Gabriel Joseph (Gabe) Wheeler
Sport: Lacrosse
Year Inducted: 1984
Dynamite, the adage goes, comes in small packages. The Wheeler brothers combined didn’t weigh more than 260 pounds but they packed the explosive scoring punch of TNT.
The St. Andrews’ natives, playing for the Cornwall Seniors, dominated the Quebec Senior Lacrosse League from 1947 to 1952.
Before joining the services during the war, they had played a season with the Seniors.
It was no coincidence that the Seniors won the Quebec Championship 5 out of 6 years when the Wheeler boys returned home from the war.
During the 6 post-war seasons, the brothers took turns re-writing the league scoring records, each scoring at least 100 points each season.
Their greatest season was 1949 when Gabe scored a record 125 points in the 30-game schedule and Tony followed with 121 points.
Gabe, whose playing weight was 126 lbs, four pounds lighter than Tony, won the MVP 5 of the 6 seasons with Tony keeping it in the family.
The brothers were linemates throughout their senior careers. Gabe owned a sizzling right shot, while Tony was an outstanding artist who scored after pulling goalies out of position. Both retired in 1953.
Tony helped organize the Cornwall Township Minor Lacrosse Association in 1960 and served as President during the first 2 years. He remained as a coach in association for 10 years.