Death of man behind Buddy the Puffin mascot leaves N.L. fans, families 'heartbroken'

Chris Abbott, who played the Buddy the Puffin mascot in St. John's, poses with Kennedy MacDonald in a Dec., 2019 handout photo with Buddy. Abbott, the man behind a mascot known for riling sports fans and bringing joy to kids all over Newfoundland and Labrador's capital, has died at the age of 51. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Corey MacDonald

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. -

A St. John's man who turned a sports mascot gig into a heartfelt mission to bring joy and genuine friendship to special needs children has died.

Chris Abbott was the man behind Buddy the Puffin -- the plush, colourful and beloved mascot for sports clubs like the Newfoundland Growlers hockey team and the St. John's Edge basketball team. He died earlier this week at the age of 51, after more than 27 years of performing as Buddy the Puffin.

Buddy was often the star of hockey and basketball games at the Mary Brown's Centre in downtown St. John's. He could be seen dancing on the sidelines or sometimes in the middle of the ice, pumping his fists and bouncing his fuzzy belly up and down to rile up the crowds.

But before he donned his puffin suit and No. 92 jersey each night to begin his seabird acrobatics, Abbott had his own routine checking texts and messages from parents to map out which kids would be in the stadium and where, said Glenn Stanford, president of Deacon Sports and Entertainment, the Growlers' parent company.

He would then head out into stands to give each of them a big Buddy the Puffin hug and hello -- and he never missed a child, Stanford said.

"He had a special connection with kids with special needs," Stanford said in an interview Wednesday. "He has done countless and countless and countless hours of community appearances, never asking for anything in return."

People rarely saw Abbott's face, but as Buddy, "he was probably the most recognizable person in this province," Stanford said. "That's what he means to this community."

Corey MacDonald says his 19-year-old daughter, Kennedy, was one of those kids with special needs who Abbott befriended, both as himself and as Buddy.

"As a dad, those hockey games when Buddy could come over and see her, that's what it was all about," MacDonald said in an interview Wednesday. "That was my favourite part. Because I knew inside her heart was bursting, and he made that happen."

Abbott knew he had a unique opportunity to bring real joy and happiness to kids like Kennedy, and he put his whole heart into it, MacDonald said.

He said he first asked Buddy the Puffin to be part of Kennedy's 13th birthday party. Since then, he said he's taken her to at least two games a month, and Buddy came over every time. When she was 15, Buddy gave Kennedy her own No. 92 jersey, MacDonald said.

"I'm heartbroken," MacDonald said. "It's hit me more than Kennedy … she doesn't really understand that Chris is gone." MacDonald said he thinks it'll sink in for her when she attends her next hockey game and he's not there.

St. John's Mayor Danny Breen said in a statement Tuesday the joy Abbott brought to the role of Buddy the Puffin turned the mascot into a local icon. Abbott, Breen said, "entertained, hugged and high-fived tens of thousands of children" since he first donned the wide-eyed seabird costume in 1994 to cheer on the St. John's Maple Leafs.

City of St. John's spokeswoman Kelly Maguire said staff were told Tuesday that Abbott had died overnight. A cause of death has not been released.

Stanford said Abbott's death was a shock and a heavy blow. "It was a tough day yesterday, for sure," he said.

As for whether the Buddy the Puffin mascot will be retired, Stanford said it's too soon to decide.

"We'll make sure that his legacy is not going to be forgotten," he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 2, 2022.