Mel Smith is being remembered as the quintessential behind-the-scenes volunteer that no sports teams or organizations can survive without.
The Victoria Grizzlies equipment manager died last week at the age of 72 after a battle with cancer. The sa国际传媒 Hockey League club is honouring Smith today with a reception at 2 p.m. at the Juan de Fuca Golf Course clubhouse, which will follow a service at 1 p.m. at Hatley Park.
鈥淢el was the heart and soul of the team,鈥� said Grizzlies president Lance Black.
鈥淗e was a surrogate father to many of the players and a friend and mentor to all. He would make sandwiches for the players to take on the bus for road trips and was often up until 2 a.m. doing the team laundry. He even slept at the arena sometimes.鈥�
Equipment manager is a volunteer position with the Grizzlies.
鈥淲e asked of him, and he did,鈥� said Black.
鈥淗e did it for love of the community, the players, the team and the sport.鈥�
According to Black, Smith was the team鈥檚 equipment manager for five seasons and worked in maintenance at The Q Centre before that.
鈥淢el made every player feel welcomed and a part of the Grizzlies organization, whether you were an affiliate or a returning player,鈥� said Grizzlies forward Darwin Lakoduk, in a statement.
鈥淗e supported and encouraged us as players. He knew all our preferences and superstitions and made sure everything was perfect for us to perform our best. [He] will be deeply missed.鈥�
Graduating two-season Grizzlies forward Ryan Nolan, headed to NCAA Div. 1 Merrimack, concurred: 鈥淢el was the backbone of our team. He was the warmhearted friend you could always have a conversation with, but also worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure the team was prepared every day. Whether it was waking up early to prep the locker room for a morning skate or staying up late at night to finish laundry. He was a role model for the organization.鈥�
