CLARKSON
ATHLETIC HALL of FAME
STEVE WARR '72
CLASS of 2004 INDUCTEE
An All-America in hockey and an all-star in lacrosse during the early 1970s, Steve Warr rates as one of the best two-sport athletes ever at the University.
Warr was the first of Clarkson’s two-time All-America hockey defensemen, earning the prestigious honor in 1971 and 1972. Playing under head coach Len Ceglarski for three seasons from 1969-72, Warr was a key member of three of Clarkson’s most successful teams. The Knights compiled a 72-22-1 record during his tenure and participated for the national championship in his sophomore campaign.
Coach Ceglarski remarked of Warr, “His great attitude and unselfishness combined with his talents on the ice make him one of the best I ever coached. I would have to think Steve Warr has been one of the finest persons and players that have played for me at Clarkson in my 14 years in Potsdam. He not only played hockey as one of the best in the United States, but also conducted himself as a real gentleman, a true sport and a player that all of us at Clarkson will always remember and cherish.”
A native of Peterborough, Ontario, Warr started playing hockey when he was six years old. A standout in minor hockey with Peterborough, he was coached by former Clarkson All-American Eddie Rowe. He was invited to attend Peterborough’s Junior “A” camp, where his father Herb served as president, but Warr and his family felt his best route to a successful future was to play college hockey in the United States at Clarkson College.
An offensive-minded defenseman, Warr did everything; logging plenty of ice time by skating a regular shift, heading the penalty-killing unit, and quarterbacking Clarkson’s power play. He was notorious for stopping potential opponent breakaways.
During his 94-game career with the Knights, the 6-0, 180-pound rearguard averaged a point per game from the blueline. He skated in 94 contests and tallied 94 points on 21 goals and 73 assists. He was named to the ECAC All-Tournament team as a sophomore and gained All-America accolades as a junior and senior.
In his first season on the Clarkson varsity, as a sophomore, he tallied 18 points. He scored the final goal in the Knights’ 6-4 loss to Cornell in the 1970 NCAA National Championship game in Lake Placid. He nearly doubled his point total the following season. As a junior, Warr scored 35 points in 32 games on nine goals and 26 assists. In 30 games as a senior, Warr was the Green and Gold’s leading playmaker with 35 assists and was third overall in scoring with 41 points.
Named Clarkson’s outstanding Senior Athlete in 1972, along with Peter Ganley, Warr also enjoyed a fine four-year career with the Green and Gold’s lacrosse team, earning All-New York State and ICAC Accolades. In his senior season, the Knights participated in the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) National Championship Tournament. One of 16 small college teams selected, Clarkson lost a close game to powerful Bowling Green State University, 10-6, in Ohio. With Warr serving as a co-captain and anchoring the defense, the Knights completed one of their finest seasons with a 6-3 record. Clarkson also finished in a tie for first place in the Northern New York Section of the USILA with a 5-1 mark.
The first Clarkson player ever drafted by the NHL, Warr was selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the fifth round of the 1971 draft with the 61st selection. After college, Warr continued his hockey career when he signed a professional contract in 1972 with the Ottawa Nationals of the World Hockey Association. He also played two years in the American Hockey League. Warr played with four professional hockey teams, the Ottawa Nationals and the Toronto Toros of the World Hockey Association and the Jacksonville Barons and the Syracuse Eagles of the American Hockey League.
A strong supporter of the Potsdam community, Warr earned his masters degree from Clarkson in 1978. He has been actively involved with numerous civic activities and youth organizations, serving as a coach and administrator. Warr is a past recipient of the Potsdam Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year Award. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Potsdam Youth Hockey Association since 1978. In 1988, he started the Potsdam Youth Lacrosse Program for fifth to eight grade students. Warr served as a part-time assistant coach for the Knights’ lacrosse team for 12 years and now coaches the Potsdam High School varsity team.
Warr was the recipient of the 1991 Arnold H Barben Award, presented to a Clarkson hockey alumnus who has demonstrated outstanding professional achievement, has contributed to the betterment of his community and has worked unselfishly for his alma mater.
