EDMONTON – It was an emotional day at the Mill Woods Recreation Centre Sunday, as family and friends gathered to honour a young Edmonton hockey player.
“It’s pretty moving. I knew this day was coming and everything, but still, it’s a tough thing to do,” said Laurie Fundytus.
Laurie’s son Kyle passed away after being hit in the neck with a puck during a Midget hockey game at the arena just over two years ago.
Rink ‘A’ at the rec centre has since been renamed the Kyle Fundytus Arena. And on Sunday afternoon, Kyle’s family and entire former team gathered to make the move official.
“It’s touching,” Laurie said. “When they put these teams together, these guys become a pretty tight-knit group of friends. And to see all those players back out there today, that’s a testament to Kyle.”
“It’s definitely nice to get everybody back together, get some jokes going around again,” added Cam Toma, a friend and teammate.
Cam says his buddy Kyle was a dedicated hockey player with tremendous passion for the game.
“He was there first and the last one to leave. He had the most soul on the team by far. His heart is bigger than this whole rink.”
“You never saw him get mad at anybody,” added Brett Webriski, another friend and teammate. “He was always the first person to support you no matter what you’re going through, no matter what he’s going through.”
All of the people at the ceremony wore the number 11 on their lapels – Kyle’s number. Laurie and a few others made speeches before a plaque was unveiled to cement the renaming of the hockey rink on a day that was filled with mixed emotions.
“There’s so much sadness just to remember him, but at the same time it’s a great thing they’re doing here today to have this arena for him,” Brett said.
“From a parent’s perspective, I’m not fooling anybody. I don’t think there’s any closure for a parent. But just to see the support, this crowd here today, means a lot,’ Laurie added.
Sunday also marked the first time Laurie set foot in the rink to watch a game since his son’s death.
“I want to be here for the whole game. I’m sure that’s what Kyle would want because hockey was such a big part of our life,” he said.
“If he’s looking down on this, I’m sure he’s just giggling. And that’s what I want.”
“It was pretty hard on all of us to get back in the rink,” Cam said. “It’s definitely a difficult process and I’m really proud that Laurie’s back and I’m really proud that this is the first game he’s seeing played in his son’s arena.”
All of the men say naming the rink after Kyle is the perfect tribute to a guy who just loved the game.
“This is the most fitting thing I could ever see,” Cam said. “For a kid that grew up in this building, went to school in this building; this is one of the first places he ever played hockey and it’s a pretty special thing. And I’m glad that he’s going to be here forever.”
“You could pretty much find him here everyday. It is where he lived,” said Brett. “It’s the best place for him to be remembered.”
“Kyle, you left us with so many incredible and beautiful memories,” Laurie said during the ceremony. “You deserve this amazing tribute. This is just one way of saying we will never forget you. You’re missed by so many. I love you, buddy.”
With files from Kevin Jesus, Global News.
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