The West Carleton and Kanata community is rallying behind the family of a former Kanata Valley Lasers goaltender who died from a heart condition on Sept. 29.

Scott Cashman was 39.

The Constance Bay man is survived by his wife, Sherry, and children Markie, 13, and Johnny, 11.

Scott and Sherry’s families are organizing a fundraising dinner for Scott’s wife and children on Dec. 4 at the Irish Hills Golf and Country Club.

“When you lose the main bread winner it’s an awful situation,” said Glen Maheral, Sherry’s uncle. “We can’t sit back and watch them lose everything they have, because that’s basically where they’re at.”

“It was very much something that needed to be done quickly,” said Maheral. “Both families, the Cashmans and the Maherals, decided we have to do something to get their lives back together.”

Scott’s brother, Jason, said he was surprised by the level of support coming from the community.

“It’s pretty humbling,” he said. “Especially for my brother’s family – it’s never easy to ask for money.”

Scott lived in Constance Bay for 14 years and was a coach for minor hockey players in West Carleton.

 
LASER

Cashman was one of the first five players selected to play for the Lasers for their inaugural season in the Central Junior A Hockey League in 1987.

The Lasers were renamed the Kanata Stallions in 2002.

The former Kanata resident attended Glen Cairn’s St. Martin de Porres and St. Paul’s Catholic High School in Bells Corners.

His teammates included Dan Gravelle and Sean O’Donnell, now a defenceman with the Los Angeles Kings.

For two years, Cashman played in front of a crowd that included his friends and family at Jack Charron Arena.

In 1988, the Minnesota North Stars selected Cashman as the 112th overall selection in the sixth round of the NHL Entry Draft, the same year he was courted and later recruited by Boston University to play net for the then-struggling Terriers.

Cashman led his team to their first winning season in three years and was named 1990 East Hockey rookie of the year by the NCAA.

He finished the year with a 3.21 goals against average, and the Terriers advanced to the frozen-four of the NCAA national championships before losing in the semifinals.

In Cashman’s sophomore year, the Terriers were looking to win a national championship, an offensive powerhouse loaded with future NHL stars like Tony Amonte, Shawn McEachern, David Sacco, Keith Tkachuk and Scott LaChance.

But his season was cut short two games into the year when, during a practice, he was struck in the side of the head by a puck.

“I lost sight in my left eye,” Cashman later said. “That was the first year I encountered a serious injury.”

Cashman eventually returned to the Terriers that same year to play 21 games. The Terriers made it to the finals of the NCAA championship, but lost in triple overtime to Northern Michigan.

His vision later returned, leaving a small blind spot on his left eyeball.

Cashman helped his team win three Beanpot championships during his four-year career (1989-93) and was named the tournament’s most valuable player in two of the games; he was later inducted into the Beanpot Hall of Fame in 2005.

He ranks third in career minutes in goal and games played for Boston University and second in career wins with 60.

In 1994, Cashman reported to the Detroit Red Wings training camp – by then the North Stars had folded and the rights to Cashman floated from San Jose eventually to Detroit.

He ended up on the Red Wings’ farm team in Adirondack, where he played for three games before he was again hit with an injury that ended his pro-hockey career.

This time, Cashman had hurt his back, cracking his tailbone; he was later diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis, an inflammation of the vertebrae, which could lead to arthritis of the spine.

Dinner 

Tickets for the dinner, hosted by Rod Bryden and with keynote speaker Roy Mlakar, are $150 and can be purchased by calling 613-868-2534 or 613-832-1893; those who can’t attend can make contributions to the Scott Cashman Trust Fund at the Royal Bank of Canada branch at 500 Hazeldean Rd.

The fundraiser organizers are seeking donations for the event’s silent auction.

“We know that the holidays can be a difficult financial time of the year, especially given the current economic environment,” said Rachel and Shawn Maheral. “but we are asking for your help on behalf of a family in desperate need of your generosity.”