Joey Payeur
Nancy Indian remembered fondly how her brother didn’t play favourites when it came to organizing a floor hockey get-together.
“He always encouraged the girls to come out because he loved seeing how hard and rough they get–especially myself,” said the Big Grassy native, who is putting together her own event involving one of the sports her brother both loved to play and getting others to play, too.
The inaugural Linden Indian Floor Hockey Memorial Tournament is set for the Rainy River First Nation gymnasium at Manitou Rapids this Saturday.
Registration begins at 10 a.m. and costs $10 per player.
Teams will be selected randomly via a draw.
“The idea is to come out, have some fun, and play in memory of an awesome guy who loved the game of floor hockey,” Indian said about her brother, who passed away due to illness on Jan. 2 at just 26 years of age.
“The floor hockey nights were always his idea and he would message everybody to come out,” she recalled.
“We always had enough for at least four teams, so I’m hoping for this tournament we can have double that.
“It would be nice to see at least 50 guys and girls out, which hopefully will be an easy number to get because when he was here, he had people from Big Island, Big Grassy, Manitou, Sabaskong, Fort Frances, Rainy River, and other people from all over the district out to play.”
Teams will have four players plus a goalie on the floor at one time.
Games will last seven minutes each and prize money will awarded to the top three teams.
Indian beamed when she thought back to how Linden embraced the indoor game.
“My brother could never skate on ice, but give him a stick and a pair of running shoes and he was like Sidney Crosby out there,” she enthused.
“It always surprised me how good his hands were.
“We always played a game where I would try to get the puck away from him and I really had to work for it,” she noted.
Indian said promoting physical activity among district residents, particularly children, always was a priority for the former Big Grassy and Fort Frances Braves’ slugging first baseman.
“Recreation was always important to him,” she recounted. “Getting people involved and getting exercise by having fun while meeting new people.
“What better way is there to get a sweat on?”
Meanwhile, time has not lessened the depths of how much that January day shook Indian’s emotions to her very core.
“It’s been eight months and it still feels like yesterday,” she admitted.
“I don’t think there is a time where he’s not on my mind.
“He’s everywhere down here,” she added. “All the memories and the good times we had, it’s hard not to think about them, especially now with my daughter here.
“He was so excited to become an uncle and I would have loved to see them bond together,” Indian said.
“It brings a smile to my face, but also a tear to my eye, when I think about all the fun times we had and all the fun times we still could have been having.
“I don’t think there’s just one thing that I miss about him because it’s everything–his smile, his laugh, his hugs, his humour, his everything,” she stressed.
“He was someone very special to me and I miss him more than anything. He was my rock.”
