“Okay here we go, a winner-take-all shootout – for the Championship!”
The play-by-play on the AM transistor radio crackles with hoarseness and static. After an hour of screaming, the announcer’s voice has finally given out. It’s been a memorable back and forth battle featuring numerous scoring chances and superb goaltending – enough to cause even a veteran hockey announcer to lose his voice!
What if I told you this is a true story? And not only is it a true story but what if I told you the Sled Dogs Hockey Club found themselves in this position – a shooter’s chance at a Championship – in only their first season together at Chelsea Piers? You’d say I was crazy, right? I would too had I not experienced it for myself. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
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The genesis of the Sled Dogs Hockey Club can be traced back to the Adult Hockey Clinic at Central Park’s Lasker Rink in January 2004. There, many future Sled Dogs from diverse backgrounds came together every Saturday afternoon. They each had a unique story that initially brought them to that clinic but their reasons for staying were the same: a passion for hockey, with the commitment to learn the game and improve their hockey skills.
And slowly but surely, that’s just what they did, thriving in the supportive community fostered by Alan Strachan, the director and coach of hockey at Lasker. That important first season laid the foundation on which future hockey development would be built. So when the Lasker season started again in the fall of 2004, the future Sled Dogs were chomping at the bit to resume their hockey education and wondering what they ever did without this game! They even decided (or were convinced by Alan) that the best way to really get better was to start playing on a team. And thus, the Grads were formed.
The Grads, a collection of mostly beginners from the Saturday clinic, played in Lasker’s 2nd Division that season and it was trial by fire as they were forced to learn the game (as opposed to individual hockey skills) just to avoid embarassment on the ice. So they read books on positioning and strategy, hired Alan to provide coaching, and practiced, and before long the results could be seen. Opponents’ goals were now scored based on higher skill level, rather than bad positioning or faulty game strategy and that’s when the Grads knew they were on to something. You see, the mistakes were physical not mental, and that meant with continued hard work and dedication the physical skills would improve to match their mental focus and preparation.
More important, however, were the strong friendships formed that season. The Lion’s Head Pub became the team’s favorite local watering hole and future Sled Dogs could be seen there Saturday nights after the afternoon clinic and weeknights following games. At this point the core nucleus of the group was Steve Chamberlin, Kim Shayo Buchanan, Kevin Wong, Damien Carter and Howard Krulewitz, all of whom would eventually assume leadership positions with the Sled Dogs. Although several other future Sled Dogs were frequently spotted at the rink and the bar, these five became the founding members of the Sled Dogs Hockey Club.
Toward the end of that season, knowing another hockey off-season would leave them unproductive and depressed, the Founding Five decided to start a Chelsea Piers team to compete in the spring. And so the five founding Sled Dogs began the demanding and oft-frustrating task of organizing the team, recruiting players to round out the roster, choosing a name, designing a logo, ordering sweaters and collecting payments. Steve was the obvious choice for Captain, while Kim and Kevin were named Alternate Captains. Damien kept stats for the Dogs, ensuring credit was given where credit was due and Howard took charge of the Official Sled Dogs Sweaters, doing his best to make this rag-tag group look presentable.
Many subsequent Sled Dogs and even fans have asked how the team name and colors were chosen but there are some secrets the Founding Five would rather not divulge. But it’s no accident the team’s name is Sled Dogs. Speed and endurance are essential to being a successful sled dog. But beyond that, the one critical thing necessary to anyone traveling by pulled sled over ice (Iditarod or not) is teamwork, and that is what the Sled Dogs Hockey Club was founded on – teamwork. That and a deep passion for hockey.
Which leaves us with the Sled Dogs Core Values:
- Sportsmanship
- Teamwork
- Improvement
- Lasting Friendships
Those still paying attention have noticed that winning is not listed as a Sled Dogs Core Value and may be wondering how can a group of hockey fanatics not care about winning? Of course the answer is that we all care passionately about winning but are smart enough to know that the Sled Dogs Core Values are all the ingredients needed for winning. In fact, stick to the Core Values and the winning happens.
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And that brings us back to October 15, 2005, the Championship Game of the Sled Dogs inaugural season. Imagine what it must have sounded like on Chelsea Piers AM Hockey Radio.
“This is it! After a scoreless 5 minute overtime, the Championship will be decided in a shootout. Sled Dogs goalie Christine Overbye has been sharp all night, standing on her head to make several spectacular saves in regulation. But can she stone the Blizzard in this format?
“First up for the Dogs is Matt Hall, the Blizzard have already scored on their first attempt. Hall skates in fast up the right side – he shoots………he scores!!! And the shootout is tied 1-1.
“Overbye is calm between the pipes, stoning the next two Blizzard shooters sandwiched around a backhand shot that slid just wide after Sled Dog Dan Dorval faked out the Blizzard goalie.
“So it comes down to Doug Gorenstein, the Championship is on his stick. He’s led the Sled Dogs in goals this season but none would be more important than this one – if it goes in.
“The goalie is ready, Gorenstein is ready. He takes the puck at center ice, swings out wide on the right side, he’s almost to the goal line……he swoops in, he dekes………he scores! He scores! He scores! The Sled Dogs are Spring D8 Champs! They’ve done it. They’ve done it! The Sled Dogs have done the impossible – they’ve won the championship in their first season! They’re mobbing Overbye, they’re mobbing Gorenstein…”
Important Dates in Sled Dogs History
5/7/05 – Sled Dogs First Game, 2-1 Win vs. Hotshots
10/15/05 – Sled Dogs Win D8 Championship, 4-3 OT Shootout vs. Blizzard
10/22/05 – Sled Dogs Move to Division 7
1/7/06 – Sled Dogs First D7 Victory, 11-6 vs. Wild Turkeys
10/29/06 – Sled Dogs Form New D8 Team, Beat Storm 3-2
