Every year we are fortunate to enjoy participation from our deep list of celebrity supporters. 

This year we are thrilled to welcome the following special guests for our 40^th Anniversary celebration:



2024 Celebrities

Peter Anthony

Peter is a Canadian Comedy Award Winner (“Breakout Artist” 2008) and nominee (“Best Male Standup” 2013). A proud native of Pictou, Nova Scotia, he has established himself as one of the most passionate comedians in the country, constantly pushing the envelope and developing his distinctive, hilarious point-of-view. Some of Peter’s credits include: Montreal’s Just for Laughs Festival, CBC’s Halifax Comedy Festival, Toronto’s North by Northeast Festival, CBC Radio’s The Debaters and television appearances on The Comedy Network, MTV, and CTV's Comedy Now, as well as bringing the house down at past Gallivan tournaments. 

JAck ARmstrong

Jack’s vast knowledge and passion is well known - and respected - throughout the basketball world, where he has spent his entire broadcast career focusing on the Toronto Raptors. Over the course of his 15+ years in broadcasting, Armstrong has become one of the most recognizable faces - and voices - in Canadian sports. Jack began coaching when he was 19 years old. He was an NCAA Division Coach for 14 years. He coached at Niagara University for 10 years, where he ranks 4th for all-time wins as head coach, and then at Fordham University for 4 years. He spent two years as a High School Coach at Nazareth High School in Brooklyn. In 1993, Armstrong was awarded with the NCAA New York State Division Coach of the Year and the MAAC Conference Coach of the Year. 

RICK BOWNESS

A Nova Scotia native, Rick played in the National Hockey League for six seasons, scoring 18 goals and 37 assists in 173 games. He coached Winnipeg’s AHL Moncton affiliate in 1987-88, finishing the season as the NHL Jets head coach. In 1991 he was named the Boston Bruins head coach and not even a year later he took over the Ottawa Senators expansion club leading the team for four years. Rick then joined the New York Islanders in 1996-97 before becoming an assistant coach in Phoenix. In July 2006 Rick left Phoenix to become the assistant coach of the Vancouver. In 2015, Rick took on the role of assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Lightening who went deep into the 2015 playoffs. Rick was also inducted into the Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame in 1997. In 2017 he reached a milestone, coaching his 2,165th NHL game, surpassing the legendary Scotty Bowman for most games coached. 

ANDY HAY

Andy Hay is a Chef, Dad, and Content creator based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. With a passion for food, technology, and all things East Coast, Andy is all about making delicious food more fun and accessible for everyone. He is a “must follow” on social media, with over 1.1 million fans tracking his recipes on Instagram. Andy is also a CTV personality, with two epic runs on MasterChef Canada Seasons 5 and Season 7 All-Stars. You can now find him as a regular contributor on the morning show Good Stuff with Mary Berg. Andy is passionate about using his voice to contribute to important causes, and we are so happy to welcome him to his first Gallivan! 

MATTHEW HIGHMORE

Matthew is a proud Haligonian and who is coming off a successful season with the Belleville and Ottawa Senators. Matthew was drafted into the QMJHL 8th overall 2012 to the Saint John Sea Dogs. He was named alternate captain of the club in 2014. After leading the team in points and assists in 2017, Matthew signed a contract with the Blackhawks. He was an AHL all-star in 2018. In 2020, Matthew played 36 games with Chicago before the Covid-19 shutdown. Matthew rejoined the club in the Edmonton bubble for that year’s unique and challenging NHL post-season. He has since spent time with the Vancouver Canucks and St. Louis Blues franchise before his move to Ottawa. Matthew is a rising star in the league and we are very pleased he is returning to the Gallivan this year.

CODY JAMIESON

Cody is a star member of the Halifax pro lacrosse team, the Thunderbirds. Originally from Six Nations, Ontario, Cody played university lacrosse in the NCAA at Syracuse University, where in 2009, he scored the winning goal to secure the school’s second consecutive national title. Cody was selected first overall in the National Lacrosse League draft in 2010. He won the NLL championship with the Rochester Knighthawks in 2012. In 2013, Cody won the NLL scoring title with 108 points and 78 assists. He was league MVP in 2014. Cody was part of the inaugural season in Halifax with the Thunderbirds in 2019, who have truly captured the hearts and minds of Haligonians in the three years in the city. We are very excited to have Cody join the Gallivan in 2023!

LORIE KANE

Hailing from Prince Edward Island, Lorie Kane is one of the most well-known names in Canadian golf. After turning professional in 1993, Lorie went on to have an impressive career, winning six championships in two years and a further four Legends Tour Championships between 2011 and 2016. Lorie won four LPGA championships and two team events within a year from 2000-2001, the second ever Canadian to win multiple tour events in a calendar year. She also represented Canada in the World Cup in 2005, 2006, and 2008. Lorie holds eight top-10 finishes in LPGA majors, including three in the top-5. In 2000 following her incredible stretch, Lorie was awarded the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award as Canada’s top female athlete of the year. She was awarded a member of the Order of Canada in 2006. 

