Belleville Sports Hall of Fame.
GARY MAGWOOD – Athlete/Builder – Motorsport
Gary Magwood has devoted a lifetime to motorsport, combining success behind the wheel with a lasting commitment to driver education, road safety and the advancement of racing in Canada. Over nearly six decades, he has competed, taught, written, organized and advocated for the sport, influencing thousands of drivers on and off the track. Magwood began racing in 1964 in Canada Class, into Under 2-Litre Sports Racing Cars then Formula Vee before moving into Formula Ford, capturing the 1970 series championship. He progressed through Formula B and Formula Atlantic competition in the early 1970s while establishing a racing school at Mosport Park, where he trained new and experienced drivers. After moving to the Belleville area in 1977, he continued competing on road and track courses throughout Canada and the United States. In the 1990s, Magwood returned to the podium in endurance and touring car racing. Driving with Terry DiFrancesco’s Tractech Racing Team, he won the Sports Class race at the 1992 Molson Indy in Toronto and finished second overall in the Canadian Endurance Road Racing Championship. He followed with a third-place overall championship finish in 1993 before capturing his class title in the 1994 Valvoline Touring Car Championship and winning the Canaska Cup at Shannonville Motorsport Park. Perhaps Magwood’s greatest contribution has come through sharing his knowledge. Beginning in 1971, he built a career teaching high-performance driving for more than 40 years. During the late 1980s, he travelled coast to coast for eight years delivering the Labatt Road Scholarship Program, providing in-car winter driving and skid school instruction to more than 15,000 students at 72 universities and community colleges. He later created the DrivAbility winter driving program, organized international road safety conferences, wrote for World of Wheels magazine and the Toronto Star, and co-founded the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame in 1993, an organization that inducted him in 2019. Whether competing at speed, teaching drivers to stay in control, or helping preserve Canada’s motorsport history, Gary Magwood’s broad contributions have secured his place in the Belleville Sports Hall of Fame.
BLAKE SCHEERHOORN – Athlete – Volleyball
Blake Scheerhoorn rose from a standout high school athlete to one of Canada’s premier volleyball players, meeting every new level of competition with success. His accomplishments on the court were matched by a reputation for humility, discipline and an uncompromising commitment to improvement. Scheerhoorn first captured provincial attention at Quinte Christian Secondary School, leading the school to three consecutive OFSAA Senior Boys Volleyball Championships from 2010 to 2012. Even as a Grade 10 student, he was widely regarded as one of the province’s most dominant young players. His coach recalled that Scheerhoorn “had every reason to be arrogant,” yet remained “humble, kind… and sincerely friendly,” describing him simply as “a coach’s dream.” Awarded a full athletic scholarship to Trinity Western University, the 6-foot-8 outside hitter helped lead the Spartans to a U SPORTS silver medal in 2015 before capturing back-to-back national championships in 2016 and 2017. He was named Tournament MVP in 2016 and regularly finished among the team’s leading scorers. That same year, he received the Robinson-Kelleher Award as Belleville’s Athlete of the Year but was unable to attend the ceremony because he was training with Canada’s Senior National Team. Beginning in 2013, Scheerhoorn spent eight years with Volleyball Canada’s high-performance program, progressing through the Junior, Youth, Select and Senior National Teams. At a time when few Canadian players combined elite size with elite athleticism, he was among only a handful capable of reaching a 12-foot spike touch, helping redefine expectations for his position. Following university, he played professionally in Poland, France and Germany before retiring in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted international competition, ending his pursuit of an opportunity to compete for Canada at the Olympics. Those who know Blake Scheerhoorn best describe a player who never stopped looking for ways to improve. Countless extra training sessions, meticulous attention to strength and recovery, and a commitment to outwork his opponents became defining features of a career that has earned him induction into the Belleville Sports Hall of Fame.
ANDREW SHAW – Athlete – Hockey
Andrew Shaw’s outstanding hockey career is one forged through grit, resilience and an unmatched work ethic. His commitment to his teammates and ability to elevate his game at every tier carried him to his sport’s biggest stage. For these accomplishments, he joins an elite group of local hockey greats as the 27th hockey athlete honoured by the Belleville Sports Hall of Fame.Shaw came through the Quinte Red Devils system, graduating from the U18 AAA team after the 2007–08 season. Drafted by the Niagara IceDogs in the 11th round of the 2007 OHL Priority Selection, he spent two seasons in Niagara before being traded to Owen Sound. There, he helped the Attack advance to the 2011 Memorial Cup tournament, leading all players with seven points and registering three multi-goal games during the OHL playoffs. At season’s end, Shaw was named the OHL’s Hardest Working Player, an honour that reflected the tenacity and blue-collar style that became the trademark of his NHL career. Selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the fifth round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, Shaw’s NHL debut on January 3, 2012 was memorable from the start. His first NHL shot became his first NHL goal, and his first NHL fight earned him his first stitches. Shaw was a key contributor to Chicago’s Stanley Cup championships in 2013 and 2015, including scoring the dramatic triple-overtime winner in Game 1 of the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals against Boston. Few compliments carry more weight than those from legendary head coach Joel Quenneville who described Shaw as “irreplaceable.” Over 10 seasons with Chicago and the Montreal Canadiens, Shaw played 544 regular season games, recording 116 goals, 131 assists and 247 points, while adding 35 points in 72 playoff games. As the first two-time Stanley Cup champion inducted into the Belleville Sports Hall of Fame, Andrew Shaw’s achievements have earned him a lasting place among the community’s greatest athletes.
