List of people from Hamilton, Ontario

Architecture and design

• James Balfour (1854–1917), architect; works include Canada Life Assurance Company building at corner of King & James (1883), City Hall on corner of James & York (1888)^[1]
• Bruce Kuwabara (1949– ), architect; works include Kitchener City Hall and Art Gallery of Ontario Phase III^[2]
• John M. Lyle (1872–1945), architect in the late 19th century; works include New York Public Library Main Branch (1897–1911), Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto (1907), Union Station (Toronto) (1914–1921)^[3]

Craft

• Lois Betteridge (1928–2020), silversmith, goldsmith, designer and educator^[4]

Dance

• Frank Augustyn (1953– ), principal dancer with the National Ballet of Canada 1972–1989^[5]
• Karen Kain (1951– ), principal dancer and later artistic director (2005–2021) of the National Ballet of Canada^[6]

Film and television

• Jean Adair (1873–1953), actress; worked primarily on stage (sometimes billed as Jennet Adair); made several film appearances late in her career, most notably as one of the misguided murdering aunts of Cary Grant in Arsenic and Old Lace
• Nicole Arbour, comedian
• Julia Arthur (1868–1950), stage and film actress
• Robert Beatty (1909–1992), actor who worked in radio, film and television for most of his career and was especially known in the United Kingdom^[7]
• Alan Best (1959– ), animation director and producer; began his career as an assistant animator working for Hanna-Barbera studios; also worked on the animated features Heavy Metal (1981) and Pink Floyd The Wall (1982)
• Kylie Bunbury (born 1989), actress
• Rick Campanelli (1970– ), MuchMusic video jockey, currently works for ET Canada^[8]
• Wendy Crewson (1956– ), actress
• Douglass Dumbrille (1889–1974), actor and Canadian pioneer in early Hollywood
• Jesse Ewles (1981– ), indie film director, writer, creator of music videos for of Montreal, Kathryn Calder, and Grizzly Bear^[9]
• Rob Faulds (1955– ), Canadian sports analyst on Rogers Sportsnet and host of sportsnetnews^[10]
• Angela Featherstone (born 1965), actress, writer and teacher
• Jonathan Frid (1924–2012), theater, television and movie actor, known for the role of the vampire Barnabas Collins on the first incarnation of the Gothic TV serial Dark Shadows^[11]
• Daniel Goldberg (1948/49–2023), film producer (Space Jam); worked with Ivan Reitman on Stripes and Meatballs^[12]
• Harris Goldberg, film director, writer, and producer^[13]
• Currie Graham (1967– ), stage, film and television actor, known for playing Lt. Thomas Bale on the TV program NYPD Blue
• Graham Greene (1952–2025), TV and movie actor; born on Six Nations reserve and lived in Hamilton as a young adult; appeared in The Green Mile, on the Red Green Show, L.A. Law and The New Beachcombers^[14]
• Jonathan Hale (1892–1966), actor, known as Mr. Dithers in the Blondie movies; committed suicide in Hollywood at age 74
• Adam J. Harrington (1972– ), actor and producer; known for his roles in The Secret Circle, Queer As Folk and Dexter, and as Roy Earle in the video game L.A. Noire
• Trevor Jimenez, animator (Weekends)^[15]
• Jason Jones, senior correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
• Stana Katic (1978– ), actress, known for her portrayal of Detective Kate Beckett in ABC's Castle^[16]
• Luke Kirby (1978– ), actor (Mambo Italiano)^[17]