IAN LEGGATT

Ian, a native of Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, turned pro in 1991, earned his PGA Tour card in 2000, and became one of Canada’s most popular professional golfers. Ian, who retired in 2009, is known as a great ambassador for the game in Canada and has garnered the respect of generations of golfers through the professional ranks. An accomplished resume includes wins on both the Nationwide and PGA Tours. In 2002, he won the Touchstone Energy Tuscon Open PGA event. His accomplishments include 65 made cuts on the PGA Tour and 40 cuts on the Nationwide Tour. Ian has represented Canada in World Cup play on two occasions: 2001, in New Zealand, and 2002, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Ian has been involved with various charities throughout his career, going above and beyond for causes that mean the most to him. We are so proud to have Ian back for this year’s 40^th Gallivan!

ANDREW LORD

On June 14, 2024, Lord was hired as the 14th Head Coach of Halifax Mooseheads. Lord is the reigning ECHL Coach of the Year after leading the Greenville Swamp Rabbits (LA Kings affiliate) to a 44-23-4-1 record and the team’s first South Division Championship in more than a decade. Lord spent four seasons in Greenville, where he additionally served as General Manager and Director of Hockey Operations.  The 39-year-old native of West Vancouver, BC also finished as runner-up for the John Brophy Award as Coach of the Year following his first season in 2021. Lord was named as a coach for the 2024 ECHL All-Star Classic in January. He led the Swamp Rabbits to the playoffs in each of his four seasons behind the bench including back-to-back 40-win seasons

PAUL MACLEAN

Born in Grostenquin, France, while his father was serving with the Canadian Armed Forces, Paul moved to Canada at the age of two and grew up in Antigonish. He played his college hockey at Dalhousie University, leading the team to a conference title in 1979. Paul was drafted in the NHL in 1980 by the St. Louis Blues. He enjoyed a successful decade-long career in the NHL where he was a prolific point scorer, including a 101 point season for the Winnipeg Jets in 1985. Paul then went into coaching and has served in a number of coaching and executive roles, including head coach of the Ottawa Senators from 2011 to 2014. He was named NHL coach of the year in 2013. 

MIKE McPHEE

A proud native of Cape Breton, Mike is a former NHLer. He began his professional career with the Nova Scotia Voyageurs of the American Hockey League, after being selected in the sixth-round of the 1980 NHL Entry Draft by the Montreal Canadiens. He began his NHL career with Montreal in 1984. McPhee was a member of Montreal's Stanley Cup winning team in 1986. His best NHL season came in 1987-88, with linemates Guy Carbonneau and Russ Courtnall, when he scored 23 goals and 43 points. The following season, he took part in the NHL All-Star Game. He was also a three-time winner of the Jacques Beauchamp Trophy as the Montreal Canadiens’ unsung hero. Now based in Halifax, Mike is a successful investment advisor and volunteers with numerous organizations around the city. 

KEN REID

You can catch Ken alongside co-anchor, Evanka Osmak, weeknights on the Prime Time Edition of Sportsnet Central. Ken has covered just about everything during his 15 plus years in television, from the Olympics to the Stanley Cup finals, Grey Cups and the Super Bowl. Ken started his broadcasting career at Access Cable in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, followed by stops in Calgary, Ottawa, Edmonton and finally Toronto. Ken is also a bestselling author of Hockey Card Stories: True Tales from your Favorite Player, as well as five other books including his latest one, “Hometown Hockey Heroes”. Ken is a proud native of Pictou, Nova Scotia.

LIISA SAVIJARVI

A long standing celebrity at the The Gallivan, Liisa is a World Cup championship skier. With numerous podium finishes, her career is highlighted with a victory in the Super G in Furano, Japan in 1986. In 1987 she also won the Canadian Downhill Championship in Rossland B.C. and placed second in the giant slalom. The 1984 Olympian had over 20 top finishes however her career officially came to an end in 1988 following serious injuries sustained in Vail, Colorado. In 1997, Liisa was inducted into the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame and she now devotes her energy and skiing talents to helping others enjoy the sport. In 2006, Liisa, Karen Stemmle and Laurie Graham were named co-recipients of the Rob Thompson Memorial Award for long-time dedication to this tournament and the battle against CF.

