A Legacy Continues: Minneapolis FC Helps Kids Play Hockey

For Minneapolis financial consultant Dan Brooks, hockey runs in the family. Brooks’ father was legendary hockey coach Herb Brooks, who led the U.S. national hockey team to the gold medal at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York.

After his father passed away in 2003, Dan and his sister created the Herb Brooks Foundation as a way to continue their father’s passion and provide opportunities for youth to play the game he loved. Through programs that include after-school clinics and summer camps, the organization uses hockey to teach children important life lessons such as leadership, discipline and teamwork.

PHOTO CAPTION: Children and families get autographs from players following the July 24 all-star game

Earlier this year, friends and supporters of the Herb Brooks Foundation came together to focus on another initiative—helping children of deployed, currently serving or combat-wounded Minnesota military members play the game of hockey. In the past two months alone, the foundation has held hockey camps and provided equipment and transportation for 300 children of military families. To expand their efforts, the foundation partnered with a non-profit organization called Defending the Blue Line, which was created by soldiers to give children of military members serving in Iraq and Afghanistan the opportunity to play hockey.

On July 23 and 24, the two organizations held the first-ever Herbie’s Heroes Hockey Camp at the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minnesota. The free event for military families included 1.5 hours of on-ice training each day, a picnic celebration and raffles for jerseys and other prizes.

An all-star benefit game concluded the weekend, which saw celebrity and former NHL players representing the Herb Brooks Foundation take on the Minnesota Military All-Star team, comprised of active-duty service members.

Nearly 500 people attended the game, which boasted well-known players such as Rob McClanahan, Steve Christoff, Joe Dziedzic, Dan Hendrickson, Tom Chorske, Brian Bellows and Larry Olimb. Many players stayed to sign autographs for attendees after the game.

“My father would have been extremely proud of this event. It was a special way to honor not only his love of hockey, but for his country and the military as well,” remarked Dan. “Also, a special thanks to (Midwest regional director) Tom Sagissor for his involvement and support of the event!”

The event garnered national media attention, including an article featured on NHL.com.

Larry Hendrickson speaks with KFAN's Paul Allen

HBF Program Director Larry Hendrickson appeared on KFAN (AM 1130) with Paul Allen on Friday, July 23 to talk about the late Herb Brooks and preview the first-ever Herbie's Heroes Hockey Camp and All-Star Benefit Game. Listeners emailed and called in to reflect on Herb's lasting legacy.

Audio MP3 Clip Here

Foundation Helps Children Of Military Families Play Hockey

Foundation Helps Children Of Military Families Play Hockey (KSTP Channel 5 News, Steve Shaw)

Local hockey legends joined with the Herb Brooks Foundation to put on a special show for military families Saturday.
The exhibition in Blaine capped two months of free hockey camps that the foundation hosted for hundreds of children of service members.

Four months ago, an organization that aids military families approached Larry Hendrickson of the Herb Brooks Foundation. Their problem was that many military families cannot afford hockey gear for their kids.

So, the Herb Brooks Foundation went to work. In the past two months, close to 300 kids have gotten free transportation to free hockey camps, as well as free gear.

Larry Hendrickson hopes what started here will become a tradition.

 


 

Military children receive charitable assist from hockey

By Rocky Bonanno - NHL.com Staff Writer

Shane Hudella lives in the State of Hockey, born and raised in Hastings, Minn.

He and his wife have a growing family -- they are two children short of icing their own hockey team. While still in high school, Hudella enlisted in the National Guard and has now served in the military for 22 years, a career that includes deployment in Operation Desert Storm and training missions overseas. He took up playing hockey in his teens and now competes on the National Guard team -- with a championship to his credit -- in addition to rooting for the hometown Wild.

To say Hudella is just another hockey fan/player/dad is way off the mark. A self-described fanatic with altruistic values, it's his desire to help his fellow soldiers that has Hudella working long hours that rival a CEO of a Fortune 500 company.

Hudella, 39, is the co-founder and president of Defending the Blue Line, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization created by soldiers with the goal of keeping hockey alive for the children of our nation's military heroes. Hudella and his colleagues accomplish that mission statement by running camps and special events, as well as providing free equipment and financial assistance for registration fees and other costs associated with hockey.

"I have a number of other full-time colleagues in the Minnesota National Guard, and there's a group of us that are hockey fanatics," Hudella told NHL.com during a break from his busy schedule. "The majority have been deployed multiple times since 9-11, and myself and the core group, all of us buddies and peers on a hectic schedule, wondered what happens to kids and hockey when their parents go away.

"I have four boys, three in hockey programs, and my wife would have a super tough time the next time I'm tapped to go somewhere."