• Florence Lawrence (1890–1938), inventor and silent film actress, often referred to as "the first movie star"; also known as "the Biograph Girl" and "the Girl of a Thousand Faces"; appeared in more than 270 films for various motion picture companies^[18]
• Chris Lazar (1986– ), actor, known for his role as Young Zach on the series Dark Angel
• Ashley Leggat (1986– ), actress, known for her role as "Casey" in the Disney Channel series Life with Derek
• Eugene Levy (1946– ), actor and writer, known for SCTV, Schitt's Creek and the American Pie film series^[11][19]
• Brian Linehan (1944–2004), television host; known for his celebrity interviews on City Lights produced by Citytv in Toronto
• Del Lord (1894–1970), film director and actor; known as a director of Three Stooges films (Grimsby)
• Patrick McKenna (1960– ), comedic and dramatic actor; known for the television series The Red Green Show and Traders, and the Trudeau miniseries
• Blake Moynes, winner of the seventeenth season of reality television series The Bachelorette^[20]
• Kathleen Munroe (born 1982), actress
• Erin Pitt (born 1999), actress
• Paul Popowich (1973– ), actor; beside his theatre appearances, has performed in many television series (Beverly Hills, 90210) and features
• Frank Powell, stage and silent film actor, screenwriter, and director in the United States
• Leon Pownall (1943–2006), actor and director^[21]
• Ivan Reitman (1946–2022), Slovak-born, Canadian-raised film actor, producer, and director; most remembered for directing and producing a string of comedies, mostly in the 1980s and 1990s (Meatballs, Stripes and Ghostbusters); a founder of the McMaster Film Board at McMaster University^[11]
• Rick Roberts, actor
• Kathleen Robertson (1973– ), actress, Beverly Hills, 90210
• Inanna Sarkis, actress^[22]
• Martin Short (1950– ), actor, writer, and producer best known for his comedy work, particularly on the TV programs SCTV and Saturday Night Live^[11]
• Floria Sigismondi (1965– ), director (born in Pescara, Italy, raised in Hamilton)^[23]
• Steve Smith (1945– ), main actor and writer on television series The Red Green Show
• David Soren, animator
• Sarah Taylor, MuchMusic VJ who now co-hosts many popular shows, including Combat Zone, MuchOnDemand and Take Over^[24]
• Dave Thomas (1949– ), comedian and actor, SCTV, Grace Under Fire^[11]
• Nerene Virgin, Canadian actress, journalist, and teacher^[25]
• Brian Williams, sportscaster, known for his coverage of the Olympic Games (born in Winnipeg, raised in Hamilton)^[26]
• Dick Wilson (1916–2007), actor whose claim to fame was working for over 21 years on 504 Charmin toilet paper TV commercials; also made acting appearances on Bewitched, Hogan's Heroes and The Bob Newhart Show^[27]
• Gordon Michael Woolvett (1970– ), actor, played Seamus Harper on TV's Andromeda
• Dominic Zamprogna (1979– ), actor, played James "Jammer" Lyman on TV's Battlestar Galactica
• Gema Zamprogna (1976– ), actress, played Felicity King on Road to Avonlea (1989–1996)

Fine arts

• Lida Baday (1957– ), fashion designer^[28]
• Blaine (1937–2012), political cartoonist^[29]
• William Blair Bruce (1859–1906), painter^[30]
• Gino Cavicchioli (1957– ), official sculptor for the Canadian Football Hall of Fame^[31]
• Christian Cardell Corbet (1966– ), portrait sculptor
• Hortense Gordon (1886–1961), member of Toronto-based group Painters Eleven; works were exhibited in galleries in Europe and North America^[32]
• Elizabeth Bradford Holbrook (1913–2009), portrait sculptor; founder of the Canadian Portrait Academy and Canadian Group of Artists; her career spanned over seventy-five years; principal works include eight stone sculpture panels on the former Federal Building^[33]
• Mark Lewis (1958– ), photographer and installation artist who represented Canada at the 2009 Venice Biennale^[34]
• Graeme MacKay (1968– ), editorial cartoonist^[35]
• Win Mortimer (1919–1998), comic book and comic strip artist, one of the major illustrators of the DC Comics superheroes Superman, Superboy, and Batman^[36]
• Frank Panabaker (1904–1992), painter^[37]
• Dave Sim (1956– ), comic book writer and artist; creator of Cerebus^[38]
• Paul Szep (1941– ), editorial cartoonist; two-time Pulitzer Prize winner^[39]

Illusionists

• Greg Frewin (1967– ), illusionist and "World Champion of Magic"^[40]

