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 42nd Anniversary celebration:
2026 Celebrities
Peter Anthony
Peter Anthony is a Canadian Comedy Award–winning comedian, originally from the small town of Pictou, Nova Scotia, celebrated for his sharp writing, quick wit, and east coast charm. He’s performed at top festivals including Just for Laughs, Halifax ComedyFest, NXNE, and CBC Radio’s The Debaters, with television appearances on CBC, CTV Comedy, MuchMusic, and MTV. When he’s not on the road, Peter brings his comedic energy behind the scenes as a writer and studio warm‑up act for CBC’s long‑running hit series "This Hour Has 22 Minutes." He’s also a sought‑after corporate entertainer, with clients ranging from Tim Hortons and Procter & Gamble to SickKids Hospital and the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo.
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 as the colourful voice of the Toronto Raptors, earning multiple screen awards. Over the course of his 27 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 became the youngest head coach in NCAA Division 1 history, and 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 named the NCAA New York State Division Coach of the Year and the MAAC Conference Coach of the Year.
TERRY BAKER
Terry is a two-time Grey Cup champion, Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame inductee, and one of the longest-serving kickers in Canadian Football League history. A proud Nova Scotian from Bridgewater, Terry built a reputation as one of the CFL's most consistent and accomplished special teams players, earning multiple scoring titles, All-Star honours, and setting league and team records. His excellence, longevity, and contributions to Canadian football have made him one of Nova Scotia's most respected athletes.
JUSTIN BARRON
Justin, the younger of the Barron brothers, is currently playing with the Nashville Predators. A former captain of the Halifax Mooseheads and a first-round NHL Draft pick, Justin Barron has represented Canada on the international stage and earned a gold medal at the 2023 IIHF World Championship. Justin Barron made his NHL debut with the Colorado Avalanche in 2021.
MORGAN BARRON
Morgan, the older of the Barron brothers, is currently playing with the Winnipeg Jets. A standout student-athlete at Cornell University, he earned national recognition before launching his professional career with the New York Rangers. Morgan Barron made his NHL debut for the New York Rangers in 2021.
RICK BOWNESS
Born in Moncton and raised in Nova Scotia, Rick was drafted 26th overall in the second round of the 1975 NHL Draft by the Atlanta Flames. He played six NHL seasons between the Atlanta (later Calgary) Flames, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets.
Rick had a long and distinguished coaching career, and was head coach of the Winnipeg Jets, the Dallas Stars, Phoenix Coyotes, New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators, and Boston Bruins. He went to the Stanley Cup Final as an associate coach with the Canucks in 2011, a Tampa Bay Lightning Assistant in 2015 and Stars coach in 2020. Rick was a 2024 finalist for the Jack Adams Award, given to the NHL coach of the year, and his 2726 games as an NHL head or assistant coach are the most by anyone in league history. Rick was inducted into the Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame in 1997, and the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame in May, 2025.
KAREN FURNEAUX
Karen was born December 23, 1976. She is a 2 x World Champion and 3 x Olympian (Sydney, 2000; Athens, 2004 and Beijing 2008). Karen also was a sport analyst with CBC Olympics in 2016 and 2020. She won 9 career World Championship medals in K1, K2 and K4 events. Karen was inducted into the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame in 2016 and was voted 11th in the Top 15 Athletes in Nova Scotia Sport History.
MATTHEW HIGHMORE
Matthew is a proud Haligonian and who is coming off a successful season with 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 has been a Thunderbirds player since the inaugural season in 2019, and was the 2025 recipient of the Vera Styres award, as voted on by players and staff, for his outstanding commitment, leadership and dedication to the Thunderbirds organization.
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.
LIAM O'BRIEN
Liam is a Halifax-born NHLer currently playing for the Utah Mammoth. After playing for the Rimouski Oceanic, he established himself in the NHL first with the Washington Capitals, and subsequently with the Colorado Avalanche and Arizona Coyotes.
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 20 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.
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.
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.
JODY SHELLEY
Jody is a former NHL player, broadcaster, and team ambassador with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Raised in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, he spent 14 seasons in the NHL, playing more than 600 games with Columbus, San Jose, New York, and Philadelphia. A former captain of the Halifax Mooseheads and a 2019 inductee of the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame, Jody Shelley is widely respected for his leadership, perseverance, and contributions to the game of hockey.
JON SIM
Jon made his NHL debut in 1998-99. He was a member of the 1999 Stanley Cup -winning Dallas Stars. Over his 17 year professional hockey career in the NHL and Europe, Jon was known for his speed, versatility and tenacity, contributing both offensively and defensively.
Jon played for Canada's 2002 Deutschland Cup winning team, captured the Calder Cup with the AHL Philadelphia Phantoms in the 2005 NHL lockout season and won the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) Championship with Berlin Polar Bears in 2012.
Jon was inducted into the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame in 2022 and the inaugural Sarnia Sting Hall of Fame in 2023.
Through “Jon Sim Hockey” programs, Jon has become a leader in youth hockey development in Nova Scotia. He coaches the Pictou County Wearwell Major Bantam Bombers and works as an amateur scout for the NHL St. Louis Blues.
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, Karen 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
Cindy Tye is a nationally respected Canadian soccer coach, former international player, and university sport leader. Born in Middleton, Nova Scotia and raised in Truro, she rose through the sport as a standout multi‑sport athlete before becoming one of Acadia University’s most decorated soccer players, earning five straight conference all‑star selections and a national championship in 1990. She went on to represent Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team, making six senior international appearances in 2002 and later transitioning into coaching within the national program. Tye has led Canada’s U‑20 Women’s National Team at multiple FIFA U‑20 World Cups and served in various roles across youth national team pathways.
At Dalhousie University, Tye serves as the Athletic Director and Head Coach of the women’s soccer program, where she has become one of the most influential figures in Atlantic university sport. She was named the 2023–24 AUS Women’s Soccer Coach of the Year and is known for her athlete‑centred, teaching‑focused coaching philosophy.
Across her career, Tye has been honoured by the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame, Acadia Athletics Hall of Fame, and the Truro Sports Heritage Society, reflecting her lasting impact on Canadian soccer as both a player and a coach.
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 from the NHL in 1979 with 181 points to his credit, including 94 goals and 95 assists in 386 games.