It's an admirable gesture on Hudella's part, wanting children to enjoy hockey while the stress of military life turns parents into soldiers. Minnesota has done more than its part in supplying talent to the NHL, and with hockey so popular and leagues available at so many age levels, the mission of Defending the Blue Line was and never will be developing the NHL's next 50-goal scorer. But if it happens, great!

"The big part of it is, A) helping military families with struggles and obstacles when parents are deployed," Hudella said. "Say a mom has been deployed in the last couple of years, and the dad is not in the military. All of a sudden he finds himself at home, a single dad for the first time in his life with three or four kids. There are ways we can help out financially with the cost for the gear, making sure the kids stay plugged in with their hockey program, and keep them interested. It's a great way to get the stress and worries out of their mind.

"(And) B) are the smiles we get, the thank you's. Last season we got 500-plus military family members together to attend a Wild game. For me, it tells me that for brief periods of time we got to take away the worries and stress of deployment and parents being gone."

The spark that led to the Wild outing, and ultimately the legitimization of Defending the Blue Line, came from defenseman Brent Burns.

Hockey Weekend Across America
"On the National Guard side of things, we are heavy into community partnership," Hudella said. "Because of that involvement, we brought in a group of players and management, owner Craig Leipold, from the Wild, and they wanted to observe training with us for a day, out in the field with some soldiers. Brent went along on that trip. His grandfather and great-grandfather were soldiers in the Canadian military. That relationship blossomed between him and the National Guard. Defending the Blue Line was in the process of being built at the time … it all came together for everybody."

Burns was eager to help military families, so he purchased a suite at Xcel Energy Center with the express purpose of filling it with soldiers and their children. The group became known as Burnzie's Battalion.

"With my grandfather and great-grandfather both having been in the military, I have a great appreciation and respect for the sacrifices our service members make to defend our freedom everyday," Burns said in a statement. "I think Defending the Blue Line is doing a great job of taking care of military families by helping out with equipment and other costs related to hockey, while the camps from the Herb Brooks Foundation will allow many more deserving kids to play the game."

From a grassroots good-will gesture, Defending the Blue Line turned into a full-fledged incorporated non-profit shortly before the 2009-10 season. Hudella and his colleagues now have office space in Hastings, approximately 20 miles southeast of St. Paul.

"We're all volunteers, but we do not staff it every day," Hudella said of the office he visits seven days a week, typically after completing his shift at the National Guard base. It is at the office where soldiers come to outfit their children with hockey gear (made possible by George Parros of Anaheim and the NHL Players' Association) in the evenings. If Hudella gets a request outside of Minnesota, he'll do his best to ship the equipment. The children are allowed to keep the equipment with the simple promise that they'll return the gear when they outgrow it. The equipment will then be passed on to another child.

"Last night I had a soldier and his 8-year-old goalie drive 3 1/2 hours through severe weather to come in and get his first set of brand-new Reebok goalie equipment," Hudella said. "They were there for a half hour and then turned around and drove all the way back. The kid was just cute as a button. He is attending a camp next week put on by the Waterloo Black Hawks (of the United States Hockey League), made possible for us by the Herb Brooks Foundation. He was smiles from the time he came in until he left, and he looked up at me at one point and said, 'I am so excited for this camp. My mom even said that I'm going to make all kinds of new friends there!' Man it was awesome! Dad's on the hook to deploy in the coming year."

In the Herb Brooks Foundation, which honors the memory of the late Minnesota-born coach who left a huge legacy on U.S. hockey as the leader of the 1980 Miracle on Ice gold-medal team, Defending the Blue Line has found a natural partner in charitable causes. Next week, the two organizations will operate a camp called "Herbie's Heroes," helping military families from Minnesota and the Midwest.

The camp will provide the highest level of on-ice training for deployed, currently-serving and combat-wounded service members' children. A highlight of the camp is an All-Star game between the Herb Brooks Foundation (celebrity and former and current NHL players) and the Minnesota Military All-Stars (currently serving military players). The camp will conclude with a picnic and celebration of the military families.

The Herb Brooks Foundation is dedicated to providing more opportunities for kids to play the game of hockey. True to Brooks' words, the Foundation will assist in "making hockey fun for kids and letting them learn to love the game the way we did."

In keeping with this ideal, the Foundation supports programs that emphasize the development of youth hockey players and coaches throughout the country. The Foundation also assists in providing more outdoor hockey facilities and programs, which directly impact the development of youth hockey players.

"The Herb Brooks Foundation really is multi-faceted," Dan Brooks, son of Herb and board member of the foundation, told NHL.com. "We want to make the game of hockey better at all levels, doing things for elite athletes all the way down to the less fortunate. While we want to make the game better, we also want to make people's lives better through the game of hockey.

"This situation came up, and knowing my father, if he was alive today, not only his love of hockey but for his country and the military, he would have been all over this and supporting it. We are fortunate to be partnered with Defending the Blue Line."

