ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — One of the most recognizable faces from the St. John’s Maple Leafs and St. John’s IceCaps during their combined run of 21 American Hockey League seasons died this week.
St. John’s native Shannon Coady was the long-time equipment manager for the teams.
You could say Coady – affectionately known as “Shaq” – was a fixture with the Leafs from Day 1 in 1991.
“I won a contest to be the team’s stickboy,” Coady recalled in a 2017 Telegram feature. “I was 14-years-old, and never missed a home game since then.”In addition to the Maple Leafs and IceCaps, Coady also worked for the St. John’s Fog Devils during their brief tenure in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
One of his career highlights came in 1992, when the Leafs went to the Calder Cup league championship series against the Adirondack Red Wings. That was the year the visiting team won every game of the final series, including the Red Wings in Game 7 at old St. John’s Memorial Stadium.
“And my first NHL playoff game,” he told The Telegram. “from being on a delayed flight, to getting to the rink just in time to start and getting thrown right into the mix.
“It was such an amazing experience, to be part of it all before the game, during and after. I remember leaving the rink at 1 a.m., and there was still a crowd outside the Air Canada entre celebrating the game.
Robin Short is the Telegram's Sports Editor.
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Twitter: @TelyRobinShort
