A member from the Westfield Fire Department and a member from the Clap Bomb Crew battle over control of the puck at the 4th Annual Kevin J. Major tournament at Amelia Park. (Photo by Liam Sheehan)
I never knew Kevin Major.
I didn’t attend Saint Mary’s High School, nor did I ever play hockey (or rugby). He’s the kind of guy, however, I wish I would have known.
I’ve certainly written enough about him to where I could maybe pretend to know a little about him. His story, his life, his death, his family’s persistence to found an organization that would help prevent what happened to Kevin to other kids. The hockey community’s love for him and desire to keep his memory alive and strong.
Nate Tremblay, of Westfield, holds the puck during the 4th Annual Kevin J. Major tournament at Amelia Park. (Photo by Liam Sheehan)
Three years after his death, at his namesake memorial hockey tournament at Amelia Park Ice Arena, and his presence still remains. His pictures don the pages of the free program, as well as throughout the trophy cases inside the lobby. His alma mater’s green and gold balloons and similarly-colored tables grace the foyer, stacked with souvenirs bearing his initials. Spectators, families, friends and fellow competitors line the walls of the rink watching some top-level professional and college hockey athletes play alongside amateurs.
Sure, there’s a trophy to be played for among all three divisions—and every team certainly wants to claim it as their own this year—but it’s very apparent that this is beyond hockey, beyond raffles, beyond the chance to claim bragging rights for the year. This is for Kevin.
“He was a funny kid, so he’s probably sitting up there in heaven saying, ‘See Mom, I told you I could get this to happen,” said Susan Canning, Kevin’s mother and one of the founders of the KEVS Foundation. “He wanted to make it big. He wanted to make an impact, but he didn’t know what that was going to be, or how he was going to do it. Little did we know he was going to do it. He has made an impact.”
Brandon Miemiec, of Westfield, looks for a pass at the second weekend of the 4th Annual Kevin J. Major tournament at Amelia Park. (Photo by Liam Sheehan)
Some of the emotional ties are possibly raw still, but the sadness quickly turns into a kind of joy, honoring and remembering the greatness of a guy and the memories tied to him. His number 27 is the most popular number in the building, worn by hundreds of spectators and players—some sport it all year.
“We’re trying to celebrate Kev’s life,” said Dan Bogdan, a friend of Kevin’s and player for the Westfield Ice Cats, the team that Kevin helped form four years ago. “Every year, it’s the best weekend of the summer. It’s something that everybody looks forward to.”
The tournament ended Sunday night with the three division’s championships, but the weekend itself has exceeded beyond the action on the ice, stretching out to touching a grand part of Westfield and surrounding communities. For Kevin’s family, that was initially apparent when nearly 1200 people showed up for his wake.
A member of the Westfield Fire Department tournament team receives a pass from a teammate during the 4th Annual Kevin J. Major tournament at Amelia Park. (Photo by Liam Sheehan)
“He made such an impression in such a short life,” said Canning. “He loved his community and this is what (the tournament’s) a part of. People may not even have a son on the ice, but they know somebody on the ice and they come down here. If you’re a resident of Westfield and you want to catch up with somebody, you come to the KJM Tournament and you’re bound to see them.
“We’ve had people say to us, ‘This used to be our summer vacation week, (but) we changed it.’ Maybe they’ve been renting a house for years and years and they switched it so they can be here for the weekend. That is such an honor.”
“It’s a celebration not just of hockey, but about somebody’s life too,” said Bogdan. “Although he’s no longer with us, this tournament definitely helps keep his memory alive and hockey’s no better segway. From seeing old coaches to former players you played with and against, it’s unbelievable. It’s pretty cool that we’re all number 27.”
Just a weekend of hockey, friends, family and smiling faces: exactly the way Kevin would have wanted it.
