Burlington has a long and notable sports history that includes many outstanding athletes, coaches, officials, media, and volunteers. The Burlington Sports Hall of Fame (BSHOF) is dedicated to identifying and honouring these individuals who have created this rich tradition. This year, BSHOF is celebrating its 18th year and is proud to be inducting six new honorees at its 2026 induction ceremony on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at the Burlington Golf and Country Club.
Our first inductee is Ted Goveia.
Ted was a visionary football executive, coach, and mentor whose influence on Canadian sport extended over more than three decades. A proud Burlington native, Ted’s path from a standout high school athlete to a Canadian Football League (CFL) general manager exemplifies his dedication, leadership, and passion for the game.
Ted got his start in football with the BMFL (Burlington Minor Football League) and then Assumption Catholic Secondary School in Burlington, where he played on the offensive line. He quickly established himself as a leader and fierce competitor. The experiences Ted gained at Assumption laid the groundwork for his future in football, instilling in him discipline, teamwork, and resilience — qualities that would become hallmarks of his career. After high school, Ted continued to develop his skills with the Burlington Braves of the Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL) and the senior Oakville Longhorns.
Ted attended Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick, where he played CIAU football from 1991 to 1993. He was known for his toughness, intelligence, and on-field leadership. An injury ended his playing days, so Ted did the next best thing: he started coaching, not much older than some of the players on the team. Ted credited his years at “Mount A” for teaching him the passion and commitment it takes to be successful. He also understood that winning is a year-round, multi-year, multi-layer process. He added recruiting responsibilities to his workload. He found out that he loved it, had a knack for it, and was named recruiting coordinator in 1997.
Ted explained the basic philosophy of success, a philosophy that has led to nothing but winning at every level of football in Canada. “When something is your passion, like coaching, you put everything into it, and it’s the process that motivates you, because the results will take care of themselves. Good daily habits will lead to the desired results. It’s not the scoreboard as much as it’s about growth and the meeting of expectations. I love being a part of that.”
Part of that passion and experience at Mount A included working at the campus pub and delivering pizza. He regarded being at a small school with fewer resources as a perfect place for him to grow as a football professional. Make the most of what you’ve got, and the rewards will come.
Those rewards for Ted came at every level of football in Canada. He coached the Burlington Braves junior team (1998–2000) and focused on player development and community engagement. He then moved to McMaster as assistant coach and recruitment coordinator from 2001 to 2004. You wanted winning players who are quality people? Ted would find them. Recruiting quality people was a pillar of Ted’s philosophy. Between 2001 and 2004, Ted recruited 36 OUA All Stars and 15 All-Canadians. McMaster went on to win three straight Yates Cups (OUA) Championships, including 33 consecutive wins.
Ted knew recruiting. All it takes is relentless energy and a lot of connections, both of which he had. Attributes that would guide him for the next 20-plus years.
After his success at McMaster, Ted took another journey in his career as offensive coordinator, and later, head coach, of the UBC Thunderbirds from 2005 to 2009.
Ted knew that doing a good job could lead to other opportunities. For many years, while coaching and recruiting at the university level, Ted kept his connections to the pro game. Making himself available but also making himself known. Ted kept quietly doing his best, and people were noticing. He would be a guest coach at training camps for the Toronto Argonauts for eight years, and in 2010, much to the chagrin of his Ticat-loving mother, he joined the Boatmen (aka the Toronto Argonauts) in his first professional job, acting as running backs coach and director of Canadian scouting. His acumen at recruiting and scouting played a prominent role in the team’s 2012 Grey Cup victory.
In 2014, Ted was hired by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as assistant general manager and director of player personnel. The winning continued; Ted turned the franchise around as he became the architect of the 2019 and 2021 Grey Cup championship teams. The Blue Bombers became the best team in the CFL for a decade. They made it to five Grey Cup games in a row, with the two wins. He was promoted to senior assistant general manager and director of player personnel following the 2019 Grey Cup victory. He signed an extension after they won their second consecutive Grey Cup in 2021. In his 10-year experience with the Bombers, Ted was heavily involved in all aspects of shaping the scouting department, including both Canadian and US scouting efforts, free agency and contract negotiations. As he said, work hard, and the rewards will come.
Ted also showed leadership in other ways. He served on the Football Canada Board of Directors from 2020 to 2024, contributing to the governance and growth of football across the country.
That’s all before the hometown Hamilton Tiger Cats came calling. Ted was named the general manager of his beloved Ticats in 2024 and set the tone right away, leading the franchise with the vision and integrity he was known for throughout his career. Interestingly, many players made their way from Winnipeg to Hamilton to join Ted’s winning ways. The Tiger-Cat GM job was his dream, a team he grew up cheering for at Ivor Wynne Stadium. Ted’s mom has been a lifetime fan of the Gold and Black and wasn’t too keen when Ted took his first CFL job with the Toronto Argonauts, of all teams, in 2010. A mother’s love!
Sadly, in his first year with the Ticats, Ted was diagnosed with cancer, and he passed away on September 12, 2025.
Ted Goveia’s journey brought success to the teams he was involved with, but he also inspired and motivated hundreds of players to work hard and achieve on the field and in life. All those highly sought-after recruits who ended up at his schools did so because they knew they would be working with a professional of the highest honour.
Ted’s legacy in Burlington is one of inspiration, demonstrating that greatness is achieved through humility, hard work, and a genuine love for football. Ted’s legacy is also seen in tangible ways. The Ted Goveia Football Award at McMaster University supports a returning offensive or defensive lineman who exhibits strong leadership abilities and embodies the Marauder spirit, supporting and guiding their teammates both on and off the field. Upon his death, the CFL announced the creation of the Ted Goveia Football Operations Award, which recognizes a club’s football operations department for outstanding achievement in scouting, player identification, roster building, and leadership. Appropriate that the award in his name motivates all teams to follow the model created by one of its best citizens. Saskatchewan was recognized as the first recipient.
His journey from Assumption Catholic Secondary School to the executive ranks of the CFL is a remarkable story of perseverance, excellence, and community pride. And now this proud Burlingtonian is a member of the Burlington Sports Hall of Fame.
The Burlington Sports Hall of Fame is honoured to induct Ted Goveia posthumously into the Builder category.
This year’s induction reception will be held on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at the Burlington Golf and Country Club with Steve Foxcroft as emcee. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with socializing from 6–7 p.m. and formal inductions from 7–8 p.m. Hors d’oeuvres will be served throughout the evening, and there is a cash bar.
With the slate of inductees now public, the demand for tickets for the event will be high. To get your tickets, which cost $65 each, email Wayne Heslop at Wayne.heslop@cogeco.ca or call 905-520-8922.
