Sam Gagner pays tribute to Joey Moss in ‘The Players’ Tribune’

Long-time Edmonton Oiler Sam Gagner, who’s now a member of the Red Wings’ organization, penned a column for “The Players’ Tribune” in which he paid tribute to Edmonton Oilers and Edmonton Eskimos locker room attendant Joey Moss, who passed away at 57 due to Alzheimer’s disease:

Joey Moss was the greatest person I have ever met. 

And while I’m not sure if what I’m about to write will do his legacy justice, I feel as though I have to try. 

After all, trying was exactly what Joey was about. Ask anyone who has been around that dressing room in Edmonton, or heard him sing the Canadian or U.S. national anthems, or seen him dance to “La Bamba.” He was as passionate as they come. I have countless stories and so many fond memories of our time together and honestly, I could go on forever. But I will do my best to paint a picture of the man Joey was, and also of the impact he had on those around him.

When I first got to Edmonton, you could see it right away — the special bond that Joey had with the players and the other trainers, and how much they enjoyed his company. We had a young group and decided early on that we were going to include Joey in just about everything we did away from the rink. Andrew Cogliano, Tom Gilbert and myself were roommates and had an extra bedroom, so whenever we could we would invite Joey over for dinner, and then he would sleep over at our place. We would go bowling, watch wrestling (more on that later), listen to his James Bond Soundtrack CD driving around Edmonton, and have so much fun.

Continued; Gagner, Ryan Smyth and Jason Smith reminisced about Moss on a conference call with the Oilers’ press today, too:

Thank you to the @PlayersTribune for giving me the platform to share this about Joey. He truly was the best. I hope this helps convey his impact and what he meant to everyone that got the chance to become friends with him. https://t.co/KToA1AuOEI— Sam Gagner (@89SGagner) October 28, 2020