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In memory of Ace and Mark

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Via LAKings.com:

Garnet “Ace” Bailey, who was 53, was set to begin his 33rd season in the NHL as a player or scout. Bailey had enjoyed a tremendous amount of success in both capacities, with seven Stanley Cup rings as proof. Having spent seven years as the Kings’ director of pro scouting, Bailey spent the previous 13 years as a scout with the Edmonton Oilers.

Bailey’s ability to evaluate NHL talent helped the Oilers to five Stanley Cups in the 1980s. During Edmonton’s many great playoff runs, Bailey played the key role of advance scout, supplying detailed information on upcoming opponents.

A veteran of 11 NHL seasons as a player, Bailey broke in with the Boston Bruins during the 1968-69 season and spent five years with the club. While with the Bruins, he was a member of Stanley Cup championship teams in 1969-70 and 1971-72. Bailey also spent parts of two seasons each with the Detroit Red Wings and St. Louis Blues, and three-plus years with the Washington Capitals.

Bailey, who was originally from Lloydminster, Saskatchewan, jumped to the World Hockey Association for the 1978-79 season and joined the Edmonton Oilers, where he was a linemate of teenage phenom Wayne Gretzky.

Ace lived in the Boston suburb of Lynnfield with wife Katherine and son Todd.

The Los Angeles Kings family was deeply shaken and saddened over the loss of Garnet “Ace” Bailey and Mark Bavis, two club scouts who were aboard United Airlines Flight 175 from Boston’s Logan Airport on September 11, 2001. Both men sported fantastic personalities and their love for the sport of hockey was evident in their work, and their passion for the Kings helped foster a fun and winning attitude. Both Mark and Ace are incredibly missed indeed.

Mark Bavis, who was 31, was entering his second season as an amateur scout for the Kings. A native of the Boston-area, Bavis played college hockey at Boston University. Prior to joining the Kings he worked as a coach with Chicago of the North American League and as an assistant coach with Harvard of the Eastern College Athletic Conference.

Bavis, who was drafted by the New York Rangers in the ninth round (181st overall) of the 1989 NHL Entry Draft, made his home in West Newton, Massachusetts. He was survived by his mother, Mary; his twin brother, Mike; two brothers, Pat and Johnny; and three sisters, Kelly, Mary Ellen and Kathy.

To learn more about these men, and to donate to scholarships and endowments in their names, I encourage you to visit The Mark Bavis Leadership Foundation and The Ace Bailey Children’s Foundation.

Stories:
ecozens, Stanley Cup of Chowder: The Unlikely Hero: A Tribute to Ace Bailey

Paul Stewart, HockeyBuzz: Remembering Ace and Mark, Rooting for Refs in Traverse City

From the archives:
Lisa Olson, The Sporting News: Ace Bailey’s spirit lives on in hockey and the Los Angeles Kings

Rich Hammond, LAKings.com: 10 Years Later: Memories of Kings Scouts Still Strong

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