Journalism and writing

• Roy Adams, author, newspaper columnist, human rights activist and academic^[41]
• Barbara Amiel, British-Canadian journalist, writer, socialite; wife of Conrad Black
• Gordon Stewart Anderson, author^[42]
• Dick Beddoes (1925–1991), former sports journalist for CHCH-TV in Hamilton, the Vancouver Sun, The Globe and Mail (Toronto), and CFRB radio (Toronto); author^[43]
• Stephen Brunt, lead sports columnist for The Globe and Mail since 1989^[44]
• John H. Bryden (1943– ), politician, journalist, historian^[45]
• Richard Butler (1834–1925), editor, publisher, journalist; the Butler neighbourhood in Hamilton is named after him^[46]
• Jojo Chintoh (1944– ), retired television reporter (Citytv)^[47]
• Jane Christmas (b 1954), writer^[48]
• Trevor Cole, newspaper and magazine columnist, novelist^[49]
• Hugh Cook (1942– ), novelist^[50]
• Damien Cox, sports columnist for the Toronto Star^{[citation needed]}
• Sylvia Fraser (1935– ), novelist and travel writer^[51]
• Lawrence Hill, author (The Book of Negroes)^[52]
• Wentworth M. Johnson (1939–2014), author
• Robert Kirkland Kernighan (1854–1926), poet, journalist; the Kernighan neighbourhood on Hamilton Mountain is named after him^[46]
• Gary Lautens (1928–1992), humorist and newspaper columnist; wrote for the Toronto Star from 1962 until his death^[11]
• Mark Leslie (1969– ), writer, author of Haunted Hamilton: The Ghosts of Dundurn Castle & Other Steeltown Shivers^[53]
• Billie Livingston (1965– ), novelist and poet^[54]
• David Macfarlane (1952– ), journalist, playwright and novelist^[55]
• Emily Maitlis (1970– ), British journalist; born in Hamilton whilst her father was teaching at McMaster University^[56]
• Dan McLean (1947–2026), journalist and news anchor (CHCH-TV)^[57]
• Ivan Miller (1898–1967), Canadian journalist and sportscaster who worked 45 years for The Hamilton Spectator^[58]
• Steve Paikin (1960– ), journalist, film producer and author, known for hosting TV Ontario's newsmagazines Studio 2 and Diplomatic Immunity^[59]
• John Lawrence Reynolds (1939– ), novelist and non-fiction writer, twice winner of the Arthur Ellis Award^[60]
• Melville Marks Robinson (1888– ), founder of the Commonwealth Games^[61]
• Doug Saunders (1967– ), journalist, European Bureau Chief for The Globe and Mail^[62]
• James Travers, journalist^[63]
• Clementina (Fessenden) Trenholme (1844–1918), author, social organizer, and mother of radio pioneer Reginald Fessenden; the Trenholme and Fessenden neighbourhoods on Hamilton Mountain were named after her^[46]
• Anuja Varghese, writer^[64]
• David Vienneau (1951–2004), journalist who moved to television in 1998 as Ottawa bureau chief at for Global Television, where he remained until his death from pancreatic cancer^[65]
• Harriett Annie Wilkins (1829–1888), poet

Music

• Nicole Appleton (1974– ), singer; born in Hamilton but raised in Toronto; one of two Canadian members of the British pop group All Saints, which disbanded in 2001; she and her sister Natalie later formed a second British-based pop group named Appleton^[66]
• Ian Astbury, singer (The Cult), spent teen years in Hamilton^[67]
• David Braid (1975– ), composer and pianist
• Boris Brott (1944–2022), once an assistant to Leonard Bernstein, he led the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra for 21 years, later creating the Brott Music Festival and National Academy Orchestra^[68]
