new hartford 锟斤拷 it was dec. 11, 1979, and new hartford high school hockey player eddie meyer was on his way to an early morning practice at hamilton college.
he never made it to sage rink.
锟斤拷it was about 5 o锟斤拷clock in the morning when i got the phone call,锟斤拷 said vivian kehrer, meyer锟斤拷s mother. 锟斤拷it was devastating.锟斤拷
later that wintry day, her 16-year-old son 锟絚 a junior forward on a new hartford hockey team that practiced at hamilton college because the recreation center had not yet been built 锟斤拷 died of injuries suffered in a one-car accident on kellogg street in clinton.
no player has worn meyer锟斤拷s no. 22 since the fatal crash.
every year, the new hartford spartans present the 锟斤拷ed meyer memorial award锟斤拷 to a junior hockey player who demonstrates strong skills, good citizenship and is highly committed to the sport.
for the first time in the 30 years since her only son was killed, vivian kehrer will present the meyer award when new hartford锟斤拷s spartans celebrate their
division ii state championship season during sunday锟斤拷s annual team banquet at stonebridge golf & country club.
锟斤拷i didn锟斤拷t even know if they were still doing it,锟斤拷 said kehrer, who 25 years ago moved to sarasota, fla. 锟斤拷i was looking at an old new hartford yearbook and i called to see if they still give it out.锟斤拷
when spartans head coach john cunningham told her that it was, kehrer said, 锟斤拷i锟斤拷m going to do this. i锟斤拷m coming to hand it out. coach cunningham just said, 锟斤拷well, you锟斤拷ve picked the best year to come.锟斤拷 i锟斤拷m really honored and excited about it. eddie loved hockey. he had a lot of trophies and he was really devoted to it. hockey was his thing. hockey was his life.锟斤拷
meyer and his family had moved to new hartford from suffern, where he was a youth hockey star. at the time, paul swancott was the spartans锟斤拷 head coach and cunningham was his assistant coach.
锟斤拷we were excited about having (meyer). he was a very likeable kid,锟斤拷 cunningham said.
teammate and close friend scott mclaughlin was a passenger in meyer锟斤拷s mercury cougar at the time of the accident.
mclaughlin, also a new hartford junior, 锟斤拷miraculously锟斤拷 escaped serious injury.
锟斤拷we slipped on the ice,锟斤拷 mclaughlin, 46, said friday. 锟斤拷it could have gone either way, but eddie锟斤拷s side hit the tree. it was horrific.锟斤拷
mclaughlin still has one of meyer锟斤拷s jerseys.
锟斤拷any time i played hockey (after high school), and i played into my 30s, i always carried eddie锟斤拷s number on my back,锟斤拷 he said. 锟斤拷eddie was an awesome hockey player and a great kid. he was very outgoing. he walked into a school where he knew nobody and in no time he had a bunch of friends, and he made that happen.
锟斤拷new hartford should be proud to honor eddie meyer. he deserves to be remembered.锟斤拷
cunningham remembers police showing up at practice that morning 30 years ago. that锟斤拷s when the spartans were informed of the accident.
meyer died later that afternoon.
锟斤拷it was the first time a lot of our kids and myself had ever lost a teammate like that. everybody was upset,锟斤拷 said cunningham. 锟斤拷obviously, a lot of years have passed, but i am excited eddie锟斤拷s mother wants to come back and do this. i hope she锟斤拷s happy that we锟斤拷ve tried to keep eddie锟斤拷s memory alive.锟斤拷
cunningham said that new hartford junior mike zalewski, this year锟斤拷s leading scorer and the state锟斤拷s division ii player of the year, will receive the meyer memorial award. zalewski had 44 goals and 43 assists for the spartans, who finished 28-2 and won their last 20 games, including a 6-1 victory over pelham in the division ii state final at the utica memorial auditorium.
andrew kelleher, one of the team锟斤拷s 10 seniors, was the meyer award winner last season.
also sunday, senior forward thomas fiorentino, who scored a team-high 46 goals, will receive the paul swancott award that goes to a senior who best demonstrates sportsmanship, high academic achievement, citizenship and team play. the award is named for the longtime head coach who started the program and coached the spartans for 28 seasons before retiring in 1990.
senior goaltender dylan smith will receive the edward root memorial award, given in memory of mr. ed root, a longtime supported of the program and the father of greg root, a spartans goalie in the late 1960s.
smith, who joined zalewski, fiorentino and new hartford senior defenseman jake silberlicht as first-team all-state selections, finished the season with a 23-2 record, a 1.80 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage.
he never made it to sage rink.
