SIOUX CITY, IA – May 26, 2026 – The ice at the Tyson Events Center has felt a little colder this week. The rink where Cory Michael “Moose” Mozak once skated—first as a young boy dreaming of the big leagues, later as a coach molding the next generation of hockey players—stands quiet in the hours between games. But the silence is not emptiness. It is reverence.
Cory Michael “Moose” Mozak, age 41, died on May 23, 2026, leaving behind a stunned and grieving Siouxland community. His sudden death has left family members, friends, former teammates, and countless others across the Sioux City area reflecting on a life defined by love for family, hockey, and the community that raised him. While the family has not publicly disclosed the cause of death, they have requested privacy as they navigate this profound and unexpected loss.
News of Mozak’s passing spread rapidly through Sioux City’s close-knit hockey circles and beyond, triggering an outpouring of grief, memories, and tributes from those who knew him as a player, a coach, a coworker, a father, and a friend. To many, he was simply “Moose”—a nickname that suited his larger-than-life personality, his physical presence on the ice, and his warm, enveloping spirit off of it.
A Life Rooted in Sioux City
Born on September 28, 1984, in Sioux City, Cory was the son of Jeanne (Hansen) and Tim Mozak. He grew up in a household where hard work, loyalty, and community were not just values but daily practices. The Mozak name was well known in Sioux City—not only for their family furniture business but for their deep roots in local athletics and civic life.
From an early age, Cory developed a deep passion for hockey. While other kids his age were still learning to tie their shoes, Cory was lacing up skates. He attended East High School, where he was a standout athlete, but it was on the ice that he truly found his home. His size, strength, and natural athleticism earned him the nickname “Moose”—a moniker that stuck with him for the rest of his life.
“Cory was the kind of player who would skate through a wall for his team,” recalled high school teammate and lifelong friend Derek Peterson, 41, of Sioux City. “He wasn’t the fastest guy on the ice, but he was the hardest to move. He protected his teammates like they were family. And off the ice? He was the guy organizing the parties, making sure everyone was included, making sure no one sat alone. That was Moose.”
After graduating from East High School, Cory continued his junior hockey career in Helena, Montana—a move that took him away from home for the first time but deepened his commitment to the sport. It was in Helena that he began to develop not only as a player but as a leader, mentoring younger teammates and learning the value of coaching from the bench as much as from the ice.
Collegiate Career at University of Wisconsin-Stout
Cory later played at the collegiate level for the University of Wisconsin–Stout, a Division III program known for its competitive spirit and tight-knit locker room culture. There, he built lasting friendships and further strengthened his connection to the sport that had shaped his life.
“Playing with Cory was an honor,” said former UW-Stout teammate Marcus Ellison, now living in Minneapolis. “He was the heart of our team. He wasn’t the captain, but everyone listened to him. He had this way of making you believe you could do anything. And when things got tough—and they did, because hockey is hard—Cory was the guy who kept us laughing. He kept us together.”
At UW-Stout, Mozak studied business and communications, laying the groundwork for a professional career that would eventually take him into the flooring industry. But even as his academic and professional interests expanded, hockey remained his anchor. He continued to play recreationally after college and returned to Sioux City whenever possible to stay connected to the local hockey community.
Coming Home: Coaching the Next Generation
After returning home to Sioux City, Cory remained closely involved in the local hockey community, giving back through coaching with Siouxland Youth Hockey and the Sioux City Metros alongside his brothers. His dedication to mentoring young athletes reflected his commitment not only to hockey but also to helping others develop confidence, discipline, and teamwork.
For more than a decade, Cory could be found at the rink on weekday evenings and weekend mornings—not because he had to be, but because he wanted to be. He volunteered his time, often showing up early to set up drills and staying late to help a struggling player perfect a shot.
“He coached my son for three years,” said Sioux City parent Rachel Meyers, 44. “My son was shy, not very aggressive, and he was nervous about getting checked. Cory—Moose—spent extra time with him after practice, just teaching him how to fall safely, how to get back up, how to be brave. By the end of the season, my son was one of the most confident kids on the ice. That was all Cory. He saw something in my son that my son couldn’t see in himself.”
Fellow coaches describe Mozak as a natural teacher—patient, encouraging, and unfailingly positive. He believed that youth sports were about more than winning; they were about building character, forging friendships, and learning how to be part of something bigger than oneself.
“He used to tell the kids, ‘The scoreboard doesn’t matter as much as the locker room does,’” said brother and fellow coach Matt Mozak, 38. “He wanted them to be good teammates. Good people. He wanted them to learn how to win with humility and lose with grace. Those lessons stuck. I still have kids—now teenagers—come up to me and say, ‘Coach Moose taught me that.’”
Family Business and Career
Cory later worked at Mozak’s Furniture & Flooring, the family business, where he learned the trade from the ground up—delivering furniture, assisting customers, managing inventory. It was hard work, but Cory approached it with the same energy and dedication he brought to the ice.
“He never complained,” said his father, Tim Mozak. “Not once. He’d carry a sofa up three flights of stairs in July heat and just smile and say, ‘All part of the job, Dad.’ He made me proud every single day.”
After several years at the family business, Cory continued his professional career with Shaw Industries, a leading flooring manufacturer, which eventually led him and his family to St. Louis, Missouri. The move was bittersweet—leaving Sioux City was difficult—but Cory embraced the opportunity, quickly building new relationships and continuing to coach youth hockey in his new community.
“It didn’t matter where Cory lived,” said Shaw Industries supervisor David Chen. “He was the same guy in St. Louis that he was in Sioux City. Warm. Hardworking. Always willing to help. He’d stay late to help a coworker with a project. He’d drive across town to help a teammate move. He just… gave. That was Cory.”
