Edmonton Oilers Have a Legend in Joey Moss

By Eric Friesen | Apr 17, 2016

Apr 6, 2016; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Joey Moss, who has been the Edmonton Oilers locker room assistant since the early 1980 /

If you look at the Edmonton Oilers bench, you’ll see a handful of history and talent. However, there’s one man who is adored by fans everywhere; he’s guy who cleans up the dressing room, does the team’s laundry and hands out towels and water bottles to the players during his games. But he is much more than that; Joey Moss is an Oilers legend.

Perhaps only Wayne Gretzky and Ryan Smyth received a louder ovation than Joey following the Oilers final game at Rexall Place less than two weeks ago, which speaks to how much admirtion there is for Joey in Oil Country.

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There is no one currently working in the Oilers’ organization has spent more consecutive years with the hockey club than Joey, who is signed to a lifetime contract. Brought to the attention of the Oilers by Gretzky while he was dating Joey’s sister, Canadian singer Vickie Moss, the 51-year-old dressing room attendant has endeared himself to the players, coaches, staff and fans for 32 years.

Joey and Gretzky have remained the closest of friends for more than three decades, long after The Great One was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in 1988. Following “The Trade”, Gretzky bought Joey a big-screen TV and a satellite system so Joey could watch his games nearly 2,800 kilometres away in sunny Southern California.

“Thank you very much…for my life,” Joey said during a 2013 interview.

This is a great example of how one small act of kindness and can have a lasting impact for years, and even decades after the fact. And while it was Gretzky who provided him with an opportunity to join the Oilers family in 1984, it was Joey who earned his keep with the team. All of his hard work and dedication to the Oilers over the years has undoubtedly made him one of Edmonton’s most popular citizens since the mid-1980s.

Each season, the Oilers conclude their training camp with the presentation of the Joey Moss Cup to the winners of the annual intra-squad tournament. Since 1986, he has also worked with the Edmonton Eskimos training staff.

In 2003, Joey was presented the NHL Alumni Association’s “Seventh Man Award” by Gretzky. The award is presented to NHL members “whose behind-the-scene efforts make a difference in the lives of others.” Just four years later, he accepted Edmonton’s Mayor’s Award from Stephen Mandel, in recognition of the Oilers’ commitment to persons with disabilities.

In 2008, Canadian artist Ian Mudler painted a mural of Joey on 99th St NW in Edmonton, and just last year, he was was inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame.

When asked what his plans are for the next three decades, Joey’s answer was simple. He said, “Pay it forward.”