The words “on whose shoulders we stand” have been uttered in presidential inaugural addresses, on days of remembrance, in inspirational sermons from a pulpit and pregame speeches in a locker room.
For many, the history of Unites States hockey begins in 1980. But the history of USA Hockey cannot be told, and adequately put into historical perspective, without first remembering those who came before and may have been forgotten.
Though maybe not as recognizable to kids today as the names Kane, Matthews and Gaudreau, the pioneering players of decades past must be remembered in order to fully understand the history of USA Hockey.
Names like Mariucci, Mayasich, McCartan, Cleary, Christian, Brooks, Williamson, Boucha, Ftorek, Eruzione, Craig, Johnson, Granato, Ruggiero, Lamoureux, Cash and scores of others through the years, are those pioneers.
By knowing the past and who came before them, today’s generation also is able to discover their “hockey DNA.”
When we started playing hockey at 5-years-old in the Oswego (N.Y.) Minor Hockey Association we learned valuable lessons on how to skate and the basic fundamentals of the game. As we got older, we began to learn some of the intricacies of the game, as well as understanding our role as agitators and grinders. When the puck was dumped in the corner, despite being two of the smaller guys on our teams, we also became two of the most fearless (or stupid) in going to get it. That concept and work ethic has never abated.
Along the way, we became storytellers and writers. Almost 17 years ago we took our passions for hockey and writing and decided to write a book about the 1972 Men’s U.S. Olympic Hockey Team that won a silver medal in Sapporo, Japan.
Honestly, we didn’t really know how to write a book or where to begin. But, the story was ripe and the “puck was in the corner” so we decided to go get it. The result was Striking Silver: The Untold Story of America’s Forgotten Hockey Team (Professional Sports Publications/Skyhorse Publishing, 2006). Through our research and the telling of this team’s incredible story, we also discovered our hockey ancestry.
And so, it is with this in mind that we introduce a new column for USA Hockey Magazine. We are excited to join this new team and hope to share some of the history of USA Hockey members, teams, founders and other interesting people in the game with stories we’ve heard and seen in our lifetime of loving this sport. We hope you enjoy the words and stories we present in the coming pages of each publication.
See you in the corners.