Player Name

Grant, Joe

Type

Athlete

Sport

Hockey

Is Part Of

Niagara Falls Virtual Sports Wall of Fame

Inducted

2025

Era

1977 – 1987

Description

Donald Norman Joseph "Joe" Grant (January 23, 1957 - January 5, 2001) was an exceptional Canadian ice hockey defenceman whose career spanned junior, university, national, and international levels. Born in Sudbury and raised in Niagara Falls, Grant developed his passion for hockey alongside his three brothers, playing junior with the Buffalo Tondas, St. Catharines Black Hawks, and Kitchener Rangers before joining the University on Toronto in 1977.
At U of T, Grant was a key member of the 1977-78 Varsity Blues OUAA championship team and earned first-team all-star honours in 1979. He represented Canada at the 1980 and 1984 Winter Olympics. His professional career included playing with Modo in Sweden and serving as a player-coach for Kokudo, where he helped expand the sport's presence in Japan.
Returning to U of T in 1982-83, Grant captained the Blues to a first-place finish and OUAA silver medal. Internationally, he was named Best Defenceman at the Pravda Cup tournament in Leningrad. Beyond the rink, he participated in the inaugural Canadian Olympic Academy (COA) in Calgary, represented Canada at the International Olympic Academy in Greece, served as Secretary of Hockey Canada and was a member of the COA athlete selection committee in 1986-87. Grant was inducted in the U of T Sports Hall of Fame in 2010.
Joe Grant's life reflected excellence and mentorship- a legacy carried forward by the athletes and communities he inspired. He passed away in 2011 at age 53 after a courageous battle with brain cancer.

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Subject

Awards

Sports - Hockey

Niagara Falls Virtual Sports Wall of Fame

Portraits - Biographical