Connor Kasin was the epitome of Massapequa Chiefs hockey.
“He was a fierce competitor. He would lay the body, throw hits, make energy,” Kasin’s close friend and former teammate Billy Sciurba told The Post.
Most of all, the defenseman, who proudly tugged on No. 37 each game, was “always trying to make people happy and keep the spirits up on the bench,” added Sciurba, who graduated in the spring.
Kasin’s life was tragically cut short in late November of last year.
The 17-year-old senior died during a sudden cardiac episode inside the Chiefs locker room during a charity game at the Town of Oyster Bay Ice Skating Center in Bethpage.
“It’s got to be every hour I still think about him,” said Kasin’s father, Craig, who “could never be mad” at his beloved middle child.
“I would always tell my kids to be kind … and he really listened to that, it meant something to him,” added his mom, Mary, who misses the little things, like shadowboxing with her son before school.
Always a spot on the blue line
The last thing Kasin’s parents, Sciurba, and just about the whole Massapequa community would ever want to see is Connor’s legacy of ferocity on the ice, and gentle happiness off, being forgotten.
It began with Sciurba and friends doing simple but touching gestures, like jamming plastic cups into fence posts at the rink and in local parks to spell out “CK 37,” and replacing them after bad weather.
“I sound like a fool, but I’m like, ‘Hi.’ I always say hi to him there,” his mom said.
“I’ll even go by and give thumbs up,” added Craig.
Kasin’s presence in so many lives, in and out of hockey, led to something much more profound: a foundation dedicated to his memory and to raising funds for financially struggling sports programs.
“I’m going to be doing this for the rest of my life,” said Sciurba, who is now a board member of Connor Kasin Memorial Foundation.
“Keep his story going, and teach many different generations of Massapequa hockey who Connor was.”
Hundreds, including local Stanley Cup winner Rob Scuderi and generations of Chiefs alumni, came out to support the mission Sunday night for the first memorial game in Kasin’s name.
It was held at the rink where he played his final game.
“It’s not easy for us coming into this building anymore, but seeing this turnout, seeing past players with smiles, it’s starting to show everyone that this is home,” said Chiefs head coach Matt Bobko.
“And this is where he would want us to have the most fun,” added the man who had mentored Kasin since he was a young child.
A leader among Chiefs
Kasin’s father and Bobko agreed that Connor felt no higher calling than his lifelong dream of playing in blue and gold.
“His goal wasn’t to make the NHL, it was to pull on that Massapequa jersey,” Bobko said, adding that the humble player would “laugh” at all the attention he’s gotten.
Kasin’s devout work ethic — if he wasn’t skating, he was blasting pucks in his driveway just about 24/7 — landed him a spot on varsity as a 10th grader, a feat his coach said is incredibly rare for the program.
“He was the leader in that room, I would say, from junior year on,” added assistant coach Michael Giardino.
Even “enemies,” like a rival travel opponent at Chelsea Piers, couldn’t help but love Kasin’s jovial spirit.
“I heard that that kid was devastated the first time they played since, and found out what happened,” Craig recalled.
Kasin was also a devout Islanders fan who never passed up a chance to see the team.
Craig said watching the Isles win Game 6 of the 2021 Eastern Conference finals up close in overtime and getting a photo with owner Jon Ledecky after was “the best day of Connor’s life.”
Ledecky attended Kasin’s funeral.
Kasin’s physicality was also inspired by his favorite player, Matt Martin, whose foundation also became involved with the family after Connor’s passing.
“That helped rile the other team up,” Giardino said of Kasin’s truculence.
“One of his most famous plays is when he was in front of the net with another guy, Connor found a way to send his stick flying about 10 feet into the air.”
This season has been an emotional challenge for the Chiefs, as they have yet to win a game — but that’s not what it’s about this year.
“We made it a purpose to be a family and try to come together and unify,” said Bobko, who added, “Connor would want Massapequa to win.”
“He would definitely be saying, ‘Throw the body, give it all you’ve got. You’re only here for four years, so you’ve got to put it out on the ice.’ ”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
