CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Tonight’s road game will be a home game for Tyler Jay.
The Charlottetown native comes back to the Eastlink Centre as the full-time equipment manager of the Saint John Sea Dogs. His team plays the Charlottetown Islanders in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action at 7 p.m.
“It will always be special” to come back to the Island, he said.
Jay will take up his spot on the bench near centre ice. A piece of glass separates the teams’ benches. On the other side of the glass will be two of Jay’s mentors in Islanders equipment manager Andrew (Spider) MacNeill and athletic therapist Kevin Elliott.
“It feels weird to be on the other side of the glass,” Jay said Tuesday. “(There’ll) definitely be some chirps going through the glass for sure.”
Jay started with the Islanders in 2014-15, helping out MacNeill after a friend decided not to return to the position. Jay sent a text message to Elliott to see if he could help out during training camp.
“I just kind of fell in love with it, fell in love with the staff there and fell in love with what I was doing,” Jay said.
He continued to help out on game days and his role expanded in Year 2. It was then he decided he wanted to pursue it as a career.
“As my role started to increase, and I started to get more trust (from) that staff, I had confidence in myself that I could do this as a job,” he said.
In 2016, Jay went to work with the Summerside D. Alex MacDonald Ford Western Capitals as the head equipment manager. He was only there a short time when Sea Dogs equipment manager David Kelly (DK) reached out to see if he could fill in for him as he took time away from the team while receiving treatment to battle a rare form of thyroid cancer.
“It meant almost everything for DK to put that trust in me and then to build that relationship I had with DK,” Jay said. “It allowed me to come out of my comfort zone, to come over here and do things on my own.”
Jay said he was grateful that the Capitals organization, particularly Pat McIver and Billy McGuigan, was so understanding and allowed him to go to Saint John. He remained there for the championship season as the Sea Dogs won the league title and played at the Memorial Cup. Jay returned to the Port City for 2017-18 before returning to the Isles last season.
The Saint John position opened up in the spring and Jay received a call from general manager Trevor Georgie. He talked with the organization’s management and was soon a Sea Dog again.
“It’s awesome,” he said. “It’s special for me to come back here.”
The day he was hired, Jay called his parents, Bob and Linda Jay, who have supported him throughout his life. Elliott, MacNeill and Islanders head coach and general manager Jim Hulton also received texts from Jay.
“They believed in me and they let me do things. They wanted me to go further,” he said.
Jay also thought of Kelly, who died in March 2019.
“God rest his soul. I wish I could have called him,” Jay said.
“Those are big shoes to fill. There’s nobody in the hockey world that doesn't know DK’s name. Everybody in this city knows DK. He’s the unofficial mayor here and he’ll leave a long legacy in Saint John and in the hockey world.”
Georgie said they are happy to have Jay back in the Sea Dogs organization.
“We think he’s the right fit for us and our team dynamic,” he said.
Jay turns 24 in November, but age wasn’t a consideration for the Sea Dogs who knew what they were getting in Jay.
“It’s something we embrace and don't shy away from,” Georgie said.
“He’s young, but he’s had great experiences. I don't believe that young means inexperienced. I think that depending on how much work you put in and how much effort you put, you can learn a lot in a short period of time.”
Elliott was pleased to see Jay’s hard work and dedication pay off.
“I’m really happy for him. I really think it’s great. I think he’s got a strong career (ahead of him),” he said. “I think he’s going to go a long way. He had unbelievable mentoring from Spider.”
Full-time equipment manager positions don’t open up often, and Hulton said the Islanders organization is happy for Jay, who fit in with a tight-knit staff in his hometown.
“He deserves it. He’s really good at what he does,” Hulton said. “He’ll gain the trust of the players because he’ll put the hours in. . .
“You work so hard in that role without a lot of fanfare or recognition, but internally it definitely gets rewarded and noticed.”
Related link:
• Equipment manager Tyler Jay enjoying ride with Saint John Sea Dogs
• Winning QMJHL title an 'unbelievable feeling' for equipment manager Tyler Jay
• An inspiration: Islanders staff remember friend David Kelly (DK)