"This is our biggest endeavor, without a doubt," said Hudella, who expects 100 to 120 children to benefit from "Herbie's Heroes." "This camp has turned into an incredible event. Multiple television and media outlets will be on hand. It'll be a great time for families to have first-class training on the ice, a picnic, and just enjoy family togetherness.

"Part of the deal going into this is we're soldiers first. Once we accomplish our assigned missions, this is a great way for us on non-duty time to give something back to the next generation of soldiers."

"Herbie's Heroes" takes place on July 23-24 at the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minn. Children will receive about an hour and a half of ice time per day. At the conclusion of the skate on the second day, the rink is open to the public for the All-Star game. The contest is free (donations are accepted), and raffles will be sold to win the signed jerseys of celebrity skaters.

Confirmed celebrities are 1980 Olympians Dave Christian, Steve Christoff and Rob McClanahan, and former NHLers Tom Chorske, Darby Hendrickson, Joe Dziedzic and Brian Bellows. Dan Brooks, a former standout defenseman at the University of Denver, will also suit up. Coaching the celebrity team will be former Minnesota North Stars defenseman Brad Maxwell.

"I'll give it a whirl, so that should be interesting," Dan Brooks said. "I haven't played in a while, so it'll be interesting for me to go out there. I'm excited to see that line of the three 1980 Olympians. Those are great guys and great players in their own right. It'll be a fun afternoon."

To learn more about these organizations, please visit www.defendingtheblueline.com and www.herbbrooksfoundation.com.

Contact Rocky Bonanno at rbonanno@nhl.com
Original article posted here

Herbie’s Heroes Hockey Camp For Military Children

HERBIE’S HEROES SET FOR THIS WEEKEND

Camp for military children begins Friday; All-Star Benefit Game on Saturday

BLAINE, MN – A new partnership between the Herb Brooks Foundation and Defending the Blue Line has announced its final plans for the first-ever “Herbie’s Heroes” Hockey Camp and All-Star Benefit Game the weekend of July 23-24 at the National Sports Center in Blaine.

The mission of “Herbie’s Heroes” is to help military families from Minnesota with deployed, currently serving or combat-wounded service members. Both organizations believe the sacrifice these families have made should not interfere with their children’s opportunities to play hockey.

The camp will provide the highest level of on-ice training at no cost to military families, courtesy of a special donation from the Herb Brooks Foundation.

Highlights of the camp include the “Herbie’s Heroes All-Star Benefit Game” at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 24 between the Herb Brooks Foundation (celebrity and former NHL Players) and the Minnesota Military All-Stars (active-duty service members from Minnesota). The camp will conclude with a picnic and celebration of the military families.

Special guests playing in the All-Star Benefit Game include: Rob McClanahan, Steve Christoff, Dave Christian, Joe Dziedzic, Darby and Dan Hendrickson, Tom Chorske, Brian Bellows, Larry Olimb, Dan Brooks and more.

The Herbie’s Heroes All-Star Benefit Game, held on Super Rink No. 6, is open to the public as a free-will offering. Special commemorative jerseys will be worn by each team and raffled off after the game. All proceeds will benefit military families from Minnesota.

“The Herb Brooks Foundation’s partnership with Defending the Blue Line is another cause that Herb would have truly embraced if he were still alive today,” – Dan Brooks, son of legendary coach Herb Brooks.

Video News Story


Video by Brittany Falkers, Video News Reporter
 

US Olympians Visit Rink Rats

USA Women's Hockey silver medalists Gigi Marvin and Caitlin Cahowplayed in-line hockey with the Rink Rats at Bohanon Park on Monday.They spoke with the kids about the Olympics and showed them theirmedals.

In its second year of existence, the Rink Rat program has givenhundreds of inner-city children the opportunity to play and learn thegame in a safe, fun environment at no cost. From the north to thesouth side of the Twin Cities, kids who might have never hit the iceare getting the chance learn the game Herb’s way.

   

HERB BROOKS FOUNDATION PAYING IT FORWARD

Foundation donates $45,000 worth of equipment to Spooner Hockey

Spooner, WI – Three years ago, the Herb Brooks Foundation received a generous contribution from Lifetime Fitness, featuring top-of-the-line weight training equipment for the Herb Brooks Training Center located at the National Sports Center in Blaine, MN.

We’d like to pay it forward.

Over the last couple years, the US Women’s Olympic Team and our partners at FHIT (Flexx Hockey Institute of Training), who run programs out of the HBTC, have identified equipment which is not being used. Instead of selling the gear for a profit, the Herb Brooks Foundation has passed along roughly $45,000 worth of equipment to the Northwest Sports Complex in Spooner, Wisconsin where there is a strong, growing hockey culture.