锟斤拷it was about 5 o锟斤拷clock in the morning when i got the phone call,锟斤拷 said vivian kehrer, meyer锟斤拷s mother. 锟斤拷it was devastating.锟斤拷
later that wintry day, her 16-year-old son 锟絚 a junior forward on a new hartford hockey team that practiced at hamilton college because the recreation center had not yet been built 锟斤拷 died of injuries suffered in a one-car accident on kellogg street in clinton.
no player has worn meyer锟斤拷s no. 22 since the fatal crash.
every year, the new hartford spartans present the 锟斤拷ed meyer memorial award锟斤拷 to a junior hockey player who demonstrates strong skills, good citizenship and is highly committed to the sport.
for the first time in the 30 years since her only son was killed, vivian kehrer will present the meyer award when new hartford锟斤拷s spartans celebrate their
division ii state championship season during sunday锟斤拷s annual team banquet at stonebridge golf & country club.
锟斤拷i didn锟斤拷t even know if they were still doing it,锟斤拷 said kehrer, who 25 years ago moved to sarasota, fla. 锟斤拷i was looking at an old new hartford yearbook and i called to see if they still give it out.锟斤拷
when spartans head coach john cunningham told her that it was, kehrer said, 锟斤拷i锟斤拷m going to do this. i锟斤拷m coming to hand it out. coach cunningham just said, 锟斤拷well, you锟斤拷ve picked the best year to come.锟斤拷 i锟斤拷m really honored and excited about it. eddie loved hockey. he had a lot of trophies and he was really devoted to it. hockey was his thing. hockey was his life.锟斤拷
meyer and his family had moved to new hartford from suffern, where he was a youth hockey star. at the time, paul swancott was the spartans锟斤拷 head coach and cunningham was his assistant coach.
锟斤拷we were excited about having (meyer). he was a very likeable kid,锟斤拷 cunningham said.
teammate and close friend scott mclaughlin was a passenger in meyer锟斤拷s mercury cougar at the time of the accident.
mclaughlin, also a new hartford junior, 锟斤拷miraculously锟斤拷 escaped serious injury.
锟斤拷we slipped on the ice,锟斤拷 mclaughlin, 46, said friday. 锟斤拷it could have gone either way, but eddie锟斤拷s side hit the tree. it was horrific.锟斤拷
mclaughlin still has one of meyer锟斤拷s jerseys.
锟斤拷any time i played hockey (after high school), and i played into my 30s, i always carried eddie锟斤拷s number on my back,锟斤拷 he said. 锟斤拷eddie was an awesome hockey player and a great kid. he was very outgoing. he walked into a school where he knew nobody and in no time he had a bunch of friends, and he made that happen.
锟斤拷new hartford should be proud to honor eddie meyer. he deserves to be remembered.锟斤拷
cunningham remembers police showing up at practice that morning 30 years ago. that锟斤拷s when the spartans were informed of the accident.
meyer died later that afternoon.
锟斤拷it was the first time a lot of our kids and myself had ever lost a teammate like that. everybody was upset,锟斤拷 said cunningham. 锟斤拷obviously, a lot of years have passed, but i am excited eddie锟斤拷s mother wants to come back and do this. i hope she锟斤拷s happy that we锟斤拷ve tried to keep eddie锟斤拷s memory alive.锟斤拷
cunningham said that new hartford junior mike zalewski, this year锟斤拷s leading scorer and the state锟斤拷s division ii player of the year, will receive the meyer memorial award. zalewski had 44 goals and 43 assists for the spartans, who finished 28-2 and won their last 20 games, including a 6-1 victory over pelham in the division ii state final at the utica memorial auditorium.
andrew kelleher, one of the team锟斤拷s 10 seniors, was the meyer award winner last season.
also sunday, senior forward thomas fiorentino, who scored a team-high 46 goals, will receive the paul swancott award that goes to a senior who best demonstrates sportsmanship, high academic achievement, citizenship and team play. the award is named for the longtime head coach who started the program and coached the spartans for 28 seasons before retiring in 1990.
senior goaltender dylan smith will receive the edward root memorial award, given in memory of mr. ed root, a longtime supported of the program and the father of greg root, a spartans goalie in the late 1960s.
smith, who joined zalewski, fiorentino and new hartford senior defenseman jake silberlicht as first-team all-state selections, finished the season with a 23-2 record, a 1.80 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage.