Mirror of Merit winner Mosey thrilled to become part of Flyers' history

It is a measure of respect for a trophy which dates back to the 1950s, and a reminder to every player who walks through the door of the club’s history and tradition.

The latest name to be added to the list of legends is that of Charlie Mosey, and few will have had a back-story as remarkable as his.

This young forward from Prior Lake, Minnesota was written off by some before he even arrived in town, but left a hero having been at the heart of the club’s most successful Elite League season to date.

His CV may not have stood out, but his performances in Kirkcaldy certainly did.

He was the team’s work-horse, the player who skated relentlessly all night, every night, and who revelled in doing all the unglamorous work for the benefit of his team.

With 15 goals and 21 assists, he was also a key contributor on the scoresheet, none more so than that historic Sunday night in Dundee, when his last gasp equaliser clinched the team’s first conference trophy.

The Mirror of Merit award could not have gone to a more deserving winner.

“It’s a pretty cool feeling,” Mosey reflected. “Seeing the history of the club, and to know my name is going to be up there with other great players, is awesome.

“At the same time, it’s going to be even cooler knowing that I was part of a team that helped to put a banner up at the rink for all the fans to see.”

Having initially signed on a three-week trial, Mosey arrived in Fife with something to prove.

“I knew coming in here that if I was given the right opportunity I could have success here,” he said.

“I told the coaches about my playing style and what I could bring to the team, and I wanted to show that I could come in here and work hard.

“It’s not all about the points and scoring goals, I wanted to contribute in ways that don’t always show up on the scoresheet. I like to go and set a good example for my team mates – killing penalties, working hard, getting dirty in the corners, blocking shots - things like that.

“It’s not always something that goes noticed by the fans, but this is the first year I’ve been in the spotlight a little bit, and that’s an awesome feeling.

“My parents are really proud of me, and just to be able to go out there and play my game and have the fans support is awesome.”

Mosey’s relentless style saw him become an instant favourite with fans, and even led head coach Todd Dutiaume to compare him to Russell Monteith, another legendary Mirror of Merit winner from the Grand-Slam era at the turn of the millennium.

“I definitely had something to prove in the pre-season,” Mosey added. “It’s probably the most hyped-up I’ve been for any pre-season games in my life! I didn’t want to leave anything to chance so I just tried to give it my all.”

While Mosey had a stand-out season, he was far from alone, and he became part of a winning team that had a special chemistry, both on and off the ice.

“You could tell early on we had something,” he said. “It wasn’t always consistent at first, but there was flashes of this team’s brilliance at the beginning.

“We had a lot of doubters with our team on paper, but we just had such a hard-working, fast and dynamic team, with so many different styles of play.

“I knew Andy Iles and Ian Young coming in, so that helped with the transition to a new country, but right away we had a great group of guys who were fun to be around in the locker room, and who I’m going to remember forever.”

The season brought several highlights but for Mosey, one sticks out above the rest.

“Scoring the equalising goal in the last minute to win the conference in Dundee is something I’m never going to forget,” he said.

The club want Charlie back but whether he returns to create more memories in Fife remains to be seen as he weighs up the prospect of a career outside hockey.

“I’ll be taking a little bit of time to step away and rethink things,” he said.

“I love the game, but I know there are other parts to life besides hockey.

“I can say that my time in Fife has been wonderful and I’ve been treated great by the players, coaches, staff and fans.

“The support here has been great, I’ve had a great time playing here, and I would suggest to any of my friends to come play here. They’d love it.”

Fair to say, if Charlie does decided to accept the offer to come back, this time, there won’t be any doubters.