• David Byrne (1952– ), singer-songwriter, guitarist (Talking Heads); lived in Hamilton as a child^[69]
• Rita Chiarelli, blues singer^[70]
• Colin Cripps (1961– ), musician and record producer^[71]
• Eria Fachin (1960–1996), pop singer
• Jeremy Greenspan (1979– ), electronic pop musician best known for Junior Boys
• Sonny Greenwich (1936– ), jazz guitarist^[72]
• Jordan Hastings (1982– ), drummer for the post-hardcore band Alexisonfire, as well as The Black Lungs and former band Jersey, born in Hamilton but raised in Burlington
• Darcy Hepner, saxophonist, composer arranger
• Udo Kasemets (1919–2014), Estonian-born composer of orchestral, chamber, vocal, piano, and electroacoustic works^[73]
• Harrison Kennedy (1942– ), electric blues singer and guitarist, formerly part of Chairmen of the Board^[74]
• King Biscuit Boy (1944–2003), blues musician, member of Crowbar; the first Canadian blues artist to chart on Billboard in the U.S.; Rolling Stone magazine called him "legendary";^[75] played with Muddy Waters, Joe Cocker, and Janis Joplin; his fans include Keith Richards and Paul McCartney^[76]
• Daniel Lanois (1951– ), solo artist, producer for U2, lived in Hamilton and recorded at Grant Avenue Studios^[77]
• Jessy Lanza, pop/electronic musician
• Gord Lewis (1956/1957–2002), guitarist for Teenage Head^[78]
• Ray Lyell (1962– ), singer, songwriter, and guitarist^[79]
• Wade MacNeil (1984– ), guitarist and vocalist for the post-hardcore band Alexisonfire and frontman of The Black Lungs
• Brian Melo, winner of Canadian Idol (season five); previously a construction worker^[80][81]
• Haydain Neale (1970–2009), musician (jacksoul)^[82]
• Steve Negus, Saga drummer and record producer^[83]
• Neil Peart (1952–2020), drummer and lyricist for the progressive rock band Rush^[84]
• Skip Prokop (1946–2017), drummer and bandleader for Lighthouse and The Paupers; worked with Cass Elliot, Janis Joplin, Al Kooper and Carlos Santana^[85]
• Stan Rogers (1949–1983), folk singer^[86]
• Brenda Russell (1949– ), American-born singer-songwriter and keyboardist who lived in Hamilton; known for her eclectic musical style; her genres include pop, soul, jazz and adult contemporary; has worked with Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin and Sting^[87]
• Lorraine Segato, lead vocalist for 1980s new wave music group Parachute Club, noted for the song "Rise Up"^[88]
• Ernest Seitz (1892–1978), composer, songwriter, pianist and music educator
• Dan Snaith (1979– ), musician for the bands Caribou, Manitoba and Daphni, born in Dundas
• Tomi Swick, singer-songwriter^[89]
• Christian Tanna, drummer and songwriter for I Mother Earth^[90]
• Jagori Tanna, guitar player for I Mother Earth^[91]
• Ian Thomas (1950– ), singer-songwriter known for the 1973 hit "Painted Ladies"; brother of Dave Thomas
• Alan Walker (1930– ), English-Canadian radio producer, musicologist and academic best known as a biographer and scholar of composer Franz Liszt^[92]
• Jackie Washington (1919–2009), blues singer^[93]
• Robert Stanley Weir (1856–1926), lawyer, poet, author, best remembered as the author of the English lyrics to "O Canada"^[46]
• Simon Wilcox (1976– ), songwriter based in Los Angeles
• Tom Wilson, rock musician^[94]