“It was a gift to us. We thought we should find a more beneficial use by giving it to someone who would make more use of the equipment,” HBF Executive Director Skip Peltier said. “We’re paying it forward. We recognized that a lot of kids in this area would benefit instead of us getting a financial gain.”

The weight-training equipment will be used to further develop hockey players and athletes in the Spooner area and surrounding communities.

“It’s not about the value of it, but how we can maximize the gift,” Peltier said. “It made much more sense to give it to these hockey players. It’s part of our mission.”

This summer, the Herb Brooks Foundation will send 100 kids – 50 from Minneapolis and 50 from Saint Paul – to Spooner, WI for a week-long hockey training camp, thanks to Butch Johnson of Johnson Timber for his generous contributions. The trip includes on and off-ice training, including cookouts, swimming and campfires.

  

THANK YOU! Your contributions continue to grow the game of hockey

Saint Paul, MN – The Herb Brooks Foundation would like to thank the NHL, Hockey Hall of Fame, Let’s Play Hockey, all volunteers, donors and visitors who helped make our Stanley Cup fundraiser a huge success. We couldn’t have done it without you.

“Through your generosity, the HBF was able to raise $7,000 dollars to help continue providing more than 400 inner-city youth with leadership training, life lessons and positive adult mentoring through the great game of hockey,” Executive Director Skip Peltier said.

All proceeds collected will benefit the Herb Brooks Foundation, which is dedicated to growing the game of hockey “from good to great.”

We hope to see you at our upcoming events. Yes – it’s that time of the year. Whip out those clubs and get to the driving range:

· The Herb Brooks Foundation golf tournament will be held at the White Bear Yacht Club on August 2, 2010. Details to be released soon.
· The inaugural Herb Brooks Foundation-PAL Inner City Hockey Program’s Golf Tournament at Hiawatha Golf Course on August 29, 2010. Registration deadline is August 1, 2010.

If you haven’t signed up for our quarterly newsletter, please email herbbrooksfoundation@gmail.com and we will update you on all things HBF, including feature stories, Q and As, news, notes and our Miracle spotlight.

Don’t forget to send in your nominations for this year’s Herb Brooks Foundation Youth Hockey Hall of Fame induction. Visit the Awards section at www.herbbrooksfoundation.com for more details and the proper forms.

-- Herb Brooks Foundation --

       

       

Rink Rats Present Appreciation Plaque To Augsburg Hockey

By Aaron Paitich

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – As a thank you for all of Augsburg hockey’s time, leadership and commitment to the Herb Brooks Foundation, the Seward Montessori Rink Rats presented an appreciation plaque to them during the first intermission of Friday night’s game against St. Olaf at Augsburg Ice Arena.

For the past couple months, members of the men’s hockey team joined the Rink Rats at Matthews Park every Wednesday for some old-fashioned outdoor hockey. Program Director Larry Hendrickson said the Auggies contributed more than just skate tying and crisp passing, but created a relational-instruction experience the kids won’t soon forget.

“What they’ve really done is create a relationship first and instruction second,” Hendrickson said. “And the kids really respond to that. These kids love them.”

This is the second year Augsburg hockey has been involved in the Foundation’s Rink Rat program, which provides inner-city children a chance to learn the game of hockey in a safe, fun environment at no cost. Many of these kids would have never had the opportunity to skate without this program.

The Rink Rats are not the only party who benefited from the experience. The Auggies got to know some great kids in their neighborhood while teaching the sport they love. Augsburg College continues to be a community-oriented institution dedicated to serving its neighbors – and they do it without hesitation.

 “They came down every week with a smile on their face,” Hendrickson said. “They are the type of people, if they have the potential to help someone, they are almost thankful for that opportunity. We are so lucky to have them around.”

 Augsburg’s senior captain Chris Johnson said the team is extremely thankful for the plaque but that’s not why they do it.

“Yes – it is very nice to have the plaque in our locker room to remind us of what we are doing,” Johnson said. “But we are much more concerned and happy about seeing the kids each week and the expressions on their face when they get the chance to skate. As hockey players, it’s a chance for us to give back to the game that has done so much for us, but also a chance to give back to the Augsburg community.”

Augsburg and the Herb Brooks Foundation look forward to another winter of outdoor hockey in next year’s Rink Rat program.

“This opportunity to work with the children on an outdoor rink gives us another chance to not only show the kids a great sport, but to be a role model for them,” Johnson said.

PHOTO CREDIT: Kelly Anderson Diercks, Augsburg College

Tom Brokaw interviews the Brooks Family

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

By Aaron Paitich

MAHTOMEDI, MN – NBC’s Tom Brokaw, one of the most respected figures in broadcast journalism, made a special trip to Minnesota this week for an exclusive interview with the Brooks family.

