Medo Martinello

Miro "Medo" Martinello (born December 6, 1935) is a Canadian former professional box lacrosse player, coach, and ice hockey referee, born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada of Italian descent.[1] He is a member of the Windsor and Essex County Sports Hall of Fame, Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame, and is a recipient of the Canadian Government 125th Anniversary of Confederation Medal "for outstanding Achievements on behalf of Canada".[2]

Miro "Medo" Martinello
Born (1935-12-06) December 6, 1935
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
NationalityCanadian
PositionForward
NLA
OSALL
OSBLL team
Detroit Olympics (NLA)
Brampton Ramblers (OSALL)
Windsor Warlocks (OSBLL)
Pro career1962–1971
CoachDetroit Turbos (MILL)
Quebec Caribous (NLL)
Career highlights

Presidents Cup: 1970, 1971
Champion's Cup: 1991 (Coach)

Biography

Martinello was born in Windsor, Ontario on December 6, 1935.[2]

He played box lacrosse from the age of 12,[2] playing in the Ontario Junior B Lacrosse League with Windsor Joe's Cement in his later teens. He played in the OLA Senior B Lacrosse League in the 1960s and 1970s winning the OLA Sr. B title in 1961 with the Leamington Clippers[2] and later the 1970 and 1971 Canadian National Championship Presidents Cup with the Windsor Clippers and Windsor Warlocks.

In 1962, Medo played for the Brampton Ramblers of the OLA Sr. A League,[3] then the highest level of the sport in the world. In 1968, he had an 8-game stint with the newly formed professional Detroit Olympics of the National Lacrosse Association,[4] again, then the highest level for the sport in its era.

In hockey, Medo played his junior hockey with the Blenheim Blades of the Border Cities Junior B Hockey League before becoming a referee. From 1953 to 1955, Martinello was a minor hockey referee. From 1956 until 1960, he reffed Junior B and C in the Ontario Hockey Association. In the 1960s, Martinello reffed in the elite-amateur OHA Senior A Hockey League and professional International Hockey League. From 1970 until 1989, Medo reffed all levels of Junior hockey, from A down to C, for the OHA. In 1972, Medo became the first Canadian to referee an NCAA Final, the game was between Boston University and University of Denver.[2] Medo often was chosen to ref international games between NCAA and IHL teams and the likes of Russia and Czechoslovakia and also helped to create the 2-referee system in the NCAA in the 1970s, since followed by most major leagues.

As a coach, Martinello led the Windsor Warlocks Jr. C Lacrosse team to OLA and Eastern Canadian titles in 1972 and 1973. He led the 1975 Quebec Caribous of the National Lacrosse League to a professional championship. From 1989 until 1992,[5] Medo coached the Detroit Turbos of the Major Indoor Lacrosse League winning the 1991 league championship.[5]

In 1992, Martinello was honoured by the Canadian Government with the 125th Anniversary of Confederation Medal "for outstanding Achievements on behalf of Canada". On November 13, 2001, Medo was inducted into the Windsor and Essex County Sports Hall of Fame as a Founder.[2] He was inducted into the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2005.[6]

Player statistics

Regular SeasonPlayoffs
SeasonLeagueTeamGPGAPPIMGPGAPPIM
1962OLA Sr. ABrampton Ramblers440410DNP
1963OLA Int. AWallaceburg Red Devils36174DNP
1964OLA Sr. BDNP
1965OLA Sr. BWindsor Clippers24044331413
1966OLA Sr. BWindsor Clippers174010506361261830
1967OLA Sr. BWindsor Clippers163394249545913
1968OLA Sr. BWindsor Clippersxx12416xxxx404xx
1968NLLDetroit Olympics844820DNP
1969OLA Sr. BDNP
1970OLA Sr. BWindsor Clippers1421335459913132624
1971OLA Sr. BWindsor Warlocks76131924159202953

Coaching Record

YearLeagueTeamRecordWin%Playoffs
1972OLA Jr. CWindsor Warlocks16-4.800OLA & Eastern Canada Champions
1973OLA Jr. CWindsor Warlocks18-2.900OLA & Eastern Canada Champions
1974NLLSyracuse Stingers12-27-1.313DNQ
1975NLLQuebec Caribous22-24-2.479NLL Champions
1989MILLDetroit Turbos6-2.750Lost semi-final
1990MILLDetroit Turbos1-7.125DNQ
1991MILLDetroit Turbos8-2.800MILL Champions
1992MILLDetroit Turbos8-2.800Lost division final

References

  1. "Medo Martinello". www.windsor-communities.com.
  2. "Browse Athletes". Archived from the original on 2011-10-01. Retrieved 2011-07-23.
  3. 1962 ONTARIO LACROSSE ASSOCIATION
  4. 1968 NATIONAL LACROSSE LEAGUE
  5. "Factual - Detroit Turbos: All time Record - Factual". Archived from the original on 2012-03-15. Retrieved 2011-07-23.
  6. "Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on 2014-02-21. Retrieved 2014-02-07.
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