Annual JBT fundraiser hockey game will pay tribute Mischa Fay

LACONIA — The New England Wolves will retire jersey No. 18 in memory of Mischa Fay during the 8th annual JBT game on Saturday. The game is a fundraiser for The Cure Starts Now Foundation.

The Wolves will face off in an Eastern Hockey League matchup against the New Hampshire Avalanche at 6:15 p.m. at Merrill Fay Arena.

Fay, 17, died last year during a police shooting at his home in Gilford.

“Mischa totally loved hockey and played for the Lakers and New England Wolves for many years at the Merrill Fay Arena, his 'second home,'” his obituary reads.

Fay was a member of the Wolves youth hockey team from 2019 to 2021 as a forward and was well-liked. His family bears the namesake for Merrill Fay Arena, the home rink for the Wolves.

“We had a great relationship with Mischa,” Wolves general manager Andrew Trimble said Wednesday. “We remember Mischa as a great kid who tried really hard.”

He's remembered by teammates and coaches as a quiet, reserved person who loved hockey, skating, and being a part of the team, Trimble said.

“He’ll always be part of our program,” he said.

Defender Alex Valentini currently wears No. 18, but will forfeit the jersey between the first and second periods Saturday, Trimble noted.

Wolves U18 coach Mike Potenza worked with Fay for two years and remembers him as a nice kid with a strong work ethic.

“Mischa was a great kid,” Potenza said. “I enjoyed having him around. He always gave you everything he had, a lot of effort and enthusiasm.”

At one particular match in Nashua, Fay scored a thrilling goal which Potenza remembers as a highlight of his hockey career.

“We were at Conway arena in Nashua,” Potenza explained. “Mischa brought the puck down the left side of the ice, got past the blue line, then he let a shot off and he scored the goal — it was a great shot.”

Saturday's game is named to remember John Bradley Thompson, a 6-year old boy from Gilford who died in April 2014 after a 10-month battle with DIPG, an aggressive form of brain cancer.

A charity shootout will occur between periods to raise money for research organization The Cure Starts Now Foundation.

The Cure Starts Now is unique in that it seeks to find a “home run” cure, citing the widespread belief that finding one for DIPG could render benefits in the search to cure other forms of cancer.

The “Not So Mini One On One Shootout” is a mainstay of the annual charity event. Community members compete to score more goals than the other competitors. Competitors can earn advantages in the shootout by fundraising ahead of the event.

The team hopes to raise $30,000 for the organization. The event has seen considerable success over the previous seven years, Trimble said. Tickets for the game are available to purchase at the door.

“We’ve reached our goals for the last seven years and we hope to reach it again this year,” he said.

Money will be raised from donations, prizes and drawings conducted throughout the evening. Nearly $25,000 had been raised by 10 separate fundraisers by Wednesday afternoon, according to the tracker at events.thecurestartsnow.org/jbt-shootout.

“We’d like people to come out and see the game,” Trimble said. “Come see the JBT shootout and remember Mischa Fay.”

•••

The Sunshine Effect is a series in The Laconia Daily Sun highlighting the people and organizations working to improve our communities through volunteering and fundraising. We believe that telling their stories will encourage others to support their work, and launch new charitable efforts of their own. Have a suggestion for someone making a difference we should feature? Share it with us at laconiadailysun.com/sunshineeffecttip.