The year 2025 delivered several memorable moments for sports fans in the Kitchener region and across Canada, headlined by a local athlete's professional breakthrough and a national honour for one of the country's brightest stars.
Local Talent Reaches the NBA
In a story that captured the community's pride, a basketball player from Kitchener was signed by the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association. The significant achievement was celebrated locally, with CTV's Karis Mapp speaking to the player's parents to capture their reaction to their son's dream becoming a reality. This signing marks a major milestone for the athlete and underscores the high level of talent developing in Canadian communities outside major metropolitan centers.
National Recognition for Canadian Excellence
On the national stage, Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was named The Canadian Press Male Athlete of the Year for the second time. This prestigious award, voted on by sports editors and broadcasters across the country, recognizes his outstanding performance and leadership in professional basketball, further cementing his status as one of Canada's premier athletic ambassadors on the global stage.
Other Notable Regional and National Headlines
The year's sports landscape included several other significant stories. In coaching news, Steve Sullivan of Timmins was hired as an assistant coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs, adding to the northern Ontario connection in the NHL. Meanwhile, in the world of swimming, Summer McIntosh was once again named The Canadian Press female athlete of the year, highlighting another dominant year for the young Canadian phenom.
Beyond individual accolades, the sports business scene remained active with events like the 21st annual Holiday Jam for Hunger in Chatham, demonstrating the ongoing role of sports in community fundraising. The period also saw the usual frenzy of Boxing Day shopping at retail hubs like a Kitchener mall, where shoppers flocked for deals, and significant foot traffic was reported at a Saskatoon Best Buy.
These stories, from the hyper-local to the nationally celebrated, paint a picture of a vibrant and diverse sports culture in Canada as 2025 comes to a close.
