Submitted by Cheryl Park
The Westfield High School Boys hockey team launched its first “Play hockey with the Blue Devils #BluePuck” event this past December.
The free program held at the Westfield Rink teamed up hockey players aged 5 to 10 years old with their high school counterparts on December 16, 2018. Over 60 boys and girls registered for the program in just two days.
The boys hockey team had 58 players volunteer during the program, which included both varsity and junior varsity players.
Although it was a blustery, cold and rainy day, Mother Nature didn’t stop the young boys and girls from practicing their stick skills and shots on goal with the high school team.
Westfield volunteers welcomed children and parents, assisted with check-in, helped youths with equipment and practiced with players for 75 minutes on the ice during drills and scrimmages.
“I forget how tiny the skates are,” said Jake Toth, a freshman on the junior varsity team. “The kids were so excited in the locker room and it was great to help out.”
Rookies got their share of high fives, chatted with high school players, grabbed photos with the Blue Devil Mascot and had their very own #BluePuck autographed.
Parents, grandparents, children and players shared smiles at the event.
Westfield High School Varsity Coach Joe Bertucci guided his team on the importance of giving back. “A strong team bond between players is more than the talks in the locker room and what they do on the ice, it’s about players getting involved in their community and growing together as a team,” he said.
Joe Bonnett, regional manager with USA Hockey’s American Development Model, recently wrote an article speaking to that point. “The hockey culture has always had its roots in community,” Bonnett states. “Hockey players by their very nature are humble people. Playing hockey means always putting the needs of the team over the interests of the individual and this mindset carries over into the community.”
That sentiment rang true as the first #BluePuck event exemplified the nature of the sport, bringing the community together. High school players acknowledged their impact in making a difference to the youth of Westfield and in turn gained great lessons to carry forward far beyond their years at WHS.
“It was as much fun for us as it was for the kids. Our team had a great time volunteering,” said Tim Rosa, a senior on the varsity team.
“These kids were so happy to be there,” said John Humiston, a senior on the Varsity team. “It made me realize just how much it meant to them to skate with us.”
Captain CJ Duffy, a senior, alternate captain Alex Park, also a senior, and Trevor Tanella, a junior, were instrumental in creating #BluePuck. “We wanted to continue our community service efforts,” Park said. “These last couple of years, the team has volunteered with Children’s Specialized Hospital, St. Joseph’s Food Bank and the YMCA, but we really wanted to create something unique that was special for the kids of Westfield.” Duffy added “Many of us are seniors and will head to college next year. We wanted to start a tradition for the future high school hockey players in the Westfield community. That is how the idea of #BluePuck came about.”
Westfield High School Independent Hockey Association President Jim Tanella offered praise for the event. “It was heartwarming to watch these little ones and reflect back on my own son’s hockey experience” Tanella said. “Witnessing the friendships of these high school boys and realizing that their connections began long ago like many of the youth players here today. It’s what the hockey community is all about.”
Westfield parent Andrea Gerlach’s 7-year-old son attended.
“We have the good fortune of a rink in our own community,” Gerlach said. “Thank you to the WHS hockey team for their hard work in creating so much excitement for the next generation of WHS hockey players. It was amazing for all the kids who attended and my son was just so excited to skate with ‘real hockey players.’ I hope they know that they made his day.”
Live for Hockey, Love for Community. Follow the WHS boys varsity ice hockey team on Twitter @westfieldpuck for updates on the season’s activities. Fans can also visit WHSpuck on Facebook and Instagram. Visit westfieldhockey.com for up to date team schedules.
Photos by James Finver.
