“Often times, I would see him speaking to guys one on one about life or hockey, things that players needed someone to confide in. Mark took on this role and excelled at it.”
The testimonials for former Ontario Junior Hockey League coach Mark Edwards continue to pour in.
Mr. Edwards, a former assistant coach with the OJHL’s Oakville Blades, passed away this week.
Mike Tarantinto, now general manager of the Collingwood Blues, is a former head coach of the Blades.
“When I arrived in Oakville in 2015, Mark Edwards stayed on at the request of owners Rob Campbell, Chris McGlynn and Kevin Gomes,” Tarantino told the OJHL. “Little did I know that over the next five years, he would turn into a friend, confidant, and mentor to myself and the other staff in Oakville.
“As the years went on, I got to see the impact Mark had on the players and staff. We all thought of Mark as a sort of grandfather, but one day I remember calling him the “Godfather” and that name seemed to stick because of his presence and knowledge.
That influence extended beyond the hockey rink, Tarantino said.
“The Godfather made a huge difference in our players’ lives. Often times, I would see him speaking to guys one on one about life or hockey, things that players needed someone to confide in. Mark took on this role and excelled at it.”
“The same was true for the coaches. Mark often shared his wisdom with us and had a unique way of seeing the game. His analysis and data is something I still use today and I know other coaches he worked with do as well. Postgame meals with the staff were fun. Mark would offer his advice and make a case for a change in something. He was a lawyer by trade, and man did he win a lot of arguments. Even ones that didn’t go his way, he really made you think about the game in a unique way.”
Mr. Edwards’ legacy lives on his former players, Tarantino said.
“It’s tough to put into words the effect Mark had on the players and staff in Oakville,” he said “Our last year together in 2019 was a special one, we had two new hires in Ryan Hunter and Rob Bentivegna who joined Jordan Selinger, Cole Crane, the Godfather and myself.
“Winning the Buckland and Dudley Hewitt cups were obviously special for the players and staff, however, I think everyone would tell you that winning those were for Mark. Mark wanted to end his coaching career with a championship. He made that well known.”
“What a year. Winning the Buckland and Dudley Hewitt cups were obviously special for the players and staff, however, I think everyone would tell you that winning those were for Mark. Mark wanted to end his coaching career with a championship. He made that well known. He was 73 at the time. He came to practices and games, and put in so much time on analyzing our strengths, weaknesses, and opponents. What a passion he had for hockey and our team. To be a part of that was something I will cherish and never forget. He may be gone, but the legend of the Godfather will live on.”
“Mark was one of the most intelligent people I have had the pleasure of being around both in the rink and the world outside of it,” Selinger told the OJHL. “For myself as a young general manager in the OJHL, having the confidence and support of someone like Mark in the moves that we made as a team was huge and gave me the confidence to progress in that role, knowing that if I got the approval of ‘The Godfather’ we were definitely doing it right.
“I had the extreme honour of being able to pass off the Buckland Cup to Mark in Wellington the night that we won and will never forget that for the rest of my life. We all wanted to win, but to be able to set him off into the sunset of his coaching career with that elusive ring meant more to me to be able to do it for him than myself.
“I will miss his emails out of the blue from his old AOL account, congratulating us on winning championships and his continued confidence and praise in our abilities to build winning teams. I know he made a massive impact on everyone he came across in the Blades organization and he will be dearly missed. Rest easy my friend. I will cherish our time together.”