Pageantry

• Leanne Baird, Miss Canada International in 1998^[95]

Radio

• Richard Alway, former radio broadcast commentator, current and first lay president and vice-chancellor of the University of St. Michael's College^[96]
• Bob Bratina, radio personality, elected MP for Hamilton East-Stoney Creek, former city councillor for Downtown Ward 2 and mayor of Hamilton^[97][98]
• Roy Green, staple of the Hamilton radio scene^[99]
• Sue Prestedge, sports broadcaster, one of Canada's first and most influential female sports journalists; coordinator of the Advanced Journalism program at Mohawk College^[100]

Theatre

• Nick Cordero (1978–2020), Broadway actor^[101]
• Diane Dupuy, founder of the Famous People Players in 1974, a professional black light theatre company that combines music with characters that pay tribute to the music and artistry of famous people; the group was discovered by Liberace, who took them to Las Vegas to perform; they have been performing around the world ever since^[102]
• Sky Gilbert (1952– ), artistic director, actor, academic and drag performer; opened the Hammertheatre Company in January 2007 in Hamilton; the theatre is devoted to Gilbert's plays, which deal with issues of gender and sexuality^[103][104]
• Caissie Levy (1981– ), Broadway and West End actor, known for roles in Frozen, Wicked, Hair, Ragtime^[105]

Crime

• Johnson Aziga (1956– ), first person charged with first-degree murder in Canada for spreading the HIV virus, after two women whom he had infected without their knowledge died^[127]
• Evelyn Dick (1920–), committed infanticide and was convicted, then acquitted, of having murdered her husband^[128]
• Giacomo Luppino (1900–1987), mobster of the Hamilton-based Luppino crime family^[129]
• Angelo Musitano (1978–2017), mobster of the Hamilton-based Musitano crime family^[130]
• Pat Musitano (1968–2020), mobster of the Hamilton-based Musitano crime family^[131]
• Johnny Papalia (1924–1997), mobster of the Hamilton-based Papalia crime family^[132]
• Rocco Perri (1887–disappeared 1944), gangster^[18]
• Cathy Smith (1947– ), singer; convicted of manslaughter in death of John Belushi, co-authored the book Chasing the Dragon about her life experience with drugs (1984)^[133]

Judges and lawyers

• Charles William Bell (1876–1938), playwright, politician and Rocco Perri's lawyer^[18]
• Alan Borovoy (1932–2015), lawyer and human rights activist^[134]
• Harvey Brownstone (1956– ), judge of the Ontario Court of Justice^[135]
• Richard Hatt (1769–1819), businessman, judge and political figure in Upper Canada^[136]
• Helen Kinnear (1894–1970), lawyer, first federally appointed woman judge in Canada^[137]
• Helen Gregory MacGill (1864–1947), first woman in British Columbia to be appointed a judge of the juvenile court, a post she held for 23 years^[138]
• Jack Pelech (1934– ), litigation and business lawyer, Hamilton Citizen of the Year, 1987; Order of Canada, 2006^[139]
• John Sopinka (1933–1997), Supreme Court justice described as the heart of the court; raised in north Hamilton and died unexpectedly; namesake of Hamilton's courthouse and the Sopinka Cup, a law student advocacy competition^[140]
• John Willson (1776–1860), judge and political figure in Upper Canada^[141]

