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In the world of lacrosse, many organizations and fan clubs live by the credo of ‘Once a (insert team name here), always a (said team)’. It’s a pretty amazing feeling to know that you are a part of a team so deeply, that even if you only play for them a few times before being traded, in the end the fans and team will always be there to support you. The support given by the fans is a very humbling experience because all we do is go out, play the game we love and game in and game out they pack arenas, put on fundraisers and ask for our autographs. Without these people, our game truly has no future.

So it is with a very heavy heart that we, the lacrosse players and members of the Victoria Shamrocks lacrosse club, say goodbye this week to a man that gave endlessly to our team and never asked for anything in return. Ed Mohler, better know as ‘back-door Eddie’ or ‘Fast Eddie’, passed away Sunday May 25, 2008 at his home in Victoria. Eddie had become a main-stay in the Victoria lacrosse community with his efforts working the arena’s back door from the early 80’s up until last season.

I remember going to games at the old Memorial arena when I was just a kid and Eddie was there, manning the back entrance making sure the players got in and nobody else. Even after going to games for my entire life, seeing him every game and being on a first-name basis, I always had to show my ID to Eddie so he could check that my name was on the list. He took his job that seriously and he did it the same way game in and game out.

He was there for every home game, two hours early when players would start showing up. Eddie would always greet players as we arrived with a hand pound and would give a ‘Go Get ‘Em’ speech before we went out onto the floor. Even on the Friday night before he left us, Eddie was down by the locker room cheering us on, giving us all the support he could! He just loved being around the team and enjoyed the time he was able to spend talking with the guys, sharing a laugh and shining that big smile.

Eddie was a Shamrock through and through. When we were playing on the road Eddie would show up to wish us well, in hopes that we might have an extra seat on the plane or the bus. Never asking for anything in return, Eddie just wanted the guys to know that he was there for us, cheering us on with every hit, shot and goal!

This Friday night the back door will be very lonely and it will certainly feel strange to show up to the arena and not be able get my routine hand pound with Eddie. We have a little tradition in the Shamrock dressing where upon a player having a great game, reaching a milestone or just out of recognition we give that person a ‘Him’. Well Eddie, Friday night all the boys will be in the huddle to give you one last one, ‘Him, Him Eddie, Him Him’!

• We will serve a moment of silence before the game in Ed’s honor, so please join us in saying good bye.
• The family has asked that any and all donations be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.

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