Up with Mikey
November 22, 2004
By Cam Tait
RED DEER, AB // As owner, coach, and GM of the Red Deer Rebels, Brent
Sutter is also part-time psychologist. And whether or not he has the
authority, he's made a medical diagnosis. "I have learned it isn't Down
syndrome," says this member of the famous Sutter hockey family. "It's
up syndrome."
Sutter's opinion is influenced in large part by a young man named Mikel
McIver. The story began five years ago when the local newspaper did
a story on Mikel, a Special Olympics athlete. The very last paragraph
of the story mentioned that Mikel was a huge fan of the Western Hockey
League's Red Deer Rebels - and that maybe one day, he would be stickboy.
Guess who read the story? Give yourself a goal and an assist if you
said Sutter.
Sutter used to play in the NHL and was familiar with Joey Moss, the longtime dressing room attendant of the Edmonton Oilers. Sutter got Rebel trainer, Dave Horning, to contact Mikel. Next thing you know, Mikel is on the Rebel payroll.
"I just thought having Mikel around would be good for our room," Sutter says. "I thought of what Joey does for the Oilers and thought Mikey could do the
same."
McIver has been very good for the Rebels, and the Rebels have been good
for McIver. Since joining the team during training camp in 2000, he
has been a big help to trainer Horning, and his strong work ethic and
cheery nature have had a positive influence on the rest of the team.
On game day at the Red Deer Centrium, McIver, now 21, works for three
hours in the morning to help get the dressing room ready. During the game he sits right behind the Rebels bench. Just before the end of a period, he walks down the stairs and stands behind the bench waiting for the players to come off the ice. He grabs a plastic box and gathers the 14 water
bottles, refilling them with water from two huge containers under the
bleachers.
"It's all the little things in a hockey team's dressing room that takes time
but they have to be done very professionally," says Horning. "Mikel saves me
time. He folds towels, empties the garbage, and looks after the water
bottles. "He's got no worries. And I am honoured to call him a friend."
McIver has certainly been a good luck charm for the team. In his first
year with the Rebels they won the Memorial Cup, and he has a Memorial
Cup ring for his efforts. "We won the Cup during the week of my birthday,"
McIver proudly says. "My Dad took me to the Memorial Cup in Regina."
Dad is Rob McIver, who is a very proud hockey dad. Since Mikel doesn't
travel with the team, Rob drove his son to Regina in the family motorhome.
Rob and his wife Deb opened their home and their hearts to Mikel when he was
three. "We thought we couldn't have kids of our own so we started the process for
adoption," Rob says. "When Mikel came up for adoption and we were told he
had Down syndrome, we weren't worried about it."
Both Rob and Deb work with people with disabilities. "When we first
got to know Mikel he could say just two words - 'No' and 'Don't,'" Deb
recalls. "But he has so much pride now with the Rebels. When you ask
him about his job, you just see an inner light within him because he's
liked and respected."
Rob agrees. "This is a dream job for Mikel. I can't see him moving.
He's so dedicated. He had tonsillitis and we wanted him to stay home
because he was so sick. But he still went to work."
"I like everything I do for the Rebels," says Mikel. "If I wasn't working
for them I might not be doing much."
And McIver certainly fits right in with Coach Sutter's emphasis on hard
work. "Mikey always works hard and is a real go-getter," says Sutter.
"Every morning when he comes to the rink he says hi to me. I might be
on a conference call or in a meeting, but Mikey doesn't care. He comes
right in and says his piece. And now I know that's Mikey's time."
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