The story will air Tuesday, February 16 on NBC’s Today Show, commemorating Herb’s life, legacy and the continuing efforts to grow hockey through the Herb Brooks Foundation.

With the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver rapidly approaching, the former anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News said it was perfect timing.

“It’s been 30 years since the Miracle on Ice and it still resonates with the American people,” Brokaw said, in the warming house at Mahtomedi Outdoor Ice Rink.

After interviewing Herb’s son, Dan Brooks, in Saint Paul at the Minnesota Wild’s headquarters, Brokaw decided to lace up a pair of skates for some outdoor hockey with Herb’s grandkids.

Admittedly not much of a hockey player, he couldn’t stress enough the impact and importance of Herb and the 1980 Olympic Team during a critical point in American history.

“That moment was a kind of important metaphor for the country: that we can do things if we get properly motivated and pull ourselves together,” Brokaw said. “And folks forget how difficult times were. We had an energy crisis, we had Iranian hostages – the country was down itself. They got such a lift out of a sporting event, and Herb was the big driver of all that.”

Click on thumbnails for larger view.

       

         

     

     

       

         

Auggies team up to help Rink Rats

By Aaron Paitich

MINNEAPOLIS -- As if the Augsburg College men’s hockey team didn’t skate enough.

Every Wednesday afternoon, a group of Auggies run over to Matthews Park in South Minneapolis, just six blocks away from campus, to volunteer their time and efforts with the Herb Brooks Foundation’s Rink Rat program. In its second year of existence, the Rink Rat program has given hundreds of inner-city children the opportunity to learn how to play hockey in a safe, fun environment at no cost.

Augsburg is returning for its second year at Matthews Park, which hosts the Seward Montessori School’s Rink Rats -- one of seven different Rink Rat programs across the Twin Cities. They have bonded quite well.

“We are part of this neighborhood,” assistant coach Bruce Johnson said. “And we are fulfilling the college’s mission to serve. It seemed like a natural fit for us and our hockey team to be apart of this.”

When the final bell rings at Seward Montessori, the kids walk over to the warming house, where all of the equipment is provided for them.

Gradually, the rinks fill up with more and more kids, all of different ages, skill sets, abilities and backgrounds – it’s truly a melting pot on ice.

Soon you see the Minneapolis Police Athletic League (PAL) joining the fray, playing pick-up games with some of the kids and helping those who are skating for the first time. At the same time, you can find Fox Sports North shooting film for a segment it will air during their Hockey Day Minnesota coverage to promote youth hockey development. Community partnerships cover all ends of the ice.

After the Rink Rats’ first year here, Helene Gauthier, community education coordinator at Seward Montessori, chose to renew this program instantly.

“It’s the sort of program that you need partners in the community and that’s why I chose to work with the Herb Brooks Foundation again,” Gauthier said. “Schools need to have partnerships. The Augsburg players provide great role models and it gives them a chance to give back to the community while meeting and working with new kids. This is an excellent opportunity for everyone.”

Senior captain Chris Johnson -- son of U.S. Olympic women’s hockey head coach Mark Johnson, who played for Herb Brooks on the “Miracle On Ice” gold-medal-winning 1980 U.S. Olympic team, said it’s tough for some people to get into hockey because of the barriers it presents, but these kids have a great starting point.

“Hockey in general is tough because it’s an expensive sport -- that’s the hardest part about it,” Chris Johnson said. “This is the best after-school program I’ve ever been a part of. There’s nothing better than coming outside to play hockey. It’s great to see the kids’ smiles. They enjoy coming out here and we enjoy being with them.”

Directed by Augsburg alumnae Janet Marvin ‘86, the Rink Rat program will continue through February as long as the outdoor rinks are maintained. Last year, the weather didn’t cooperate all winter, but the Auggies managed to get them some ice time in their home rink. Now, if only they could get out of practice a few minutes earlier to help in the warming house.

“I wish they could get here a little sooner. It’s quite a workout tying 30 pairs of skates,” Marvin said.

Article originally published here.

1980 Herb Brooks Memorabilia on sale on eBay

1980 Herb Brooks Memorabilia on sale on eBay. Proceeds from the sale of this item will benefit the Herb Brooks Foundation.

Click here to go to eBay page!
 

Kids At Hmong Academy Learn The Joy Of Hockey

James Schugel MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO)

As we previously reported on High School Sports Rally, hockey can be an expensive sport to delve into, but some are out to change that for students who can't afford the costs.

And they're doing so for children who have perhaps never taken to the ice, a group of sixth-graders at the Hmong International Academy in north Minneapolis.

They have never experienced the game of hockey because, up until now, no one had ever taught them. Now they're learning to play hockey at the end of their school days. And they aren't even being charged for pucks, sticks or skates.