‘His Greatest Pride and Joy’: Cory’s Children
Above all, Cory’s greatest pride and joy were his children—Kennedey, Kerrigan, and Collin Mozak. Family members describe him as a loving, present father whose life revolved around his children and their happiness. His bond with them remained central to who he was, and his legacy continues strongly through them.
“Cory was a dad first. Everything else—hockey, work, friendships—came after that,” said his mother, Jeanne Mozak. “He coached his kids’ teams. He went to every school play, every parent-teacher conference, every birthday party. He made them breakfast every morning before school. He tucked them in every night. He was never too busy for them. Never.”
Kennedey, Kerrigan, and Collin range in age from 8 to 14. In the days since their father’s death, friends and family have rallied around them, ensuring they are surrounded by love and support.
“The kids are heartbroken,” said sister-in-law Amy Mozak. “But they are also strong. They have Cory’s strength. And they know—they absolutely know—how much their father loved them. He told them every single day. That’s a gift that grief cannot take away.”
A Larger-Than-Life Presence
Those who knew Cory remember him as charismatic, energetic, and full of life. Friends and loved ones describe a person with a larger-than-life presence, a natural charm, and an ability to make everyone feel welcomed and valued. Many recall how he could brighten any room he entered and form genuine connections with ease.
“He was the guy who would walk into a party and within five minutes know everyone’s name, their job, their kids’ names, their favorite sports team,” said lifelong friend Jason Werner, 42. “He had a gift for remembering details. You’d mention something in passing—’Oh, I’m worried about my mom’s surgery’—and two weeks later, he’d text you: ‘How’s your mom doing?’ Who does that? Cory did that.”
His nickname, “Moose,” suited him not only because of his size—he stood over six feet tall and was built like the athlete he was—but because of his gentle, grounding nature. He was a protector. A steady presence. Someone you wanted in your corner.
“He was the kind of friend who would show up at your door with a case of beer and no questions asked if you were having a bad day,” Werner added. “He’d just sit with you. Maybe you’d talk. Maybe you wouldn’t. But you knew you weren’t alone. That was Moose.”
A Community’s Outpouring of Grief
In the days following Cory’s death, tributes have poured in from across Siouxland and beyond. The Sioux City Metros organization released a statement expressing “profound sorrow” at the loss of “a beloved coach, mentor, and friend.” The team held a moment of silence before their most recent home game, and players wore black helmet decals bearing Mozak’s initials.
“We lost a giant,” said Metros head coach Darren Olson. “Not because of what he accomplished on the ice—though he accomplished plenty—but because of who he was off it. Cory made everyone around him better. He made kids believe in themselves. He made adults want to be kinder. That’s a rare thing. That’s a legacy.”
The Siouxland Youth Hockey Association also released a statement, calling Mozak “a pillar of the local hockey community” and noting that he had coached “hundreds of young athletes over more than a decade of selfless service.”
On social media, the hashtag #RememberingMoose began trending locally, with dozens of former players, teammates, and friends sharing photographs and memories. One post, from a former youth player now in college, read: “Coach Moose taught me that it’s okay to fail as long as you get back up. I think about that every time I step on the ice. I’ll think about it for the rest of my life.”
Survived by a Loving Family
Cory Michael “Moose” Mozak is survived by his children, Kennedey, Kerrigan, and Collin Mozak; his parents, Tim and Jeanne Mozak of Sioux City; his siblings, Matt Mozak (Amy) of Sioux City and Sarah Mozak of Des Moines; his grandmothers, Dolores Mozak and Ruth Hansen; and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends who will miss him dearly.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents, William Mozak and Gerald Hansen, and by his beloved uncle, Michael Hansen, whom Cory often credited as an early inspiration for his love of sports.
Funeral arrangements are being handled by Meyer Brothers Morningside Chapel in Sioux City. A public visitation will be held on Friday, May 29, 2026, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., followed by a funeral service on Saturday, May 30, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at Holy Cross Parish – St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Sioux City. Burial will follow at Calvary Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations to the Cory “Moose” Mozak Memorial Hockey Scholarship, which will provide financial assistance to youth hockey players in the Siouxland area who demonstrate leadership, sportsmanship, and a commitment to their teammates—values that Cory embodied every day of his life.
A Final Farewell
The ice will still be cold. The pucks will still drop. The Zamboni will still make its steady, humming circles between periods. But something has shifted in Sioux City. A light has gone out. A presence has been stilled.
“He made everyone feel like family,” said Derek Peterson, his voice breaking. “That was his gift. He took strangers and turned them into friends. He took friends and turned them into brothers. He took a hockey rink—just a cold building with ice inside—and he made it feel like home.”
Cory Michael “Moose” Mozak lived 41 years. They were years filled with slap shots and saves, with furniture deliveries and flooring samples, with early mornings at the rink and late nights around the dinner table. But more than that, they were years filled with love—love for his children, love for his parents and siblings, love for the game that shaped him, and love for the community that raised him.
“He used to say, ‘The best thing you can be is useful,’” Matt Mozak remembered. “He meant it. He wanted to be useful to his family, to his players, to his friends. And he was. God, he was. We will spend the rest of our lives trying to be as useful as Cory was.”
As Sioux City says goodbye to its Moose, the town holds onto the memories: a booming laugh echoing across the ice, a gentle word of encouragement whispered to a nervous young player, a father’s arms wrapped around his three children.
Those memories are not gone. They are just beginning.
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