Joey Moss has passed away

[bellagiobob]

 

[bellagiobob]

 

[94 Oil Drops]

He will never see another Oilers championship. It's a shame. If anybody deserved to see the Oilers win it all one last time it was him. We'll miss you Joey.

 

[McJadeddog]

I'm spending my day working with the the radio on in the background, listening to the radio shows for the last day and all the stories and everything. I am quite sad right now to be honest, more sad than I thought I would have been. Moss really was so important to so many people. Most people should DREAM of being as impactful in their lives as Joey was.

 

[GretzkytoKurri9917]

He will never see another Oilers championship. It's a shame. If anybody deserved to see the Oilers win it all one last time it was him. We'll miss you Joey.

Nor will everyone else since we're the Leafs of the west.

 

[joestevens29]

I'm spending my day working with the the radio on in the background, listening to the radio shows for the last day and all the stories and everything. I am quite sad right now to be honest, more sad than I thought I would have been. Moss really was so important to so many people. Most people should DREAM of being as impactful in their lives as Joey was.

Just reading all the posts from ex-players and such is quite hard today. Guy truly was a legend.

 

[Jumptheshark]

2020 has been a shit year

this makes it worse. I am very sad today

 

[Gordy Elbows]

When an organization has something classy....something that enthralls people beyond the community....something that inspires young and old....something that stirs our pride....it looks like joey Moss.
RIP Joey

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Joey was the connection from the Gretzky era, to the Weight era to the Hall era to now the McDavid era..he saw it all
There will never be another Joey Moss

 

[Porkleaker]

RIP to a legend! There won't be another Joey Moss but I think they should give another fella with Down Syndrome his job and get to experience what Joey did.

 

[gwiz999]

What is most evident through articles and stories on the radio is that Joey was LOVED, RESPECTED, APPRECIATED and ACCEPTED. What an amazing legacy he has left. I am honoured to have been able to call him my friend and I will treasure the times we spent together in Edmonton and here in Ontario as well.

 

[cupcrazyman]

My condondolences to the Moss Family, the Oilers & their fans.

 

[Talonted]

I believe it was a club in west Ed wayyy back we saw him with Iginla and a few Oilers and all shook his hand he was a pretty friendly guy.

 

[Soundwave]

Warms the heart to see so many generations of Oilers chime in.

 

[Soundwave]

More ...

https://twitter.com/LouDeBrusk/stat...-and-colleagues-discuss-joey-moss/c-319530562

 

[Soundwave]

And more

 

[Soundwave]

And even more

 

[Soundwave]

 

[bellagiobob]

 

[bellagiobob]

 

[Canovin]

Joey was the connection from the Gretzky era, to the Weight era to the Hall era to now the McDavid era..he saw it all
There will never be another Joey Moss

You forgot the Smyth/Horcoff/Hemsky era

He's been around for 4 generation. From one generational player to another

 

[Drivesaitl]

More ...

In all the comments, here, and from the players Craig Simpson is the one that came through. Specifically taking the time to mention the ENTIRE Moss family and acknowledging their own time of pain. This of course including Vikki Moss, who Wayne was dating for years, and was the inspiration for Joey to have the opportunities he had with the Oilers. Somewhere out there, and I don't know why, Vikki Moss was entirely forgotten, and I don't think deserved to be. She seemed to have a heart of gold as did the large Moss family. They deserve to be mentioned collectively.

RIP Joey.

ps This is one of the best articles I have seen on the Moss Family.

Oil King: Joey Moss, Wayne Gretzky and the most remarkable relationship in all of sports

Glen Sather on Joey;

"He had the capability of uniting everyone in the dressing room, whether they were 18 or 35. He did just about everything. If there were players in his way while he was cleaning, he whacked them with his broom."

More from the article;

Joey is one of 13 kids. When he was young, the Mosses had a musical group similar to TV's Partridge Family. Their band was called the Alaskan Highway Birthquakes and performed at small venues across the north.
Near the end of each performance, Vikki, who was 6, would sing.
"She melted everyone's hearts," says Stephen, the last-born of the 13 Moss kids.
Joey, who was 5, came out next and last, carrying a ukulele that he pretended to play.
"He stole the show," Stephen says. "He is a born entertainer."

So this is astounding to me, but in making this post I just uncovered this, and a faint memory that I had seen the Alaskan Highway Birthquakes at Klondike Days in 1968. I hadn't remembered that for years. I saw their show and routine, saw Joey way back then, my mother took me to see them. Vikki and Joey are in the middle:

Just getting some more information. Unfortunately video of the Alaskan Highway Birthquakes is no longer up. Can't find it anywhere, and they also deserved more accolade. The leader of the band, Joeys eldest brother, Mervin, passed away 3yrs ago and was from all reports a wonderful man and caring to Joey and the whole family was close, believed that Joey should have the most enriched life possible, and that he had gifts that he could use. In short the family believed in Joey, and he believed in them.

Mervin obituary;

Mervin Lloyd Moss Obituary - Calgary, AB

Mervin was a very accomplished musician, but nobody in the family musically ended up going as far as Vikki who had a career in music, had gone to LA, and was making music videos and had a track featured in ST. Elmos Fire. The whole family had a lot of gifts, a lot of joy, and I mention all that because it takes a strong family and community to make a Joey Moss. They all deserve our thoughts.

Heres one of Vikki Moss most famous songs, she had several hits in the 80's;

 

[Qurpiz]

Lennart Petrell:

"When I read about #joeymoss death yesterday morning, I felt a great sadness. I wanted everyone to know what kind of a man I was grieving, but couldn't find the right words.
@OnsideWithJouni (Finnish reporter living in Edmonton) found. With a melancholic mind, reading with tears in my eyes and remembering the purest soul I ever got to know"

The word melancholic came up when I searched for translation for the finnish word haikea, I don't think it's entirely correct but there you go

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

Huge props to TSN 1260 for really great coverage of Joey's passing and interviews with many players and club personnel who share their memories of this special person. It is really great to listen to how Joey meant so much to generations of players and as a living legacy of the Oilers dynasty culture nurtured by Sather, Gretzky and others.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I just found this article as well on the Oilers board. Lots to read about Joeys life with Oilers and Eskimos and before that.

In Depth