JOHN SHANNON

Born in Oliver, BC, John began working with CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada in 1978, producing NHL games across the continent. In 1980, he moved to Calgary to become the show’s western producer during what was to be an outstanding period for the Flames. As a result, he was able to produce the Stanley Cup Final every year that decade. Some career highlights include working the 1994 Olympic Winter Games in Lillehammer, Norway; producing Wayne Gretzky’s last NHL game in Canada on April 15, 1999; experiencing Canada’s first Olympic hockey gold in 50 years at the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah, and launching both Leafs TV and Raptors NBA TV. Currently, John Shannon is a Co-Host on The Bob McCown Show podcasts, a sports talk podcast that include guests from the sports industry to discuss sports topics of the day. 

DOUG MACLEAN

Doug is a successful former head coach and executive in the NHL. He is a proud Maritimer originally from Summerside, PEI. Doug was behind the bench in 1996 for Florida when the upstart Panthers made a run to the Stanley Cup Final. He later moved into a number of executive and coaching roles with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Doug then went into broadcasting and appeared on television and radio with Sportsnet. You can now catch him on Fridays on the Real Kyper and Bourne show for his segment “Off the Rails with Doug MacLean”. In 2023, he became a best selling author with the release of his first book, “Draft Day”, which goes behind the scenes on team preparation for draft day and the use of analytics in hockey. 

CAM RUSSELL

Cam has been the General Manager of the Mooseheads since 2008. Formerly the Head Coach, he moved his attention solely to the role of General Manager early in the 2010-11 season and was the architect of the Memorial Cup winning team in 2012-2013. It was during the 2012 Gallivan Golf Tournament that while playing in the event that Cam successfully concluded negotiations to acquire Nathan MacKinnon for the Halifax Mooseheads.  The Cole Harbour native enjoyed a successful playing career in the QMJHL with the Hull Olympiques where he won two President Cup championships under coaches Alain Vigneault and the late Pat Burns. He was drafted by Chicago in the 3rd round (50th overall) in 1987 and spent 10 seasons in the NHL as a rugged Defenseman with the Blackhawks and Colorado Avalanche. Russell was inducted into the Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame in 2011. 

KAREN STEMMLE

Karen is a world-class alpine skier and former Olympian, having represented Canada at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. Karen was always an excellent athlete, participating in provincial figure skating competitions in her youth, but found her calling in Alpine Skiing at the age of seventeen. In 1982, new to the Downhill racing scene, finished 4th at the Canadian Championships in Lake Louise where she was also awarded Junior Canadian Champion. The Canadian Alpine Ski Team invited Karen to join them on the World Cup Ski Circuit and within a year, she finished 6th at a World Cup race in Mt. Tremblant. In 1984, a 4th place World Cup Downhill finish in Verbier, Switzerland qualified Karen for the Canadian Olympic team and she went on to march in the Opening Ceremonies at the 1984 Games. Since retiring as an athlete in 1988, Karen has continued to make a valued contribution to her most-loved sport by instructing at the Georgian peaks Club, where she learned to ski with her parents, and on other ski hills across North America – dedicated to helping skiers improve their skills and techniques. Karen is a motivational speaker, volunteer and fundraiser whose talent, hard work and passion for her sport have inspired many others.

CINDY TYE
Currently the head coach of Canada's U20 Women's National Team and the Dalhousie Tigers, Tye is a National B level coach, who has a long history of success at local, provincial, national and international levels. Cindy also has international coaching experience, serving as the head coach of the 2022 U20 women's national team at the FIFA World Cup and as an assistant for Team Canada in the 2019 World Universiade in Napoli, Italy. Most recently, she also helped to lead the U20 women's national soccer team to a third-place finish at the CONCACAF championship this spring, qualifying them for the 2024 FIFA U20 World Cup. Before getting into coaching, Cindy played five seasons (1990-1995) with the Acadia Axewomen, earning a CIAU championship with them in her first season. The 1994-95 AUAA women's soccer MVP, she led Acadia to two AUAA conference titles and was chosen as their female athlete of the year in 1994 and 1995. She was an AUAA all-star in all five seasons she played, earned two CIAU all-Canadian nods and was the AUAA rookie of the year in 1990-91. Cindy joined Canada's national program as a player in 2001, staying for two seasons. She was inducted into the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame in 2010, is a member of the Acadia Sport Hall of Fame and has been named to the Truro Sport Heritage Society's Honour Roll.

MURRAY WILSON

Murray Wilson has been a popular guest at the Gallivan for many years. A former Montreal Canadiens and Los Angeles Kings forward, Wilson became familiar to local fans with the AHL Nova Scotia Voyageurs in 1971-72, helping the Halifax-based club to a Calder Cup and later, becoming a member of Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame with that team. In his six years with Montreal, Wilson won four Stanley Cups. He retired in 1979 with 181 points to his credit, including 90 goals and 91 assists in 352 games.