Endicott hockey

Over the years I have blogged and posted numerous stories from the hockey world that just prove why hockey is the greatest sport in the world. Then I realized I have never really told my blog followers the stories of the Endicott College hockey team. Every kid that grows up watching hockey always idealizes the pros. Ovechkin, Crosby, Bergeron etc. We are lucky to live in Beverly and Beverly is home to the Endicott College Gulls. Both my kids play youth hockey and we practice and have games at Endicott's home rink the Raymond J Bourque arena. Most nights prior to our mite practice the men's team is on the ice having their own practice. The kids will all line up at the door and fist bump the team as they end their practice. Not a single member of the hockey team walks by without every kid standing there getting a fist bump or high five. Simple enough. Quick interaction and everyone goes about their day. Well that never just ends it for kids. We have been going to the home games for the gulls since last season. This year we have not missed a single home game. My kids have arrived for each game and proudly lined up for pre game fist bumps. They bang on the glass during warmups and will get a smile, head nod, stick tap on the glass from passing players. Most of which are focused on warming up for the upcoming game but still take 3 seconds to make a kid smile. Again small interaction and lets move on to the game. Being a hockey player and knowing there are a few who read my blogs we don't tend to pay attention to the crowd during the game. Its typically all business. Kids don't understand that. Mine included. So each offensive zone faceoff the gulls line up for Dylan and Ryan are both proudly banging on the glass hoping for some acknowledgement. I try to tell them they players need to concentrate on the faceoff but again I am proven wrong and most of them, notably first line wing Jackson Sterrett always skate over see the boys standing and give them a little head nod kind of letting them know "Yeaaaa buddy lets gooo". This happens every game and the boys light up. This season Endicott decided to sell jerseys from the programs history as way to raise money. Dylan and Ryan asked me to get them one and how could I say no? Ryan picked out number 11 for one of his favorite players Zack Mazur. Dylan chose 16 which I thought was an nod to his dad who wore 16 my whole career. Nope I wasn't so lucky. Dylan chose that for his favorite player big 6'2 defenseman AJ Martinelli. They were pumped and excited to wear them to the next game. Off we went. Everyone smiled as the kids walked by in their much to big jerseys. During the game these 2 ladies walked by us and informed us they were the girlfriends of the players on the backs of the jerseys and would the boys like to meet them after the game. Dylan and Ryan jumped with excitement. They would finally get to meet the players instead of just a quick fist bump. That particular game ended in a shootout loss for the Gulls. But after the game the boys waited very patiently until the moment finally came. Out came AJ and Zack and the boys smiles were ear to ear. Now remember these guys just lost a shootout. They could have just said hello and went on their way. But as I said in the opening sentence. Hockey is the greatest sport in the world. AJ and Zack spent easily a half hour with the kids. Asking about their own hockey careers. Thanking them for being at the game and letting them know they do notice them going nuts in the crowd. They took a few pictures, signed their jerseys and said their goodbyes. This all could have ended right there and I think the boys would still be Endicott fans for life. But I wouldn't be so eager to tell this story if it did. The next time the practice schedules aligned the boys were ready for fist bumps and to say hi to their 2 new friends. Well I'm not certain if AJ or Zack said anything about the meeting but more then a few players now knew their names and all came over to say hello after practice. Further helping the dream of 2 young hockey players. 

Now in hockey injuries happen. Its a way of life. AJ ended up suffering I think a lower body injury and he missed a few games. So during the practices he would be off to the side doing leg work or riding the bike trying to get back on the ice. We would show up to the rink and AJ would literally stop his rehab workout to come over and say hello to Dylan and Ryan as well as my wife and I. This is a young man who is battling and injury during his senior year he absolutely does not have to stop what he is doing just to say hello. But he did. More then once. The BYH program had an odd practice one night where myself and one other coach would be the only ones running a practice for 4 teams. So the Endicott head coach RJ Tolan said he would send some players to help out. AJ, Zack, Jackson, Andrew Kurapov among others showed up and helped out that night and it is still the best practice we have had all season. There are a few more stories I can tell from this team but I think I've made my point. You go to any professional game in any sport and there are hundreds of kids and adults yelling and asking for autographs, pucks etc. Most of them walk by. The Kindness, Humbleness, and just overall decent human beings that are currently a part of the Endicott College men's hockey team I think can not be matched. They have taken the lives of 2 kids and made them the stars of the show on their own game nights. The kids always talk about "we know the team, We are friends with them" Like they are just guys in the neighborhood. Honestly that is what they are. They aren't up tight college kids. They aren't egotistical athletes. They are hockey players. They are Gulls and they are the stars of tomorrow in the eyes my kids. 

Dylan's new goal is to get them to a game of his so he can "go top shelf in front the the Gulls"

Ryan wants nothing more then to be the next goalie of the Endicott Gulls because his friends Atticus, Ryan and Krysten can show him how. 

Stick taps from this father to all of the Gulls including coach Tolan for being the greatest people the hockey world has seen. Thank you all for making my kids lives that much better every time they see you guys. 

GO GULLS!!!!!