Invention

• Troy Hurtubise (1963–2018), inventor of a prototype for a lightweight armour shell for military purposes that conjures up an image of a Star Wars Imperial stormtrooper^[189]
• George Klein (1904–1992), often called the most productive inventor in Canada in the 20th century; inventor of electric wheelchair, microsurgical staple gun, the ZEEP nuclear reactor and the Canadarm^[190]
• Steve Mann, inventor of wearable computers who teaches electrical and computer engineering at the University of Toronto^[191]
• Thomas Willson (1860–1915), inventor; designed and patented the first electric arc lamps^[192]

Medicine

• Elizabeth Bagshaw (1881–1982), physician and birth control activist^[193]
• John C Bell (1953– ), cancer researcher at the OHRI, developer of oncolytic viral therapies^[194]
• David G. Benner, clinical psychologist and author
• John Callaghan (1923–2004), cardiologist who pioneered open-heart surgery^[195]
• Harold E. Johns (1915–1998), medical physicist, noted for his extensive contributions to the use of ionizing radiation to treat cancer^[196]
• Nathan Francis Mossell 1856–1946, physician, first African-American graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine^[197]
• James Fraser Mustard (1927–2011), physician, scientist, and founding member of the McMaster University Faculty of Medicine^[198]
• Sir William Osler (1849–1919), 1st Baronet, the "father of modern medicine" (Dundas)^[199]
• David Sackett (1934–2015), founded the Department of Clinical Epidemiology at McMaster University^[200]
• The Honourable William Winegard (1924–2019), educator, engineer, scientist and former member of Parliament^[201]

Basketball

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (1998– ), NBA player for the Oklahoma City Thunder; one of eleven players in NBA history to win the regular-season MVP award, the NBA championship, and the Finals MVP award in the same season (2024–25), and only one of four to do so while also winning the scoring title^[202][203]
• Kia Nurse (1996– ), WNBA player for the Toronto Tempo^[204] and the Canadian national team^[205]
• Shona Thorburn (1982– ), WNBA player for the Seattle Storm; attended Westdale Secondary School in Hamilton^{[206][207][208]}

Boxing

• Jackie Callura (1914–1993), featherweight boxer, World Featherweight Champion of 1943^[209][210]
• Jessica Rakoczy (1977– ), boxer, 2005 WBC Lightweight Champion^[211][212]

Darts

• Al Bouchie (1972– ), darts player
• Marco Gonthier (1974– ), darts player

Figure skating

• Toller Cranston (1949–2015), figure skater who won the Olympic bronze medal in 1976^[213]
• Bryce Davison (1986– ), figure skater, competed in the pairs event with Jessica Dubé, member of the Hamilton Skating Club;^[214] they were Canadian champions three times, were world bronze medallists in 2008, and finished 6th at the Olympics and World Championships in 2010, their last competitive season
• Wendy Griner (born 1944), figure skater^[215]

Football

• John Bonk (1950– ), four-time All-Star offensive lineman in the Canadian Football League, played 1973–1985 for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
• Less Browne (1959– ), CFL defensive back for Hamilton, Winnipeg, Ottawa and B.C.; holds the CFL and all-pro records for most interceptions in a career with 87; resides in Hamilton^[216][217]
• Bob Cameron (1954– ), played 23 seasons (1980–2002) with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League
• Steve Christie (1967– ), ex-placekicker in the NFL; holds a Super Bowl record for longest field goal kicked, at 54 yards^[218]
• Tommy Joe Coffey, Canadian Football League receiver who played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats; currently resides in Burlington^[219]
• Ben D'Aguilar (1989– ), former professional Canadian Football League defensive lineman for the Calgary Stampeders and Hamilton Tiger-Cats
• Peter Dalla Riva (1946– ), former professional Canadian football player with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League at the tight end and wide receiver positions; three-time CFL Allstar^[220][221]
• Bernie Faloney (1932–1999), star quarterback football player in the United States and Canada^[222][223]
• Rudy Florio (1950– ), Canadian football player
• Corey Grant (1976– ), former wide receiver for the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (Stoney Creek)^[224]
• Russ Jackson (1936– ), Canadian football quarterback, all-time pass leading Canadian quarterback, three Grey Cups with the Ottawa Rough Riders^[11][225]
• Larry Jusdanis (1970– ), Canadian football quarterback
• Joe Krol (1919–2008 ), Canadian football quarterback (1932–53), Lou Marsh Trophy winner as Canada's top athlete in 1946^[209]
• Ron Lancaster (1938–2008), former football player, coach and general manager in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and sports announcer for CBC Television^[226]
• Jesse Lumsden (1982– ), former running back with Hamilton, Edmonton, and Calgary of the Canadian Football League and McMaster University alumnus^[11]
• Paul Masotti (1965– ), former wide receiver for Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League
• Spencer Moore (1990– ), fullback for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League; won the 47th Vanier Cup with the McMaster Marauders and the 101st Grey Cup with the Saskatchewan Roughriders
• Mike Morreale (1971– ), receiver in the Canadian Football League^[227]
• Rocco Romano, CFL's DeMarco-Becket Memorial Trophy winner in 1994 and 1996 for the Calgary Stampeders, awarded originally to the player selected as the outstanding lineman in the West Division; inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2007^[228]
• Ralph Sazio, player, coach, GM and president of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats; won four Eastern finals and three Grey Cups as coach 1963–1967^[229]
• Vince Scott (1925–1992), played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats; later a Hamilton city councillor^[230]
• Jim Young (1943– ), former pro American football and Canadian football player^[231][232]

