Top 10 Moments: Mo Sommer Sings National Anthem and Drops the Puck

Jun 5, 2023

By Paige Burnell/SanDiegoGulls.com

With the 2022-23 season in the books, SanDiegoGulls.com looks back at some of the biggest moments, from individual highlights to impressive theme nights and more. Today we continue our Top-10 Moments series, spotlighting the son of former Gulls head coach Roy Sommer, Marley "Mo" Sommer.

Mo, who was born with Down Syndrome, represented all people in the hockey community living with the condition by singing the National Anthem prior to the Gulls’ second annual Hockey is For Everyone™ Night on Mar. 18.

"It was awesome to see Mo do the National Anthem," Gulls defenseman Chase Priskie said.  "He had practiced that morning. For us on the bench, we knew he was going to kill it because we’d seen him practice every morning and so, once he got out there, we were just ready to explode when he finished and. I mean, Pechanga’s roof almost blew off with standing applause."

Everyone in the stands at Pechanga Arena erupted with excitement following Mo’s outstanding performance. The players’ bench did as well, with the whole team elated to have an opportunity to cheer Mo on just as he did for them all season.

Mo also participated in a ceremonial puck drop to commemorate World Down Syndrome Awareness Day on Mar. 21. The players wore mismatched socks for the entirety of the game and all other members of Gulls organization followed suit in observance of the day and of course, in honor of Mo.

"Having Mo literally right there by my side every game kept me positive, kept me happy," Gulls captain Chase De Leo said. "Even if we were down, you see him and he’s trying to fire up the boys and it means so much to him coming to the rink and just having that relationship with all the players. You can see how much it means to him, but it means even more to us having him there - his support, his energy. His laughter is definitely contagious."

From dancing to the tune of Cotton-Eyed Joe following a win to boosting team morale with his unwavering positivity, Mo was a beloved and important member of the team. He may be in Montana with his family following his father’s retirement from coaching, but Mo, also known as "The Boss", left a lasting impact that will be felt by the Gulls and their fans for many years to come.