Markus Lavallee tournament provided great memories

Justin Seward
Times Reporter

 

Seventy players from various elite hockey leagues played with pride and passion in honour of their friend and popular teammate Markus Lavallee in the first annual memorial tournament in his name last weekend at the Strathmore Family Centre.
Over the two-day event, which was organized in memory of Lavallee who passed unexpectedly in a vehicle collision earlier this summer, hockey was being played, friendships resumed and new ones made in the game that Lavallee dearly loved.
Markus’s father Derek Lavallee, who coached behind the Team Red bench, was touched by the support that his family received from the Town of Strathmore and the hockey community through this difficult time.
“The support from the people in the town has been beyond words,” said Lavallee. “I couldn’t say enough about how everybody stepped up in a short span of time and got so much done. So many donations and the Town of Strathmore donating the ice for this tournament to be the success that it is.”
He’ll never forget the comment his son made to him three months ago about moving from Chestermere, where he was raised, to Strathmore .
“He said ‘it was a nice place’ but he said ‘dad, people in Strathmore are so nice,’ ” recalls Lavallee. “We’ve made it our home and we’re proud to call it our home.”
For the Lavallee family, to come back to the rink was emotional but seeing all the players that his son touched was a special moment.
“It’s therapy,” said Lavallee. “For me to be out there with the boys and listen to them chirp and have a great time, it was therapeutic. I enjoyed every second of it. I was looking forward to getting here this morning and get going. I hope it’s helping some of them heal because some of the boys have been having a hard time and it’s great to see them smile.”
The players who participated in the tournament felt there was no better way to honour their fallen teammate than playing against each other and have fun as Markus would have.
“I love it because he affected so many people and it just brings us together,” said Kody Hammond, Wheatland Chiefs midget double-A forward.
Hammond recalled Markus’s ability to cheer up his teammates and cause them to smile, even on the worst days.
Matt Halkovic, who was Markus’s teammate in first-year bantam double-A, was grateful to come back in a non-pressure situation for a great cause.
“It’s really nice to see the people that you’d know that you’d see hanging out with Markus and we’d be together and everyone knows each other,” said Halkovic. “He’s one of those guys that you could always trust and he’s always there for you. Just seeing each other almost every day and it’s just tough to see him go but he’s just the nicest kid you could know.”
Former Bisons Goalie Carter Seminuk thought for the hockey community to come together was huge to recognize a great person.
“He knew everybody, everybody knew him, they all loved him,” said Seminuk. “I used to be closer to him but it’s good that we’re doing this (and) give a little bit more recognition to him. He deserves it for sure. Probably deserves a bit more with everything he’s done.”