Some of the volunteers helping the children learn hockey are Minneapolis Police officers. One of them, Mike Moore, is a hockey player himself.

"I just get the pure enjoyment of playing with the kids," remarked Moore. "They've never seen, they've never touched ice before. It's like somebody coming from Texas, saying I've never touched snow before."

Every week, Moore joins a group of volunteers who bring the Hmong International Academy's students to North Commons Park for practice. There, they teach them the essentials of ice skating and the fundamentals of hockey.

"Nobody in my family has ever played hockey before," said 10 year-old Ntomong Lee. "I've gotten better since the first time. It's very fun and exhausting."

The students who were once wobbly and apprehensive on ice skates are growing more confident and skilled with each passing day.

"I was scared that I might fall and people would laugh at me, and I was scared that I could have got hurt. But now I'm really better at it," said 11-year-old Kristy Lor. "It's really, really fun."

The program is paid for by the Herb Brooks Foundation, along with the Minneapolis Police Department, Minneapolis Public Schools and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. They bus the kids once a week during much of January and February to the outdoor rink.

The volunteers say they enjoy watching children who might never have been introduced to hockey revel in the joys of a sport they're learning to love.

"Just to see the smiles on kids' faces is a wonderful thing," remarked volunteer Janet Marvin. "Here we're giving kids the opportunity to do something, and they absolutely love it."

Let's Play Hockey Expo 2010!

More information here (PDF)

How 4-year-old boy mastered 'Miracle' speech in YouTube hit

How 4-year-old boy mastered 'Miracle' speech in YouTube hit
By Greg Wyshynski

Jim Sacco estimates that his son Josh has watched "Miracle," the film about the 1980 U.S. Olympic men's hockey team's legendary upset of the Soviets, nearly 150 times. Apparently, the movie has made quite an impression on the young fan.

Nicknamed "Rizzo" after the gold medal-winning team's captain Mike Eruzione, Josh sparked an Internet sensation this week when his hilarious, inspirational and eerily impeccable interpretation of actor Kurt Russell's locker room speech as Coach Herb Brooks went viral -- spreading everywhere from blogs to USA Today to the "Ellen" show.

No professional coaching. No fancy editing. No script, because Rizzo hasn't learned to read yet -- he was just 4 years old when his father filmed the speech earlier this year, making it all the more remarkable.

If you haven't seen this clip yet, you've not seen anything like it before:

"Tonight, we skate whiff'um! Tonight, we stay whiff'um! And we shut dem down because we CAN!"

READ MORE HERE.

PHOTOS:

        

From Wild Game:

     

     

From Gopher Game:

 

Video from YouTube:

5 year old memorized "Miracle" Speech - Kare 11

Video: Josh Sacco visiting the MN Wild and Josh Harding in the MN Wild Locker Room

U.S. Hall of Fame inductees reflect on Coach Brooks

It's become a recurring theme each season when the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame gets together to induct its newest members. At some point, those enshrined will acknowledge the impact legendary coach Herb Brooks had on their careers.

This year was no different when USA Hockey saluted Tony Amonte, John LeClair, Tom Barrasso, the 1998 Olympic women's hockey team and inventor Frank Zamboni during the 37th ceremony and dinner on Tuesday at the Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel.

In addition to honoring this year's inductees, USA Hockey paid tribute to the 1960 U.S. Olympic Men's Team that garnered gold in Squaw Valley, Calif. This February will mark the 50th Anniversary of that group winning the United States' first Olympic gold in ice hockey. Brooks was the last player cut from that team.

"People don't realize this, but I also cut three of my best players from West Point from that Olympic Team," 1960 Men's Olympic coach Jack Riley told NHL.com. "If I was going to keep someone, I would have kept an extra defenseman and not a forward. If I could have had four lines, I could have kept (Brooks)."

Still, Riley was proud of Brooks and his accomplishment during the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" in Lake Placid.

CONTINUED HERE

2009 Used Hockey Equipment Drive

The equipment giveaway just wrapped up and the HBF would like to thank all of the high school players, parents and especially the staff at Berger Allied for all of their great work. We sorted the gear into over 70 speed packs. This was enough equipment to fill 1 1/2 semi-trailers. We had over 750 people come through and get equipment.

Virtually every item was gone but a few breezers. Everyone that came to the giveaway was so thankful that this was done and hoped we would do it again next year. They said that if this drive was not organized their son or daughter may not be able to play hockey this season. A big thank you to everyone who helped in this effort, it was a great success!