Golf

• Bobbi Lancaster, trans woman who reached notoriety playing in the LPGA Qualifying Tournament in 2013^[233][234]

Ice hockey

• Dave Andreychuk (1963– ), 2004 Stanley Cup champion; holds the NHL record for most career power-play goals (274)^{[235][236][237]}
• Syl Apps (1915–1998), Toronto Maple Leafs captain who led the Leafs to three Stanley Cups; 1936-37 Calder trophy winner (top NHL rookie); 1941-42 Lady Byng Trophy winner; McMaster University Alumni (Paris, Ontario)^[11][238]
• Paul Beraldo (1967– ), retired hockey centre^[239][240]
• Allan Bester (1964– ), retired NHL hockey goalie, Toronto Maple Leafs^[235][241]
• Andy Brown (1944– ), credited with being the last pro goaltender to play barefaced; last played NHL hockey for the Pittsburgh Penguins^[242][243]
• David Brown (1985– ), Notre Dame Fighting Irish hockey goalie; named team MVP in 2006; named (CCHA); Central Collegiate Hockey Association's Player-of-the-week three times in 2007; favorite to win the 2007 Hobey Baker Award, which is awarded to the top collegiate player in the United States; a Pittsburgh Penguins draft pick in 2004^[244]
• Frank Caprice (1962–2025), NHL hockey goalie, six seasons with Vancouver Canucks (1982–88)^[235][245]
• Ben Chiarot (1991– ), defenseman for the Montreal Canadiens of the NHL^[246][247]
• Joe Cirella (1963– ), retired NHL defenseman, 821 games played, No. 5 pick overall in 1981 NHL Entry Draft by the Colorado Rockies^[235][248]
• Sebastian Cossa (2002– ), ice hockey goaltender for the Detroit Red Wings^[249]
• Dave Dryden (1941– ), retired NHL hockey goalie, 201 NHL games for Buffalo, Edmonton, Chicago and NY Rangers; created (and was the first goaltender to employ) the modern-day goaltending mask consisting of a fiberglass mask with a cage^[235][250]
• Ken Dryden (1947– ), retired NHL hockey goalie, elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983^[235][251]
• Blake Dunlop (1953– ), retired NHL hockey player, winner of the 1980–81 Bill Masterton trophy^[235][252]
• Cecil "Babe" Dye (1898–1962), NHL hockey player, its top goal scorer of the 1920s; inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1970; nicknamed "Babe" because he was considered to be 'the Babe Ruth of hockey'^[235][253]
• Don Edwards (1955– ), retired NHL hockey goalie, winner of the Vezina Trophy in 1979–80^[235][254]
• Ryan Ellis (1991– ), defenseman for the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL^[255]
• Nelson Emerson (1967– ), retired NHL hockey player^[235][256]
• Ray Emery (1982–2018), NHL hockey goalie^[235][257]
• Laura Fortino (born 1991), ice hockey player^[258][259]
• Johnathan Kovacevic (1997– ), NHL player for the New Jersey Devils^[260]
• Tyrone Garner (1978– ), played for Calgary Flames as goaltender (born in Stoney Creek)^[261][262]
• Ben Harpur (born 1995), NHL player for the New York Rangers^[263]
• Todd Harvey (1975– ), NHL hockey player^[235][264]
• Red Horner (1909–2005), NHL hockey defenseman; helped Toronto Maple Leafs win their first Stanley Cup in 1932^[235][265]
• Tim Horton (1930–1974), NHL hockey defenseman; opened his first Tim Hortons Donut Shop in Hamilton in 1964^[266][267]
• Harry Howell (1932–2019), NHL hockey defenseman, winner of the 1966–67 James Norris Trophy^[235][268]
• Willie Huber (1958– ), retired NHL hockey defenseman; born in (Germany) and grew up in Hamilton^[235]
• Dick Irvin Sr. (1892–1957), NHL hockey player, former head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens^[235][269]
• Mark Jankowski (born 1994), ice hockey centre^[270]
• Al Jensen (1958– ), retired NHL hockey goalie, winner of the 1983–84 William Jennings trophy^[235][271]
• Derek King (1967– ), retired NHL hockey player^[235][272]
• Jamie Macoun (1961– ), retired NHL hockey defenseman who played 1,128 NHL games^[273][274]
• Adam Mair (1979– ), NHL hockey player^[235][275]
• Brian McGrattan (1981– ), NHL hockey player for the Phoenix Coyotes; NHL enforcer^[235][276]
• Marty McSorley (1963– ), retired NHL hockey player infamous for his assault of Donald Brashear in a game on 21 February 2001^[235][277]
• Ron Murphy (1933– ), retired NHL player who played in 889 games^[235][278]
• Ric Nattress (1962– ), retired NHL hockey defenseman^[235][279]
• Darnell Nurse (1995– ), current NHL player with the Edmonton Oilers; first round draft pick for the Edmonton Oilers; gold medal winner at the 2015 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship^[280][281]
• Sarah Nurse (1995– ), current PWHL player with the Vancouver Goldeneyes; gold medalist at the 2022 Winter Olympics and silver medalist the 2018 Winter Olympics and the 2026 Winter Olympics; 3 time gold medalist, 2 time silver medalist, and 1 time bronze medalist at the IIHF Women's World Championship.^[282]
• Murray Oliver (1937– ), retired NHL hockey player, played in 1,127 NHL games^[235][283]
• George Owen (1901–1986), retired NHL hockey defenceman for the Boston Bruins; served as the Bruins captain in the 1931–32 season; first player credited with wearing a helmet in his rookie season in 1928^[235][284]
• Keith Primeau (1971– ), retired NHL hockey player; born in Toronto and grew up in Hamilton^[235][285]
• Pat Quinn (1943–2014), retired NHL hockey player, former head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, Los Angeles Kings and the Philadelphia Flyers^{[235][286][287]}
• Leo Reise Jr. (1922– ), retired NHL hockey defenseman; 494 games played in the 1940s and 1950s for Detroit, Chicago and NY Rangers^[235][288]
• Zac Rinaldo (1990– ), ice hockey player for the Nashville Predators^[289]
• Matthew Schaefer (2007– ), defenceman for the New York Islanders^[290][291]
• Rick Smith (1948– ), retired NHL hockey defenseman; 687 games played; No. 7 pick in 1966 NHL Entry draft by the Boston Bruins^[235][292]
• Steve Staios (1973– ), retired NHL hockey defenseman, current GM of the Hamilton Bulldogs^[235][293]
• Danny Syvret (1985– ), NHL hockey defenseman who spent his junior career with the London Knights of the OHL, eventually being named team captain; in his final year of junior hockey, he was captain of a powerhouse team that broke numerous junior hockey records and won the 2005 Memorial Cup (Millgrove)^[294][295]
• John Tonelli (1957– ), retired NHL hockey player; 1984 Canada Cup MVP^[235][296]
• Arber Xhekaj (2001– ), NHL player for the Montreal Canadiens^[297]

