NHL's Nick Bonino
Playing With Foley's Insurance
Olympia Ice Center Summer League
Photo by Alfredo
Ice hockey is Canada's #1 sport as it is in some European countries. It continues to grow in participation and with fans in the United States. There is a good reason for this.
One of the first things that you notice is that players from the NHL on
down are regular down to earth people and they act like it. It is not like many
other professional sports where players act like prima donnas and are stand
offish to fans and the public, and seldom intermingle with people publicly. Too
good for us regular folks. They may be 6' 3" and 240 lbs but they are afraid we
might harm them, I guess. Not so with hockey.
It is not unusual to see an NHL player at a youth hockey or Junior game, or
strolling the halls of the New England Sports Center in Marlboro, Mass. I
happened to see and talk to NHL and Bruins legend, Bobby Orr, there last season.
How about NHL Hall of Famer Mark Messier coaching a Mid Fairfield Connecticut
Junior Team with his father. When passing by before a game he smiled and
extended his hand for a handshake, You hardly ever see that with other pro
athletes. It is not unusual to see Boston Bruin players mingle with youth, high
school, and college players out on the ice during the off season..and pose for
photos with them.
Locally in Western Mass current NHL player with the Pittsburgh Penguins,
Nick Bonino, played in the Olympia Ice Center's Summer A League with the Foley
Insurance Team. Current Boston Bruins player, Frank Vatrano, plays in this very
same Summer League with Milano's Restaurant. He is not "too good" to play with
and against his old friends. I was applying for Photo Credentials for an event
at the Boston Garden. I couldn't get through and my messages went
unanswered...so I thought that I would try to connect some REAL people so I
called the Boston Bruins office. Within minutes the lady helped me to make the
proper contact and I had my Credentials. Hockey people are REAL people!
One of the first things you notice about hockey are the great dedication
and sacrifices of the parents (or caretakers). They essentially sacrifice up to
12 years of their lives taking their kids to games and tournaments all over the
Northeast (on this coast) and Canada, some even go to Europe. I talked to one
woman from California who regularly took her son many miles just to have him
practice, let alone the games, where rinks are not as plentiful and some far
away. Also, playing hockey is expensive and the parents pay out a ton of money
over their careers, many parents who are working class people make major
sacrifices for their kids.
Anther positive thing about hockey is the growing number of girl / women
hockey players and there are some good ones! At many off season hockey camps the
girls participate right along with the boys and you can't take anything away
form them....they are good! I had the opportunity to photograph several
Springfield, MA Cathedral High's Girls games and my mouth dropped open on how
good they were. I swear that a few could have played on the boys team.
The other thing that is so great about hockey is how families of team
members AND competing teams become such good, and sometimes lasting, friends.
You see the same people over and over, at times their are long delays between
tournament games. This occurs over a number of years as the players progress in
hockey and in age. The players battle like crazy out there on the ice and
sometimes even fight. But the families seem to have all that in perspective.
The players themselves form great relationships with team members and opponents
over the years. As they grow older in their play it is not unusual to know some
of the opposing players on the other teams. Even with fights, it is not unusual
to see the two players come off the ice together, smiling and talking...they
have the game in perspective.
I vote for Ice Hockey as being one of the very BEST sports! How about you?
Alfredo DiLascia
Image News Service
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