MINNESOTA WILD PARTNERS WITH LET’S PLAY HOCKEY, MINNESOTA HOCKEY FOR EQUIPMENT DRIVE

SAINT PAUL/MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The Minnesota Wild, Let’s Play Hockey and Minnesota Hockey today announced a partnership on a used hockey equipment drive through Thursday, Oct. 1. The announcement was made at an Xcel Energy Center press conference including Minnesota Wild Head Coach and former Crystal Youth Hockey Association player Todd Richards, who made the first donation. Three-time U.S. Olympian and Eagan native Natalie Darwitz will also serve as a celebrity spokesperson for the equipment drive.

Sponsors and partners for the program include Berger Transfer, Boehm’s, FOX Sports North, the Herb Brooks Foundation, Let’s Play Hockey, Minnesota Girls Hockey Coaches Association, Minnesota High School Hockey Coaches Association, Minnesota Hockey, Minnesota Ice Arena Managers Association, Minnesota Wild, Upper Midwest High School Elite Hockey League, Warrior Hockey and Westwood Sports.

“The need is greater today than ever before, so let's make sure anyone who wants to stay in hockey or begin to play for the first time has the equipment to make it happen,” said Let’s Play Hockey publisher Doug Johnson.

Berger Transfer has placed drop-off boxes throughout the Twin Cities at select arenas and hockey shops through Thursday, Oct. 1. On Saturday, Oct. 10, the equipment will be distributed to hockey associations and individuals at Xcel Energy Center from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

The drop-off locations include the following arenas: Burnsville, Woodbury, Super Rink (Blaine), Eden Prairie, Plymouth, Lakeville, Bloomington, Eagan, Highland (St. Paul), St. Thomas (Mendota Heights), Stillwater, Cottage Grove, Minnetonka, Maple Grove, Apple Valley, White Bear Lake, Braemar (Edina) and Buffalo. Westwood Sports (Bloomington and Apple Valley) and Boehm’s (Mendota Heights and St. Paul) are also drop-off locations.

In addition, Xcel Energy Center will have drop-off boxes stationed on top of the Xcel Energy Center Box Office for the Wild’s pre-season game on Thursday, Sept. 24, as well as the Qwest Tour on Friday, Sept. 25, featuring the 2010 U.S. Women’s Olympic Team taking on the Western Collegiate Hockey Association Women’s All-Stars. Fans bringing in used equipment items for the Qwest Tour game on Sept. 25 will receive a voucher for $5 off the price of up to four tickets ($15 general admission).

The Upper Midwest High School Elite Hockey League will donate used gear to the drive, while Warrior hockey will donate new gear. Boehm’s hockey shop in St. Paul and Mendota Heights will provide cleaning for the donated equipment.

For more information, please contact Doug Johnson of Let’s Play Hockey at (612) 729-0023.
-- WILD --

Herb Brooks is gone, but not forgotten

2010 Winter Olympics By Mike G. Morreale - NHL.com Staff Writer WOODRIDGE, Ill.
Original article here

It's pretty rare to attend any USA Hockey event nowadays without the name Herb Brooks popping up at some point.

That's because USA Hockey and Herb Brooks are synonymous, and it's why the entire hockey community mourned the death of the legendary coach in a car accident on Aug. 11, 2003. Brooks’ valuable lessons of life and hockey -- "Herbisms" -- will forever remain a part of the American sports culture.

"I think you can really define it pretty simply -- Herb Brooks was the architect of the single most significant moment in the history of American hockey," USA Hockey Executive Director Dave Ogrean told NHL.com. "His role with that team was clearly one of larger-than-life dominance since we were dealing with players younger than we have now. Herb was the leader, the one who molded them, pushed them and challenged them, and a guy who always insisted on doing things his way. He was never a compromiser, but, at the end of the day, he put his signature on what is the pinnacle moment for hockey in the United States."

Brooks followed up the 1980 Olympic "Miracle on Ice" in Lake Placid with a silver medal at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City.

"In the intervening years between 1980 and 2002, Herb spent most of that time in the NHL," Ogrean said. "He had coached, scouted and gotten more experience in Europe. He absorbed a lot of knowledge of international and NHL hockey, so when the NHL guys entered the Olympic Games, it was a logical fit to bring him back in 2002. And we almost did it again, but Canada was just better that day (in the gold medal game)."

Three of the 34 players invited to the 2009 United States Olympic Men's Orientation Camp had the opportunity to play for Brooks in the '02 Games -- forwards Mike Modano and Chris Drury and defenseman Brian Rafalski.

Each player took some time to provide NHL.com with some of their fondest memories of Brooks during that three-week stretch in 2002.

Mike Modano -- "Just having Herb there in Salt Lake with us and returning to the Olympics was so exciting. We really wanted to do it for Herb and get to the gold medal game and win one more for him. He wasn't really an X's and O's guy because he wouldn't elaborate on systems. He just went out there and asked us to skate hard and work hard and have fun because that's when good things happen. He was a real rah-rah guy and he had some great speeches leading up to some games, some very similar to the things he said in 1980 for Team USA and also when he coached Minnesota and then in New York."

