EVERETT — Jordan Mistelbacher will be remembered by the Everett Silvertips as a good teammate and someone who always had a smile on his face.
The Silvertips were back to their regular routine Thursday, two days after learning about the tragic death of their former teammate. But though they took the ice with heavy hearts, there were also smiles when they talked about their fallen friend.
“I’m just going to remember he always had a smile,” defenseman Taylor Ellington said, as the Tips opened up publicly about the tragedy for the first time Thursday. “He always was happy in life. He was a special guy. He worked hard for the team, he was great with the guys, great with the young guys. The young guys all loved him and we all loved him. It’s unfortunate it happened to such a good guy at such a young age.”
Mistelbacher, who played parts of the past three seasons with the Tips, was found dead Tuesday in his hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba, having never revived following a night celebrating his birthday. He turned 19 last Sunday. He had returned to Winnipeg after being reassigned to the Winnipeg Saints of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League last Saturday.
“I’m just going to remember all the jokes he told,” captain Zack Dailey said. “If I was having a bad day or a bad game, we played on the same line a lot and he’d tell a joke and lighten the mood. I forgot about what I was mad about and just started laughing and it made everything better.”
Mistelbacher first joined the Tips late in the 2006-07 season after Everett acquired his rights at the January trade deadline. He was a Tip ever since, up until being reassigned last Saturday. In 96 career games with the Tips, he had 14 goals and 13 assists.
“The best way to describe him is a big teddy bear,” Everett coach John Becanic said of the 6-foot-2, 209-pound power forward. “He looked like a man, but he was a kind-hearted soul. He would be there for his teammates in any matter, we’ve seen him fight for guys. But really he was a soft, kind soul.”
When the news of Mistelbacher’s death arrived Tuesday evening, the team gathered at Ellington’s home to grieve as one.
“The whole team came over to my house, one guy after another started coming over and then the coaches came and Doug (Soetaert, Everett’s general manager) came,” Ellington said. “There was probably a couple hours of silence, we were just in shock and couldn’t believe it. Then we started telling stories about Missle and what a special guy he was and how much he meant to us.”
For Soetaert and the coaches, those stories revealed a more personal side of Mistelbacher they didn’t get the chance to experience.
“What amazes me is the outpouring of emotion our guys have showed toward him,” Becanic said. “It’s sad it takes something like this for our guys to actually tell how much they care about someone.
“I told the players that Jordan would be honored and flattered to know his teammates cared that much about him.”
The team did not practice Wednesday. Instead the players decided to hold an impromptu tournament in Mistelbacher’s honor, complete with a laminated photo of Mistelbacher as the trophy. The tournament was fittingly won by the team that included Dale Hunt and Paul Van de Velde, Mistelbacher’s two closest friends on the team.
Now, the Tips hope the healing process can begin.
“It’s always something you see happen to other people and other teams, and when it happens to you there’s nothing to prepare you for it,” Becanic said. “We were a close group before, we’ve become a closer group because of that. Everyone from Doug down to the players has been there for each other, that’s all you can ask for at a time like this.”
Said Ellington: “It’s just like losing a family member. It’s hard and we’re just coming together. We’re not taking anything for granted right now, everyone’s telling everyone they love them when they leave the rink. It’s special, but it still doesn’t feel real.”
A moment of silence will be held in Mistelbacher’s honor prior to tonight’s home game against Seattle. The team is also looking at ways to allow players to attend the funeral Monday morning in Winnipeg.
Meanwhile, the players will attempt to carry on in the wake of the tragedy. The busiest stretch of Everett’s season begins tonight as the Tips play 10 games over the next 16 days.
“We know we have a job, we know we’re here to play hockey,” Dailey said. “We’ll battle through these games. It’s not going to be easy, but we’ll battle through them.”
But Mistelbacher will remain on the players’ minds.
“He meant so much to all of us,” Ellington said. “We’re going to miss him, and hopefully we’ll see him again one day.”
Slap shots: Everett left wing Daniel Bartek underwent surgery to insert a pin in his foot and is expected to miss a month. Bartek suffered a foot fracture blocking a shot during last Saturday’s 2-0 loss at Spokane. … Tips defenseman Mike Alexander, who is recovering from a concussion, will not play tonight. Everett is hoping Alexander will be cleared to play in Saturday’s game at Seattle. … The Tips are also without winger Ryan White, who is attending to a personal matter.
Nick Patterson’s Silvertips blog: http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog
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