Competing Matters

Brian Shanahan

“Competing Matters”

Five Mann Cup Championships

Brian Shanahan began playing lacrosse at age 12 in an outdoor lacrosse box in Mimico, Ontario. He went onto play Juvenile, Junior “B” and Junior “A” lacrosse in Etobicoke. His development as a player began to flourish while playing Junior with the Etobicoke Eclipse. Brian went onto play sixteen years in senior lacrosse playing for the Brampton Excelsiors and Six Nations Chiefs winning 5 straight Mann Cups from 1992-1996. His teammates included John Tavares and Darris Kilgour. Only a handful of players have ever won 5 consecutive Mann Cups. During that period in 1995, Brian was recipient of the Merv McKenzie Award as the Most Valuable Defensive Player and was co-winner of the Jim Murphy Award as Most Valuable Player of the Ontario Major Series Lacrosse League.

Brian stood 6 feet tall and was a solid 215 lbs. Although he did possess offensive skills, opposition and teammates alike most respected Brian for his consistently rugged and gritty play. Of note, Brian accumulated 714 penalty minutes in 298 games of Major Series lacrosse. He also scored 68 goals and 218 total points. By his own admission, “I wasn’t the most skilled lacrosse player, but I learned that my compete level was valued. And for a guy who wasn’t planning to play any lacrosse past junior, I didn’t play my last senior game until 16 years later”.

Brian Shanahan does not shy away from telling others he played for an 0-24 team in his first year of Senior lacrosse – the Mississauga Renegades. Brian chuckles when he notes, “I tell people I might be the only lacrosse player in the history of the OLA who played on a senior team that went winless (1984 Senior “B” Mississauga Renegades) as well as a team that went undefeated (1992 Brampton Excelsiors – 16 wins, 0 losses during the regular season. Brampton won the Mann Cup in 1992 defeating New Westminster 4-1). I always make sure to tell people I have great memories from both seasons”.

Off the floor, for more than three decades, Brian Shanahan has given thousands of hours volunteering to coach, mentor and promote lacrosse. He is universally respected within the lacrosse community and is also well known for his work as a colour commentator for National Lacrosse League games.

Brian was inducted into the Etobicoke Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.

Brendan Shanahan celebrating the 1997 Stanley Cup

and Brian Shanahan with the 1996 Mann Cup