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Syracuse men’s club ice hockey team has partnered with the CNY Flyers — a local club sled hockey team — for almost three years. They’ve played numerous games together while members of the Flyers have delivered pregame speeches to the Orange in the past.

Seth Gitner — a representative of Syracuse’s club team and Newhouse professor — wanted more than memorable moments. On Feb. 8, 2024, Gitner brought up a possible charity event to Connor Chesner and Tony Larkin, two veterans on Syracuse’s roster. In late March, the trio sat down at a local restaurant to discuss a possible sled hockey tournament. Their idea came to fruition three weeks later.

“These (two) teams have been rebuilding since Covid,” Larkin said. “Honestly when that happened (the pandemic), the programs needed a lot of rebuilding.”

On April 14, 2024, Syracuse men’s club ice hockey combined with the Flyers to host a sled hockey tournament at Tennity Ice Pavilion. The tournament consisted of five teams that each paid a $75 entry fee. A portion of the proceeds from the event benefited CNY Adaptive Sports, a nonprofit organization that helps those with disabilities participate in indoor and outdoor sports. The event began with round-robin games before playoffs decided the winner.

Syracuse men’s club hockey hosted the first ever charity sled hockey tournament at Tennity Ice Pavilion on April 14. Courtesy of Jack Henry | TheNewshouse.com

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Syracuse’s squad participated in philanthropic events, but they’ve become less frequent. Larkin explained a core tenet of the team’s culture has always been to “leave the place better than we found it.” The sled hockey tournament was a way to help uphold the mantra.

SU’s club ice hockey team announced the tournament on social media on April 8. Those interested filled out a google form, listing their participants. Each team required one player with a disability along with four to five other players from the Syracuse community. The club also created a separate webpage dedicated to meeting its total fundraising goal of $2,000, which accepted donations throughout the day.

“Hockey is for everyone, and this is a different form that people can play,” Chesner said. “We want to show the Syracuse community that there are other ways you can play hockey here on campus.”

Throughout the day, many Syracuse players gained a newfound respect for those with disabilities through their conversations. The stories they heard throughout the day are what they will remember the most.

“A lot of these individuals have gone through things that we can’t even imagine going through, so I think learning about what they went through and how they did it (overcame their disability) is super important,” SU forward Brett Edgren said. “Everyone should talk to them and hear their stories, because they give you things that you can take into your own life.”

Organizations like CNY Adaptive Sports have made it their mission to modify popular sports, giving disabled victims a chance to play alongside friends and family no matter their physical condition.

All proceeds from the event benefited CNY Adaptive Sports, a nonprofit organization that helps those with disabilities participate in indoor and outdoor sports. Courtesy of Jack Henry | TheNewshouse.com

“We’re very fortunate to be able to play hockey on two legs, so it’s just a good feeling to (still) play with them,” SU forward Jack Alecia said.

While the event accomplished its main goal of supporting CNY Adaptive Sports, Larkin feels it still needs to improve how it is advertised to the public. Regardless, the Orange and CNY Flyers are hopeful that this year’s charity sled hockey tournament was the beginning of what will become an annual tradition.

“We just want to shine a light on any area of the game that we can, whether it’s us or the women’s team or sled hockey,” Larkin said. “We love (ice hockey) so much and we want people to love it as much as we do.”

Published on April 15, 2024 at 11:37 pm

Contact Matthew: mgray06@syr.edu