Columbus Ice Hockey Club and Clark Park Select Bantam Teams split two weekend games outside in Detroit

Columbus Ice Hockey Club visits Detroit for weekend of Pee Wee and Bantam outside games vs Clark Park Select Team

The Columbus Ice Hockey Club visited Clark Park this weekend for two days of outside Pee Wee and Bantam hockey games vs Clark Park Select Team of Clark Park skaters, former Detroit Dragons, and Dearborn Hockey Association players.

The Pee Wees faced off at 6:00 PM Saturday evening and at 10:00 am on Sunday.  Bantams games followed. 

The Clark Park attack featured Clark Park skaters, The Detroit Five - Detroit Dragons alums - Devin Bunch, Eric Bruinsma, Garrick Smith, Olajuwon Secrest & Marion Adams, and players from Dearborn Hockey.  The team was coached by Anthony Benavides and retired Detroit Hockey Association coach Bill Sullivan.

Clark Park breaks out into the Columbus zone.

Columbus Pee Wees attack the Clark Park zone in shadow of the Ambassador Bridge. 

Detroit won Saturday night's game 2 - 1. On Sunday morning Clark Park & Columbus tied 6-6 in regulation - featuring hat tricks from Garrick Smith of '02 USA Eagles in West Bloomfield and Eric Bruinsma '01 Livonia Lancers.  Columbus won in an "all players shoot" shootout score of 6-2. The Columbus Goalie made 14 saves for this overtime victory!  

Hockey in the Hood 8 finals to be played outdoors at Clark Park - Sunday (2/26/12)

Traditionally, HITH finals games have been played inside at Jack Adams Arena. This year Hockey in the Hood VIII championship games will be played outdoors at Clark Park in the afternoon. Additional games are scheduled for Sunday morning.

Following are the morning game times:
- 8:00 AM: Columbus Stars Pee Wees vs. Kesington Valley Generals
- 9:30 AM: Canton Crossfire Pee Wees vs. Detroit Dragons
- 11:00 AM: Detroit Hockey Association i-Program vs. Clark Park learn to play exhibition game

FINALS GAME TIMES
- Pee Wee: 12:30 PM
- Bantam: 2:30 PM

The Pee Wee and Bantam teams will be playing for the privilege of having their names added to the 'Willie O' Cup' named in honor of Willie O'Ree.  O'Ree broke the color barrier as the first African Canadian player in the NHL.

Columbus Ice Hockey Club returns to Detroit for HITH VIII - Detroit Hockey's NHL Diversity sister program marks 7th straight appearance

"This is the story of the the Columbus Ice Hockey Club Ice Eagles and Hockey in the Hood"

Hockey in the Hood 7 action photos

Columbus Ice Hockey Club player scores vs. Allen Park in HITH 7 finals game.

Detroit Dragons Midgets swarm St. Clair Shores net.

Novi Panthers goalie makes save vs. Wasilla Wild

Wasilla Wild won HITH 7 Bantams championship 2-0 over Novi

Detroit Dragons Squirts defenseman Eric Bruinsma covers Columbus Ice Hockey player.

Photos courtesy of Ed Krasinski

The Hockey in the Hood VII Champions

HITH 7 Squirt Champions - Columbus Hockey Club

HITH 7 Midget Champions - Detroit Dragons

Novi Panthers and Wasilla Wild Bantams pose for group photo prior to their HITH 7 finals game.

HITH 7 Bantam Champion Wasilla Wild players & Novi Panthers goalie with Willie O'Cup.

The Detroit Hockey Association salutes the 2011 Hockey in the Hood Champion Columbus, OH Mites, Columbus Hockey Squirts, Kensington Valley Pee Wees, Wasilla Wild Bantams & Detroit Dragons Midgets.

Congratulations, you have captured the Willie O'Cup!

Photos courtesy of Ed Krasinski

Hockey in the Hood Mentioned in McClatchy News Article

Posted on Monday, January 31, 2011

Days of all-white hockey over, on ice and in booth
By William Douglas | McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON — When he broke the National Hockey League's color barrier with the Boston Bruins in 1958, Willie O'Ree heard all sorts of myths about why there were so few black hockey players.

"People were saying that blacks had weak ankles and weak knees. It's crazy when you hear things like that," said O'Ree, now 75, who's the NHL's director of youth development and ambassador for the league's "Hockey Is for Everyone" initiative. "I don't hear too much of that now."

These days, O'Ree hears about growth in the number of blacks in hockey in nearly all areas of the game, from the NHL to the broadcast booth to community rinks.

The NHL has more than 20 black players on team rosters this season, an all-time high. The Atlanta Thrashers alone boast five black players — defensemen Dustin Byfuglien and Johnny Oduya and forwards Evander Kane, Anthony Stewart and Nigel Dawes — another record. The Thrashers have four other black players in their minor league and draft systems.

"It's definitely something I've never been a part of before, and it just shows the direction hockey is going," Kane, the Thrashers' 2009 first-round draft pick, told NHL.com.
..............................

In addition, dozens of minority-oriented youth hockey programs across the United States — from Ice Hockey in Harlem to Washington's Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club to GOALS of Anaheim, Calif. — have been exposing kids to the game for decades, supplying gear and rink time to those who can't afford it.

Another program, the Detroit Hockey Association, hosts an annual "Hockey in the Hood" tournament during Black History Month that attracts minority youth hockey teams from across the country.

MORE

Detroit Hockey Association visits Columbus, Ohio

The Detroit Dragons Bantom and Midget teams traveled to Columbus Ohio to participate in the Columbus Ice Hockey Club's annual Thanksgiving tournament.

Our friends from Columbus will return to Detroit for Hockey in the Hood VII on the weekend of February 18-20, 2011

Images of Hockey in the Hood VI - Day One

Hockey in the Hood VI

The Detroit Hockey association will host Hockey in the Hood at Jack Adams once again from February 12 - 14. This year will also feature select "winter classic" games outside at Clark Park. Teams from Columbus, Ohio; Detroit, MI; Buffalo, NY; Wasilla, AK, and metro Detroit will participate. The guest of honor, Willie O'Ree will travel from his home in San Diego, CA.

Please check the DHA Calendar for the full game schedule.

Greatings from Columbus & Fantastic Finish to Hockey in the Hood

WOW!!!!! What a wonderful weekend.

The Columbus Ice Hockey Club would like to thank everyone from the Detroit Hockey Association for all their hard work and dedication to this splendid event. It was by our estimation the best HITH tournament ever!!! I'm only sorry that most of the Diversity Clubs were unable to see the two championship games.

Alaska gave Detroit a wonderful game that went to overtime and then shootout! I didn't think it could get any better, but the midget game was one of the best hockey games I've ever seen PERIOD. Speed, teamwork, emotion, effort, sportsmanship, it had everything we as program directors are trying to accomplish with our programs! I'd like to thank all who participated for a truly wonderful weekend and let you all know we in Columbus already miss you all.

Thanks again, and see you next year in Detroit.

John M. Haferman
Program Director
Columbus Ice Hockey Club

Note: The bantam final between the Wasilla Wild and Detroit Dragons finished regulation play tied 2-2 and Detroit won the shoot out. In the midget finals, Columbus vs. Detroit, the Dragons won 4-3. Both games were played at Joe Louis Arena and will be memorialized on the Willie O'Cup