The Lionel Conacher Award is an annual award given to Canada’s male athlete of the year. The sports writers of the Canadian Press (CP) first conducted a poll to determine the nation’s top athlete, of either gender, in 1932. Separate polls for the best male and female athletes were conducted beginning the following year. The CP formalized the poll into an award in 1978, presenting the winner a plaque. It was named after Lionel Conacher (1900-1954), a multi-sport champion whom the news organization had named its top athlete of the half-century in 1950. The recipients below were either born or played their sport in Manitoba.
Inductee
Year
Sport
Robert Earle “Bobby” Clark
1975
Hockey
Melvin “Fritz” Hanson (1914-1996)
1939
Football
See also:
Memorable Manitobans: Bobbie Rosenfeld Award
This page was prepared Rick Mutton and Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 29 May 2025
Memorable Manitobans
This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.
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