The Stingrays are remembering Mark Bavis, a former player and member of the team’s first Hall of Fame class, 25 years after his death aboard United Airlines Flight 175.
Bavis was working as an amateur scout for the National Hockey League’s Los Angeles Kings when he was aboard the flight from Boston to Los Angeles. At 9:03 a.m., the plane struck the South Tower of the World Trade Center, killing all 56 passengers and nine crew members aboard.
Mark Bavis’ Hockey Career
Bavis grew up in Roslindale, Massachusetts, and played street and youth hockey with his twin brother, Mike Bavis. The brothers attended Catholic Memorial High School in Boston, spent a year at Cushing Academy, and continued their playing careers at Boston University.
Mark Bavis and Mike Bavis played for head coach Jack Parker during four seasons at Boston University. The Terriers reached the NCAA Tournament in each of those seasons, reached the NCAA National Championship game in 1991, and won three Beanpot Championships during the brothers’ time there.
Bavis’ Stingrays Career
Mark and Mike Bavis turned professional in 1993 and joined the Stingrays in 1994. During the 1994-95 season, Mark Bavis recorded 16 goals and 16 assists for 32 points, helping the Stingrays win their first South Division title.
Stingrays President Rob Concannon grew up playing hockey with the Bavis twins in Boston on a youth hockey team made up of children whose fathers were police officers in the Boston area. The brothers helped convince Concannon to come to the Stingrays.
“I had just attended Toronto Maple Leafs camp and was cut,” Concannon said. “Rick Vaive was the head coach at the time and suggested that I come here. I went to Boston for a few days and talked to Mark and Mike about Charleston, and they told me if I ever came here, I would never move. I took their advice, and almost 30 years later, the rest is history.”
Mark and Concannon played together during the 1995-96 season, when the Stingrays made the playoffs for a third straight season. Concannon said Bavis continued to visit Charleston even after his playing career ended.
“I got the opportunity to play with Mark in my first year as a pro in 1995-96,” Concannon said. “He had been coming back and forth between the American Hockey League and here, but he always loved it here. Even after he retired and got into coaching, he would try to come down and spend time in Charleston because he missed it.”
Mark Bavis’ Legacy
After his playing career, Bavis became an assistant coach at Harvard University before working for the Los Angeles Kings from 1999 to 2001. He was inducted into the first Stingrays Hall of Fame class in 2003, and the Stingrays retired his No. 12 jersey and raised it to the rafters.
Bavis’ banner hangs from the rafters at the North Charleston Coliseum. Concannon said Bavis made a strong impression on teammates, including Brett Marietti, Jared Bednar and Jason Fitzsimmons.
“Obviously, in his short time here, he made a big impression on some of the guys he played with like Brett Marietti, Jared Bednar and Jason Fitzsimmons,” Concannon said. “He was well-liked by coaches and teammates, and he was one of those guys that worked hard and was a player every team needs. He loved the Stingrays and his time in Charleston.”
MSB Analysis
Mark Bavis’ career included stops at Boston University, the Stingrays, Harvard University and the Los Angeles Kings. His 32-point 1994-95 season, Hall of Fame induction and retired No. 12 jersey remain part of the Stingrays’ history.
Source: Original report
