I saw it first when the Hamilton College men’s hockey team posted a photo on Facebook.
Specifically, this photo.
And I know what this means.
And after some research … I found out the person for whom those sticks wait outside.
Gavin Mosher was a Clinton, New York teenager, a student at Clinton High School and a local ice hockey standout who excelled for the Clinton Comets high school U16 hockey team.
He also suffered from leukemia. He was diagnosed in April 2025.
That did not stop Gavin. He kept going. He kept fighting. “Win Each Battle” was his creed.
He battled the disease every day, and the local community embraced his fight every step of the way. And this is Clinton – essentially “Hockeyville USA.” The community followed as Gavin went through chemotherapy, through every trip to doctors and specialists, every hope that the cancer could be beaten into remission.
A GoFundMe page was set up to help defray the medical costs. An exhibition game at the Clinton Arena between Colgate and Union Colleges became a charity fundraiser.
And through it all, Gavin fought every step of the way. He fought the disease with every breath in his body.
Sadly, on July 24, 2026, Gavin Mosher’s fight ended. At the age of 15.
This is from the GoFundMe page.
This is heartbreaking. Devastating.
And in the tradition of this tight-knit community in Oneida County … hockey sticks outside the door.
From the Clinton Arena.
From the local tavern, The Rok.
Gavin Mosher was loved. Gavin Mosher was cheered. And in the end … Gavin Mosher showed the true meaning of courage and resiliency in the unthinkable.
Rest easy, young man. You will always be loved by those whose lives you touched.
Chuck The Writer 