'The heart of our city': The spirit of Joey Moss lives on through Oilers anthem La Bamba
As the Oilers look to take home ice for the first time in the Battle of Alberta playoff edition, a significant presence is missing from the team's dressing room.
It's the first playoff run for the Edmonton Oilers since the passing of locker room attendant and superfan Joey Moss.
When asked how Moss would react to his favourite hockey team facing their bitter southern Alberta rivals during the playoffs, his nephew said he'd be thrilled but would likely treat it like any other game.
"Joey would just be over the moon right now," said Adam Walker. "He'd be just as nervous as I think we all will be. But, he also knows the Oilers will win.
"He would be Oilers blue and orange all the way, just cheering and screaming," Walker added. "He would just want to beat the Flames all the way.
"He was the biggest hockey fan. He knew everything. He knew all the stats. He used to do homework (where) he had these little chiclet boards and (would) write down all the stats."
While Moss is no longer behind the bench, his spirit and energy continue to live on with the playing of Los Lobos' version of "La Bamba," originally written by Ritchie Valens — Moss' favourite song.
Walker said Moss would rock out to the song at Oilers Christmas parties.
"He loved La Bamba," Walker said. "He loved to dance to it."
Candace Smallwoods, who met Moss while working for Winnifred Stewart, said that when La Bamba played at community dances, Moss would be the first on the dance floor.
"Joey had some pretty amazing moves to show off," she told CTV News Edmonton.
Walker said the fact that community members have named the plaza outside Rogers Place where the watch parties are held the "Moss Pit" would mean the world to him, especially as they dance and cheer when La Bamba plays.
"He would be ecstatic," Walker added. "It's perfect.
"It's really amazing," he said. "It's amazing how much the city of Edmonton has gotten behind Joey and the Oilers right now."
For Smallwood, it goes to show how far-reaching and meaningful of an impact Moss made on the city.
"He really is someone who brings attention to how much people with disabilities have to give to our communities, to our local businesses, and how much of an impact they can actually make if we give them the chance," Smallwood said.
"Joey was the heart of our city."
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Jessica Robb
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A newspaper says video of Prince William and Kate should halt royal rumour mill. That's a tall order
Prince William and his wife Catherine have been filmed at a farm shop near their Windsor home, The Sun newspaper reported -- the first footage of Kate since she had abdominal surgery for an unspecified condition two months ago.
'You ask for your money, they disappear': Ontario man loses $17K to AI crypto scam
A Toronto man is spreading the word of a cryptocurrency scam that lures victims using AI-generated news sites after he lost $17,000 in investments.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religion
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and hate 'their religion,' igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.