Chris Drury -- "It was a big thrill. We all watched him growing up and to get to see how he handled our team and the veterans and how close we were to winning gold but just fell short was certainly something I'll never forget. He was really pretty casual. I think he knew the talent he had, especially with the older guys in the group that had won World Cup (in 1996). By not pressing too hard, I think he figured he would get the most out of us. He just seemed to have a real good relationship with our core group of guys."

Brian Rafalski -- "It was a great experience and my first Olympics so it's something I'll always remember. We were playing on home soil and skated for a legendary coach. It was great to hear the stories he shared and we wound up doing pretty well -- a silver is good. I'll never forget that summer camp he held in Colorado Springs when he told me "The legs feed the wolf." He wanted you to do this extra weight program after regular workouts and you're like, "Oh man, Herb, I don't know, I'm really tired." I mean, how much work do you need to do? But he certainly got the best out of us, and I feel honored to have played for him."

Contact Mike Morreale at mmorreale@nhl.com


U.S. Pond Hockey/Tournament Results + Thanks

Team Name: Herbies

TEAM: Dan Brooks, Randy Skarda, Phil Housley, Wally Chapman, Rich Farrell, Tom Sagissor

U.S. Pond Hockey/Tournament Results + Thanks‏

Hello Friends of the Pond!
We did it. We made it through another January without getting cabin fever, thanks to you, who came from all over the world to play a little pond hockey on the frozen waters of Lake Nokomis. You inhaled the bitter cold air like it was ice-cream, and you celebrated the purity of sport, the way we knew it as kids. And we all had a blast.

This year, winter was good to us once again, delivering frigid temperatures and bright sun for 72 hours of nose-cicles, frozen appendages, a fragrant tent, and some exceptionally competitive pond hockey.

The winners of the 2009 U.S. Pond Hockey Championships are:
- Open Division: "Concord USA," defeating "Cold Hands" 3-2
- Women's Division: "Seasoned Skaters," defeating "Barbette" 15-3
- 40+ Division: "Herbies," defeating "Pipewrench" 9-4
- 50+ Division: "Mpls. Moose," defeating "Saint Nix" 7-4
- Rink Rat Division: "Golden Ophers," defeating "Cougar Bait" 15-3

Awards
Outstanding players were awarded the Bill Wood MVP Award, which memorializes Bill Wood, a true pond hockey legend:

- Open Division: Billy Hengen of "Concord USA," Eden Prairie, MN
- Women's Division: Sue Ring-Jarvi of "Seasoned Skaters," Anoka, MN
- 40+ Division: Rich Farrell of "Herbies," Grant, MN
- 50+ Division: Randy Zejdlik of "Mpls. Moose," Maple Grove, MN
- Rink Rat Division: Jon Zurbey of "Golden Ophers," Cottage Grove, MN

 Thanks to all...
Thank you for your participation, for keeping the legacy and purity of pond hockey alive and thriving, and for helping us support several great causes: The Herb Brooks Foundation, DinoMights Inner City Youth Hockey Program, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, and the Emergency Foodshelf Network.

We also owe a huge amount of gratitude to our fantastic sponsors, who made this dream come true for yet another year on the lake. The 2009 USPHC presenting sponsor is Haberman, a brand public relations firm. Media partners include Star Tribune, KARE-11 and KFAN-AM Radio. Other sponsors include Summit Brewing, Co., Organic Valley, American Family Insurance, Sit Mutual Funds, TRIA, Joe Senser's, Valspar, C.H. Robinson, Toro, Phillips Distilling Co., Signature Supply Solutions, Ergodyne, General Sports, Breadsmith, Craig-Hallum, Vital Choice, Anchor Bank, and Courtyard by Marriott Minneapolis/Bloomington. Charity partners include the Herb Brooks Foundation, DinoMights Inner City Youth Hockey Program, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, and Emergency Foodshelf Network.

Thanks to Urban nature, the earth-friendly landscapers turned ice-scapers for maintaining the ice; to Dr. Christopher Ott from Fairview Clinics for serving as our medical director; and to Dr. Daniel Tierney from Accelerated Performance clinic for providing chiropractic care.

We continue to be amazed by the incredible youth and adult athletes from the Minnesota Sled Hockey Association, who display their pond prowess in our Saturday exhibition game series.

Finally, thanks also to the hundreds of volunteers and spectators who share with us the love of hockey in the great outdoors.

2010 USPHC
Start rallying your team for the 5th Annual U.S. Pond Hockey Championships! Registration should open up sometime in October. Check www.uspondhockey.com regularly to learn more.

See you on the pond,

Fred Haberman, Commissioner
U.S. Pond Hockey Championships
NEWS ARCHIVE