When you enter the St. Thomas men and women’s hockey teams dressing rooms at the Grant Harvey Centre, you’ll see freshly cleaned practice jerseys and socks placed in the center of the stalls; skates stacked on the rack in the corner of the room; and in the middle, a tub of clean laundry. Most hockey dressing rooms have a bad odor, but these smell only of clean laundry.
Why? Tim Cane.
The new equipment manager of both St. Thomas hockey teams cleans the laundry, sharpens skates and fixes broken gear.
“He is the man backstage that keeps everything together and makes everyone’s job’s at the rink a lot easier,” said Katie Brewster, captain of the women’s hockey team.
Brewster, a five-year team member, said there has never been someone as available, organized or efficient as Cane.
“Every day things get done.”
Growing up in a rural Nova Scotia, Cane is no stranger to the rink. He played some junior hockey and is still suits up in a recreational league. As well, he has an extensive record volunteering for the Fredericton hockey community, receiving the William “Bill” MacGillivary award for outstanding sport volunteer and community worker in 2010.
Cane, a 40-year veteran of the Fredericton Police force, worked as a uniformed patrolman in the major crime unit, as well as in media relations and drug programs.
“I knew I was retiring this year and was looking for something to keep me busy. I saw the advertisement and thought it would be the perfect job for me because I have always had a passion for hockey.”
Every day Cane wears a New York Rangers piece of clothing. His obsession with the Rangers started as a boy playing pond hockey.
“Every kid needs a hockey sweater to play on the pond, so my mom went to Dartmouth and they hoodwinked her into believing the Rangers were the best hockey team, so she bought the jersey and sewed on the number three. Ever since she bought me that jersey I have been obsessed with the Rangers.”
On the back of his calf, he has a tattoo of the Rangers logo, but what Tommies players see is a big welcoming smile, someone who’s easy to connect with as he paces back and forth between the two arena dressing rooms.
Cane says he isn’t a professional, but really likes spending his time working with the teams.
“I am still learning the ins and outs of the university hockey life, but its something I enjoy doing and am proud to be apart of.”
