There’s nothing quite like hockey in the middle of the summer, and with temperatures hitting the 90s Sunday, the ice at Amelia Park Arena offered both sport and cool refuge.
Starting on Friday, nearly 20 teams had taken part in the 15th annual Kevin J. Mayor Memorial Hockey Tournament. Sunday was the day for semi-finals and championships.
Among those taking in the final day of action was Danielle Sullivan, catching the “Old Boys” division final.
“It’s a really good game, honestly,” she said as the “MTH Selects” took on “Gurney’s Auto” in the finale, with the latter coming out on top 5-3. “It's a nail-biter - it's really good!”
Whether they play college hockey, in a beer league, or were simply hitting the rink for the charity tourney, one thing was front and center for every player – honoring the tournament’s namesake and helping support the mission behind it.
It was July 2011 when 19-year-old Kevin Major of Westfield, a hockey player since age 3, died while swimming in nearby Lake Congamond. His family would later learn Kevin had a condition known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) – leading to him having abnormally thick heart muscle.
In the wake of his death, those who knew Kevin looked for ways to honor his memory. Steph Biza, who has long worked with Kevin’s mother to do just that, recalled for WAMC the teen she once had as a student.
“The thing that I remember most about Kevin is his smile - it was just this beautiful smile and he would just grin at you when he was either being mischievous or super happy - I enjoyed having him in class for the time I had him,” she said.
Out of tragedy would come KEVS Foundation, an organization devoted to supporting youth heart screenings while promoting and funding access to defibrillators.
Kevin’s mom, Susan Canning, says the foundation has had a hand in getting over 300 defibrillators out into the community, as well as installing over a dozen emergency boxes to safely house some of them and others.
Hand-in-hand with that effort has been the tournament, Canning says.
“… the first tournament was brought on by Amelia Park - it was the staff who knew Kevin skated here - Kevin was involved at the first shovel, when we were building Amelia Park - they actually put together the first tournament and then the family took over after that and it's just been incredible,” Canning said, touching on the community outpouring the tournament’s received over the years. “Yes, the family's involved, but our family is not just blood-born - our family is the community.”
Canning, Biza and others say as the tournament’s gone on every year, it’s grown in size, with Kevin’s former teammates and friends growing with it. Many have kids of their own now, they said, with some watching in the stands as dads and uncles tried to light up the scoreboard… and occasionally get sent to the penalty box.
Among them on Sunday was Sean Smith, manager of the Springfield Pics, a junior ice hockey organization. He also played with Major and is certain his former teammate would have got a kick out of how the team fell just short in their semifinal game.
“We just played… three overtimes in the semifinals, and I'm … going on 34 now. I'm not 18 like I was in the beginning, so I'm grateful to be still at this level and playing the way I am, and getting all these great guys together,” he said, clad in the same red, white and blue uniform Kevin once wore –the 19-year-old’s own jersey sat nearby, overlooking the lobby. “It's just… I'm blessed to be able to do it and… my team is completely inspired by Kevin and the type of guy he was and the way he played - I try to just continue to bring in guys that were just like him.”
Smith recalled Major as a player with an amazing spirit, and that he’s proud to continue carrying his memory, whether it’s through the tournament or simply telling his team how being a good person goes a long way.
“If you're a good person - you touch so many people, more than you know,” he continued. “We're fortunate enough to have more time than Kevin had, and … the sad thing is that if he had more time, he would have done tremendous things… and he already did. So, we have the opportunity to continue to spread love and joy…”
Old photos of Major lined the arena over the weekend, along with signs spreading awareness about sudden cardiac arrest. Per KEVS Foundation, it’s the cause of 5,000 deaths in people ages 15-34 annually, with HCM being the leading cause.
Sunday also marked the final edition of the tournament. Canning says, after 15 years, the tournament’s accomplished more than many would ever have hoped, and after a decade-and-a-half, had reached a natural end.
However, KEVS Foundation is far from done. Four more defibrillators were formally donated Sunday, in addition to another four donated earlier in the year, Canning tells WAMC.
Since its inception, devices and emergency boxes provided by the group can now be found far and wide, from North Adams to the Boys and Girls Club next door to the Westfield ice rink.
There have also been legislative pushes, including for a bill signed by then-Governor Charlie Baker in 2017, requiring AEDs in Massachusetts schools. Currently in the works, according to Canning – a bill requiring that all sporting events have a defibrillator present, which has already passed the House.
“When we work together as a community, we can make a difference,” she told WAMC. “… and … in 15 years, year-after-year-after-year, we've proved it, and I can't be more grateful.”
