Connor Kasin was the epitome of Massapequa Chiefs hockey.
“He was a fierce competitor. He would lay the physique, throw hits, make vitality,” Kasin’s shut buddy and former teammate Billy Sciurba informed The Put up.
Most of all, the defenseman, who proudly tugged on No. 37 every sport, was “at all times making an attempt to make folks pleased and maintain the spirits up on the bench,” added Sciurba, who graduated within the spring.
Kasin’s life was tragically lower quick in late November of final yr.
The 17-year-old senior died throughout a sudden cardiac episode contained in the Chiefs locker room throughout a charity sport on the City of Oyster Bay Ice Skating Middle in Bethpage.
“It’s received to be each hour I nonetheless take into consideration him,” mentioned Kasin’s father, Craig, who “may by no means be mad” at his beloved center little one.
“I’d at all times inform my children to be form … and he actually listened to that, it meant one thing to him,” added his mother, Mary, who misses the little issues, like shadowboxing along with her son earlier than college.
All the time a spot on the blue line
The very last thing Kasin’s dad and mom, Sciurba, and nearly the entire Massapequa neighborhood would ever wish to see is Connor’s legacy of ferocity on the ice, and mild happiness off, being forgotten.
It started with Sciurba and buddies doing easy however touching gestures, like jamming plastic cups into fence posts on the rink and in native parks to spell out “CK 37,” and changing them after dangerous climate.
“I sound like a idiot, however I’m like, ‘Hello.’ I at all times say hello to him there,” his mother mentioned.
“I’ll even go by and provides thumbs up,” added Craig.
Kasin’s presence in so many lives, out and in of hockey, led to one thing way more profound: a basis devoted to his reminiscence and to elevating funds for financially struggling sports activities applications.
“I’m going to be doing this for the remainder of my life,” mentioned Sciurba, who’s now a board member of Connor Kasin Memorial Basis.
“Maintain his story going, and educate many various generations of Massapequa hockey who Connor was.”
Tons of, together with native Stanley Cup winner Rob Scuderi and generations of Chiefs alumni, got here out to assist the mission Sunday night time for the primary memorial sport in Kasin’s title.
It was held on the rink the place he performed his remaining sport.
“It’s not straightforward for us coming into this constructing anymore, however seeing this turnout, seeing previous gamers with smiles, it’s beginning to present everybody that that is residence,” mentioned Chiefs head coach Matt Bobko.
“And that is the place he would need us to have probably the most enjoyable,” added the person who had mentored Kasin since he was a younger little one.
A frontrunner amongst Chiefs
Kasin’s father and Bobko agreed that Connor felt no larger calling than his lifelong dream of enjoying in blue and gold.
“His aim wasn’t to make the NHL, it was to tug on that Massapequa jersey,” Bobko mentioned, including that the standard participant would “snigger” in any respect the eye he’s gotten.
Kasin’s religious work ethic — if he wasn’t skating, he was blasting pucks in his driveway nearly 24/7 — landed him a spot on varsity as a tenth grader, a feat his coach mentioned is extremely uncommon for this system.
“He was the chief in that room, I’d say, from junior yr on,” added assistant coach Michael Giardino.
Even “enemies,” like a rival journey opponent at Chelsea Piers, couldn’t assist however love Kasin’s jovial spirit.
“I heard that that child was devastated the primary time they performed since, and came upon what occurred,” Craig recalled.
Kasin was additionally a religious Islanders fan who by no means handed up an opportunity to see the crew.
Craig mentioned watching the Isles win Sport 6 of the 2021 Jap Convention finals up shut in time beyond regulation and getting a photograph with proprietor Jon Ledecky after was “the very best day of Connor’s life.”
Ledecky attended Kasin’s funeral.
Kasin’s physicality was additionally impressed by his favourite participant, Matt Martin, whose basis additionally turned concerned with the household after Connor’s passing.
“That helped rile the opposite crew up,” Giardino mentioned of Kasin’s truculence.
“Considered one of his most well-known performs is when he was in entrance of the web with one other man, Connor discovered a solution to ship his stick flying about 10 ft into the air.”
This season has been an emotional problem for the Chiefs, as they’ve but to win a sport — however that’s not what it’s about this yr.
“We made it a function to be a household and attempt to come collectively and unify,” mentioned Bobko, who added, “Connor would need Massapequa to win.”
“He would positively be saying, ‘Throw the physique, give all of it you’ve received. You’re solely right here for 4 years, so that you’ve received to place it out on the ice.’ ”