Running

• David Griffin (1905–1944), represented Canada in athletics at the 1928 Summer Olympics – Men's 1500 metres and the 1930 British Empire Games, also a journalist for The Hamilton Spectator and Royal Canadian Air Force officer^[298]
• Robert Kerr (1882–1963), Irish-Canadian sprinter; won the gold medal in the 200 metres and the bronze medal in the 100 metres at the 1908 Summer Olympics^[209][299]
• Ray Lewis (1910–2003), track & field, first Canadian-born black Olympic medalist^[209][300]
• William/Billy Sherring (1878–1964), athlete, winner of the marathon race at the 1906 Summer Olympics^[209][301]

Soccer

• Valerio Alesi (1966– ), first Canadian-born player in Serie A Soccer^[302][303]
• Bob Bearpark (1943–1996), soccer head coach^[304][305]
• Ian Bennett (1985– ), soccer player who currently plays for the Milwaukee Wave of the Major Indoor Soccer League
• Nick Bontis (1969– ), soccer player and coach elected president of Canada Soccer in November 2020
• Luka Gavran (2000– ), soccer player
• Stefan Mitrović (2002– ), soccer player
• Milan Borjan (1987– ), goalkeeper (Red Star Belgrade, Canadian national soccer team), born in Yugoslavia and raised in Hamilton^[306][307]
• Alex Bunbury (1967– ), played four seasons with the Hamilton Steelers (CSL) 1987–90; voted Best Foreign Player in the Portuguese first division club Maritimo in the 1994–95 season, where he scored 12-goals; a Canadian Soccer Hall-of-Fame inductee in 2006; his son is fellow Hamiltonian soccer star Teal Bunbury^[308]
• Teal Bunbury (1990– ), played for the Canadian U17 and U20 teams, as well as the US's U23 team, and national squad; has played professionally for the Sporting Kansas City since 2010; his father is fellow Hamiltonian soccer star Alex Bunbury^[309]
• Jamie Dodds (1981– ), soccer player who played for the Toronto Lynx in the USL First Division^[310]
• Rhian Dodds (1979– ), midfielder for Kilmarnock F.C. (Scottish soccer)^[311]
• Milan Kojic (1976– ), former professional soccer player
• Robert McDonald (1902–1956), soccer player from the 1920s and 1930s who spent a decade playing for famous Scottish football club Rangers^[312]
• John McGrane, played nine North American Soccer League seasons and 17 times for the Canadian national soccer team in 'A' internationals; played in the Montreal Olympics; in 2008 he was inducted into Canada's Soccer Hall of Fame^[313][314]
• Jimmy Nicholl (1956– ), Northern Irish football player, 73 International caps^[315]
• Ryan Raposo (1999– ), forward for Liaoning Tieren F.C.^[316]
• Greg Sutton (1981– ), Canadian International Soccer goalkeeper (Toronto FC)^[317]
• Melissa Tancredi (1977– ), Canadian soccer forward who currently plays for Dalsjöfors GoIF and Canada's National Women's team; won an Olympic bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics^[318]

Thoroughbred horse racing

Hamilton is the birthplace of three jockeys in Thoroughbred horse racing whose success led to them being inducted in the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame:

• Jeffrey Fell^[319]
• Chris Rogers^[320][321]
• Don Seymour^[322]

Wrestling

• Michelle Fazzari (1987–2024), member of Canada's 2016 Olympic wrestling team^[323]
• Johnny K-9 (Ion William Croitoru) (1963–2017), four years in the WWF, including a match against Hulk Hogan^[324]
• Glynn Leyshon (1929–2018), wrestler and university professor^[125]
• Billy Red Lyons, ex-pro wrestler and TV announcer for Maple Leaf Wrestling^[325]
• Angelo Mosca (1938– ), Canadian Football League player between 1958 and 1969 with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, better known for his pro wrestling career^[326][327]
• Ethan Page (1989– ), born Julian Micevski, born and raised in Stoney Creek; currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand.
• Johnny Powers (1943– ), ex-pro wrestler, two-time NWF World champion (1970, 1973)^[328]
• "Big John" Quinn (1944– ), retired professional wrestler who competed in North American regional promotions including NWA All-Star Wrestling, Pacific Northwest Wrestling and Stampede Wrestling during the 1960s and early 1970s; cousin of former NHL coach and Hamiltonian Pat Quinn^[329]
• Dewey Robertson (1939–2007), "The Missing Link," ex-pro wrestler^[330]
• George Scott (1929–2014), professional wrestler, brother and tag partner of Sandy Scott^[331]
• Sandy Scott (1934–2010), former professional wrestler, brother and tag partner of George Scott^[332]
• Iron Mike Sharpe Jr. (1951–2016), ex-pro wrestler, self-proclaimed "Canada's Greatest Athlete"^[333]
• Tonya Verbeek (1977– ), first Canadian woman to medal at the Olympics in wrestling, the silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in women's wrestling in the 55 kg category; at the 2008 Summer Olympics, she won Canada's third medal overall, and the third Canadian medal ever in women's wrestling,^[334] a bronze in the 55kg class^[335][336] (Grimsby, ON)

Other sports

• Doug Didero (1960– ), race car driver^[337]
• Eleanor Harvey (1995– ), foil fencer, won gold at the 2015 Pan American Games, represented Canada at the 2016 Summer Olympics^[338]
• Melanie Hawtin (1988– ), wheelchair racer and wheelchair basketball player^[339]
• Ray Lazdins (1964– ), retired discus thrower, represented Canada twice at the Summer Olympics
• Irene MacDonald (1931–2002), Canada's champion diver 1951–1961; won medals at the 1954 and 1958 Commonwealth Games; in 1956 she won Canada's first Olympic diving medal, a bronze^[340][341]
• Joanne Malar (1975– ), former freestyle and medley swimmer; competed in three consecutive Summer Olympics^[342][343]
• Luke McGrath (1993– ), rugby union scrum-half for Leinster Rugby and the Ireland national rugby union team^[344]
• Pat Messner (1954– ), water skier, winner of the 1972 Summer Olympics bronze^[340]
• Frank O'Rourke (1894–1986), ex-pro baseball player and long time New York Yankees scout^[345]
• Chrissy Redden (1966– ), cross-country mountain biker^[346]
• Linda Thom (1943– ), women's shooting (25m pistol) gold at the 1984 Summer Olympics^[340]