I was honoured to have been invited to “The Boxing Day Bash” saluting Peter Baylis, our beloved Halifax Mooseheads anthem singer and Halifax music legend who we lost last November 12th after brave battle with brain cancer.
Special musical guests included his band of brothers in The Hopping Penguins, Rasta Gumbo and The Mellotones with proceeds going to Music Nova Scotia’s Sound Minds Program.
A lot of hilarious Peter stories were told, a few laughs and a few tears.
Above: The Baylis family, sister Alex, brother Tony, wife Jenifer and daughter, Lucy.
One that I shared with the family was a from a few years ago. Normally our Saturday games are 7pm puck drops. But on the last day of the regular season they are 4pm puck drops.
Usually Peter would always check in with me before the start of the game.
I was busy proofreading my script, looked at my watch and noticed it was 3:50pm, 10 minutes to go to introducing Peter, I asked the penalty box crew if Peter was out back warming up.
He wasn’t!
I texted him, “Where are ya? It’s a 4pm puck drop not 7.”
His reply was “Darn, I’m just at Spring Garden Road Shoppers Drug Mart, be right there!”
He and his wife Jenn sped off to the rink and parked in the bus entrance.
Peter ran in, went out and rocked O Canada like always. Nobody knew the difference except for us panicked Game Day Operations Staff. 
Above: Peter’s signature hat on the drums.
Peter still rides shotgun with us at the Mooseheads games this season in a video recording of O Canada that we recorded during Covid that we play in his memory. 
Thanks to the Baylis Family for inviting my wife and I, and for including a picture of Peter and I in the booth before a Mooseheads game just last season in the photo montage his daughter Lucy made.
Above: Peter and Ian last hockey season, October 5-2024 at ice level.
We miss ya in Moose Country, brother. 
#BaylisStrong
#BaylisStrong-Ian
Credits: Ian Robinson photo.
