The ice surface and lower bowl of Rogers Place was packed Thursday afternoon as friends, family and fans said goodbye to Dave Semenko. (Audio of full service below)
As a player, Semenko was known for his tough demeanour on the ice and for protecting Wayne Gretzky during the Oilers’ glory years in the 1980s.
His daughter, Hannah Semenko, remembered a man who protected those he loved off the ice as well.
“He protected his family – my brothers, my mother and he protected me. Maybe sometimes he took that to the extreme,” she said with a smile. “I don’t think I was allowed to make my own pot of coffee until I was at least 20 years old.”
The former Edmonton Oiler died June 29 after a short battle with cancer. He was 59.
Watch below: On Thursday, Edmontonians said goodbye to one of the city’s most popular hockey players. Jack Haskins tells us about the legacy former Oiler Dave Semenko leaves behind.
Hannah remembered a time about a week after her father was diagnosed.
She said he asked her to come over and the pair watched hockey and ordered in pasta. As she was leaving he asked her to let him know when she got home. She told the crowd that she forgot and fell asleep. She woke up to two missed calls and a text around 1:30 a.m. She said she messaged her father to say she was safe and he told her he knew, because he had made the hour-long trip to check on her.
“Even when he was sick, he was my protector – no matter what. That’s who he was through and through.”
The service was a star-studded affair with Glen Sather, Wayne Gretzky, Al Hamilton, Paul Coffey and Kevin Lowe each taking a turn to remember their friend and former teammate.
“There was a presence about Dave that said, ‘I’ve got you. All of you,’” Sather said. “He could do that simply by looking at you, or anyone else for that matter.”
Gretzky spoke about how much Semenko was enjoying his new ambassador role with the Oilers. The two would go into executive suites during the game and meet with fans.
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“People always used to say, ‘David could we get a picture with you? Wayne, you can get into it too.’ He always thought that was funny,” Gretzky laughed.
Hamilton remembered a time after Semenko was told the chemotherapy wasn’t going to work. A family member had suggested he tried using marijuana to deal with the pain.
“I walked into the room shortly after that and he looked up at me and said, ‘Hambone, we’re going to find out if Cheech was right.’”
“He had the uncanny ability to be involved in every conversation, every joke, every prank and never cross the line,” Coffey said, telling the crowd about how much Semenko enjoyed the 15 minutes before games, when the team would be in the dressing room together.
“He was a man who literally made me smile and laugh every time we were together. I hope we get a chance to meet again, Semenk (sic),” Lowe said. “Arrivederci.”
“As tough as Semenk was, in the end it wasn’t his fight to win,” Coffey said. “As we sit here today we should remember we knew the hockey player and knew the man. We’re all better for that.
“Semenk knew he was loved by all, and we can all take comfort in that.”
Two speakers remembered the man before the NHL. His brother, Brian Semenko, remembered winters in Winnipeg spent on the outdoor rink, convincing their younger brother it was his turn again to get suited up in the “Semenko pads” (a baseball glove).
Brian took a moment during his eulogy to thank the people of Edmonton, saying the obvious affection for Semenko meant a lot to their family.
“We all loved David and we miss him. There’s going to be a little less laughter around the Semenko dinner table.”
Semenko’s childhood friend, Randy Donkersloot, talked about growing up about a mile from the Semenko family. Even during football games as kids, Donkersloot said it was impossible to tackle his friend.
Former Oilers Glenn Anderson, Dave Hunter and Ron Low accompanied the casket as pallbearers alongside his his son Jason Semenko, his grandson Kelly Semenko and his brother Mark Semenko.
“He meant more to our careers than anyone; he was such a positive influence not only on the ice, but off the ice,” Gretzky said.
“I always told him he was like Santa Claus,” he continued. “Parents couldn’t wait to meet him, kids were scared to death.”
“For me I was seen as a father figure and a mentor, then I lost a son,” Sather said. “Today it’s not about statistics, goals, assists and so on…it’s about the measure of a man and Dave Semenko measured up.”
“As tough as Semenk was, in the end it wasn’t his fight to win,” Coffey said. “As we sit here today we should remember we knew the hockey player and knew the man. We’re all better for that. Semenk knew he was loved by all and we can all take comfort in that.”
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