1

Donald 'Don' Sweeney
1988

2

Donald "Don" Sweeney - Hockey

St. Stephen continues to produce athletes who carry on the tradition of sporting excellence established a century ago. The trophy cases at St. Stephen High School are added to on a regular basis and a student athlete Wall of Fame grows with each passing year. Currently, the border community's most notable Hometown Sports Hero would be NHL'er Donald Sweeney.

The youngest of three children, Don's older brother, Michael, played two seasons of professional baseball in the New York Yankees organization, climbing as high as the AA level.

3

Don Sweeney
1990

4

Signed by the Boston Bruins in 1984, Don spent 15 years as a defenceman with the NHL team. Don defined his role on the team in a 1989 interview: "My primary job is in the defensive zone and using my speed and quickness to get the puck out and up to our forwards. They're not looking for me to lug the puck from one end of the rink to the other." In 1993, Don was named the winner of the Bruin's "Seventh Player Award", presented to the team player for contributions above and beyond the call of duty. Don was presented a silver hockey stick by his team on the occasion of his 1000th game in 2002. A fellow NB-grown NHL'er, Scott Pellerin, played 35 games with Don in Boston and had this to say: "Don's such a hard worker, on ice and off. . . His leadership and his demeanor in the dressing room really helps the younger players. . . The way he works out is an inspiration."

5

Don Sweeney
1988

6

Before signing with Boston, Don graduated from Harvard University with a degree in economics. He also played on the school's hockey team, the Harvard University Crimson, in Division 1 hockey. Don often speaks to groups of school children, and youths with hockey dreams, about the importance of combining athletics with academics: "you become a much more rounded individual."

7

Don Sweeney
2004

8

In the summer of 2003, Don signed as a free agent with the Dallas Stars. As in Boston, many of Don's "contributions don't show up on the official game sheet, but (he) adds a depth and experience to the team. We knew he'd be a good guy to have around the young players. He has always been a leader on the team and he has always worked hard."- Mark Lamb, Assistant Coach of the Dallas Stars (and former member of the Moncton Golden Flames).

When asked about his future in the NHL, Don takes each season as they come but has no immediate plans for retirement.

9

Amber Binney
2002

10

Amber Binney - Wrestling

Participating in a sport without a long-standing tradition in St. Stephen, wrestling's Amber Binney is a pioneer as well as a Hometown Sports Hero. By the time of her 2002 graduation from St. Stephen High School, Amber was already a national champion in her sport. As a matter of fact, 2002 was an extraordinary year for Binney. She competed in the NBIAA Provincials, the Atlantic Canadian Championships, the St. Stephen High School Invitational, the Moncton Open, the Bathurst Invitational, New York Invitational, University of New Brunswick Open, the Queen's Open and the Canadian Nationals. Incredibly, Amber took first at every one of these competitions.

11

Amber Binney
2003

12

Her outstanding performances were noted and rewarded with six scholarships from the University of New Brunswick where she is currently enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts program. She is also a member of the UNB wrestling team and was named Rookie of the Year for 2003.

Amber continues to develop her skills through competitions, championships and training camps. She has her sights set on representing Canada at the 2008 Olympic Games in China and, to be certain, her hometown will be cheering this sports hero every step of the way.

13

Allan Mehan in power lift
November, 2003

14

Allan Mehan - Power Lifting

St. Stephen can proudly claim to be the hometown of a man who has done what no Canadian has ever done: win a Men's Open Division in any power lifting federation in any weight class. At the World Powerlifting Congress competition in November of 2003, Allan Mehan executed a technically perfect squat of 1,019.5 pounds. This was followed by 606-pound bench press and a 699-pound dead lift. When totaled, Mehan's 2,324- pound lifts ensured that he qualified to compete for the Arnold (Schwarzeneggar) Classic which will take place in Columbus, Ohio in April of 2004. He is the only Canadian to qualify for this event which carries a prize of as much as $20,000.00 US. These records also put Allan in the ranks of the top 10 power lifters in the sport throughout the world. Mehan not only won the Calgary event, he broke his own world record for the squat which he had set at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in 2001.

Injuries have plagued Mehan throughout his life. "He had a major accident when he was four-years-old and then another when he was 13 but he persevered and kept going." ) K. Mehan - Allan's mother). In 2001 and again in 2002, Allan suffered injuries which put his career in jeopardy, but his perseverance paid off.