How I Came to Love Hockey?

 Spend enough time around the game and you'll notice that every team has it's ups and downs. Whether it's over the course of a few games, an entire season or even a run a little longer, nobody wins every game. It's the numbers in the loss column that make the numbers in the win column mean something, and seem that much more special. I guess since right now both the men's and women's team find themselves in a bit of a funk that I keep thinking of why I choose to love this game. It dawned on me that I never really took the time at the start of this blog to explain how it came to be that I fell in love with this game and ended up in my current position. Today seems like as good as any so here goes.
I guess you can say I took a round about way to finding hockey. I grew up playing soccer and actually never really learned to skate until I got to college. I had a pond in my back yard growing up and would always lace up the skates and putter around but I never had any edges on my blades so turning and stopping were impossible and I kind of just glided around and pushed a puck. I can track my passion for the game back to my mother of all people, she is the true fan of the family and she got her love for the game from my grandfather. I remember back as a child being taken to an AHL game in Portland Maine back when the city was home to the Maine Mariners. I can't tell you anything more specific other than going to games. I also remember when Albany (my home town) was home to the Capital District Islanders, although I don't remember ever going to games I am sure I did. The spark ignited for me when in 1993 Albany switched franchises from the Islanders to the New Jersey Devils and from that the River Rats were born as the top AHL affiliate for the Devils. I remember going to games that first season and having so much fun, and then in the second season the team ended up winning the Calder Cup. I still remember my favorite players from that team Steve Sullivan, Mike Dunham, Corey Schwab, Eric Bertrand, Scott Pellerin. Watching those guys play was so much fun for me, especially Sullivan who I will still watch in the NHL.

Steve Sullivan with Albany

It was after that championship season that I then started to follow and understand player movement between the NHL and AHL, I not only had my favorite Rats but would then follow them to play with the Devils. I remember going to games in Albany and seeing Patrik Elias fly up the ice, now I watch in awe as he skates with the Devils and am one of many that consider him the most under-rated player in the NHL. I consider myself lucky to get the chance to see a lot of today's greats develop into the players they are now. Brian Gionta, Zack Parise, Petr Sykora, Jay Pandolfo, John Madden among many others graced the ice of the Times Union Center.
I remember back in the mid 90's was when I also started to pick up some of the history of the game. Growing up in NY only hours from Lake Placid it comes as no surprise I learned about the Miracle on Ice pretty young. This event is to me the pinnacle of the game. Having seen the entire US/USSR game many times now I can say that I still get choked up when Mike Eruzione puts that puck in, or when Al Michaels makes his famous call "Do you believe in Miracles? Yes!" I just wish I had been alive to see the team, but 1980 was 5 years before I was even born so I live through the stories.

1980 Olympic Team

Now fast forward from that little kid in the stands to the high school senior still trying to find a college. I had no clue what I wanted to go to school for so I added to my search criteria that I wanted the ability to do something on weekends. I figured why not explore schools with college hockey so that I could attend games in my free time. After visiting a few schools and not getting that "ah ha" moment I added the University of Maine to my list. I had always known of the school having spent my summers in Maine at my grandfather's. I had always somehow found myself hearing about the teams that the Black Bears were putting together and remember them winning the NCAA title in 1999. I figured why not visit the school and see what that would be like, well long story short I set foot on campus and knew I needed to attend. I'd like to say it was all academic but it wasn't, I realized if I wanted to be able to watch college hockey why not attend the school with the best atmosphere in the game. I knew I wanted to call the Alfond home.

2007 Frozen 4 with Barry Melrose

From my days as a student attending games, and helping to lead the students in cheers and jeers I migrated into the arena office and from there down in to the locker room. Never realizing what went in to putting a team on the ice, my first day in the equipment room at Maine was an eye opener. After the equipment manager had asked for help one day in folding bags I knew that I wanted to never leave. I consider myself extremely lucky to have met my mentor and good friend Josh MacDonald that day. I have learned 99% of my job from one person, first as the kid that pretty much wouldn't leave and then as the volunteer that never stopped. I'm forever in debt for being able to learn from such a great teacher. If I thought I had loved the game as a spectator that was nothing compared to how much I love the game as seen from the inside.

I've been lucky enough in my short career to work in a variety of different locations and with varying success. My first job was at Sacred Heart University working with both their men's and women's team and lets just say it was a learning experience. I had the chance to work with some of the best athletes I have ever been around but in one of the worst situations I think I could have found myself in. Had it not been for the athletes I don't think I would have survived the year. After Sacred Heart I found myself at Syracuse University working for their women's team. This was in short, an amazing year. I don't think I have had as much fun going to work every day than I did with Syracuse. Now I find myself back in Orono, and couldn't be happier. I had the chance to take my dream job, something that I didn't think would ever be open to me. Every day I wake up and think how cool it is that I get to go to work in the same building that saw greats like Paul Kariya, Garth Snow, Jimmy Howard, Bob Corkum, Gustav Nyquist Shawn Walsh. I still can't even start to wrap my head around the fact that I have gotten to meet some of these greats and can even call some my friends.

Me working at Syracuse Univeristy

So the teams might be in a bit of a slump, and sure loosing sucks but at the end of the day I still love hockey. I am still the luckiest person out there because when I wake up tomorrow I get to go to a job I love. The worst day in my job is still better than the best day I can imagine behind the desk at any other job. All of the dirty laundry, and broken equipment is better than reports to file, or products to sell.
So I hope this distracted you all for a bit, or for those of you reading this at night I hope it will help you sleep. The men have finished the first half of our season and don't see a game until after XMas and the girls have two left before their mid season break. I'm feeling a solid second half from both teams and I think with that these posts should get more exciting for everyone. So until the next time I hope everyone's skates are sharp and sticks taped.