Joey Payeur
Even four hours away, Bev Kotnik was dedicated to the very end and was sticking around until the last game was over—no matter what.
It will be a much different atmosphere at the Ice For Kids Arena this coming SIJHL season with the absence of Bev Kotnik, the woman who simultaneously was the matriarch and the heartbeat of the Fort Frances Lakers’ family.
Kotnik succumbed to illness May 3 at the age of 64—one day after the Lakers’ season came to an end with a loss to the Soo Thunderbirds in the Dudley Hewitt Cup final at the rink that was like a second home to the International Falls native.
She spent a good portion of this past season away from her beloved team to address her health issues, including the entire Dudley Hewitt tournament which she had poured so much of her effort into helping pull together since Fort Frances was awarded the event the previous summer.
But to the surprise of no one who knew her, Kotnik faced her ailment with the same strength and good nature which immediately was apparent to everyone who came in contact with her.
Those connected to the team realize there will be others to do the many jobs Kotnik handled, but that nobody truly can fill the void left behind by one of the Lakers’ most recognizable and fervent supporters.
“The load she carried for us was huge,” said team president Milt Strachan.
“For a couple of years, I did a majority of organizing events connected to the team on my own,” he noted.
“But when Bev and the Lakers’ fan club came on board, she took a great deal off my hands and gave me the time to concentrate on the hockey business of the team.”
This past season, Kotnik served as team vice-president, took care of the treasurer’s duties, and also was the fundraising chairperson.
“I can’t say it enough—these are going to be some big shoes to fill,” admitted Strachan.
“Probably what will have to happen is we’ll need several people to take on everything she did,” he stressed.
“It’s a huge loss for us.”
Kotnik was well-known to spectators, who unfailingly
received a friendly greeting and a smile from her as they walked past her constant post at the team’s merchandise table on game nights.
“Bev was a tireless, committed, passionate volunteer,” said Larry Patrick, who sits on the Lakers’ board of directors.
“The Lakers were part of her existence.
“She never missed board meetings or games,” he added. “She had her finger on the pulse of the Lakers’ organization.”
Kotnik co-ordinated pre-game meals at the Fort Frances Volunteer Bureau and was famous for her “power meals” for the players, which frequently included her homemade perogies.
She also organized the team’s food booth at the Emo Fair on an annual basis, as well as countless garage sales and many other Laker-sponsored events.
Her love for the squad was shared by husband and fellow board member, John “Otey” Kotnik, with Patrick terming the couple “inseparable.”
Strachan, meanwhile, said plans are in the works to honour Kotnik this coming season in a special and long-lasting way.
“We would like to have an award in memory of Bev for a player who shows hard work on the ice and for their volunteerism off the ice,” he noted.
“It will be a salute to who Bev was and what she meant to us.”
