Dennis McCord didn't seek attention for his hockey career that included a brief stint in the NHL.

However, he would have been pleased by his selection to the Chatham Sports Hall of Fame, said his son Kent.

McCord, who died in 2005, was one of four inductees announced Friday. He'll enter the Hall in the athlete-legend category.

"It's nice," Kent McCord said. "It's just too bad he wasn't still alive when it happened.

"I know my mom and brother and sister will be happy. It'll be a nice tribute to him."

Figure skater Shae-Lynn Bourne (athlete-modern), high school volleyball coach Dale Lahey (builder) and the 1986-87 Chatham Branch 28 major bantam hockey team will also be inducted Sept. 11 at the W. I. S. H. Centre.

Bourne and Lahey were on the ballot for the first time, while McCord was a finalist for the sixth straight year. The '86-87 major bantams had also been in the running before.

McCord was a scrappy, physical defenceman who moved from the Jr. Maroons to play Major Junior 'A' hockey in Toronto, Kitchener and London. He was an eighth-round draft pick of the Vancouver Canucks in 1972.

He played three games with the Canucks in the 1973-74 campaign. He spent four seasons in the pros until knee injuries forced him to retire in 1976.

"If he was here, he'd be honoured (to be inducted)," Kent McCord said. "But he never cared too much about it. He was more into having fun and getting stuff done around the house and spending time with his family."

Bourne is one of the most successful athletes to ever hail from Chatham. She won 10 Canadian ice dance championships with Victor Kraatz of Vancouver.

Bourne and Kraatz were also the first North American dance team to be world champions when they won gold medals in 2003. They retired from eligible competition after the victory, ending their career together with one silver medal and four bronze at the worlds.

They competed in three Olympics, placing 10th in 1994 and just missing the podium with fourth-place finishes in 1998 and 2002. They were inducted into the Skate Canada Hall of Fame in 2007.

Bourne, who lives in Toronto and Connecticut, now performs in ice shows and coaches.

Lahey was chosen for the Hall of Fame one year after the induction of his mentor and former high school coach, Mort Giles.

"I was really hoping to get in there after Mort -- a logical follow-up, I hope," he said. "He was my coach and he was almost like a father to me."

His brother, former McGregor basketball coach Larry Lahey, is also a Hall of Fame inductee.

Dale Lahey won two OFSAA gold medals and four bronze at Chatham-Kent Secondary School as a head coach. He won two more gold as an assistant coach.

His volleyball teams went to 18 OFSAA tournaments in 22 years. He retired from teaching in 2004 after 30 1/2 years at CKSS, where he also coached soccer, wrestling and badminton.

He and his wife Ingrid have been honoured by the Ontario Volleyball Association for their 30-plus years of service as coaches, officials and club founders.

Lahey was also a good friend of McCord. They played baseball and fastball together, Lahey at second base and McCord at shortstop.

The 1986-87 major bantams weren't expected to contend for any titles after losing star forward Brian Wiseman -- a 2007 Hall of Fame inductee -- to the Dresden Kings. They proved the naysayers wrong by winning the Ontario Minor Hockey Association championship and then capturing the All-Ontario Challenge Tournament.

"I'm just thrilled for the

kids," head coach John Dinning said. "I'm just happy they were recognized for what they accomplished. It was probably the best team I ever coached, and I've coached some good ones . . . But this one was special."

The season also included a trip to Sweden at Christmas. The team was selected by the OMHA to represent Canada.

Dinning credited all the success to his hard-working players, their parents and his coaching staff: assistants Tim Bossence and Mike McKellar and trainer Al McGowan.

"They deserve it and the coaching staff deserves it," he said of the Hall of Fame recognition.

Tickets for the dinner and induction ceremony cost $30 for Hall of Fame members and $35 for non-members. They're available at the W. I. S. H. Centre, from Jay Teetzel at 519-354-2333 or from any Hall of Fame director.