AHL players help to raise funds and awareness for Westside sled hockey team

It was a special kind of hockey and the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League were more than happy to be a part of it.

The Griffins played a game of sled hockey against the Grand Rapids Sled Wings, a team of physically challenged youth, on Dec. 5, at Griff's IceHouse at Belknap Park, where the Griffins frequently practice.

The Sled Wings, sponsored by the Grand Rapids Griffins Youth Foundation in partnership with Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital, became the first sled hockey team in Michigan when it was founded five years ago. The Sled Wings, who range in ages from 11-19 years old and recently finished as runners-up at the sled hockey national championships, played the actual roster of the Griffins.

As part of the event, fans were invited to try out a sled on the ice for a $1 donation to the Sled Wings program and took part in an autograph session with Griffins players. There was also a silent auction of sports memorabilia which had an autographed Steve Yzerman jersey and photos of Gordie Howe and Bobby Orr.

Bob Kaser, the Griffins' executive director of broadcasting and community relations, is president of the Griffins' youth foundation and helped organize the game. The Griffins saw this as an opportunity to assist the local team.

"Our players were really struck by all the work it took for the parents to put the kids on their sleds," Kaser said. "The plan is to make this an annual event. It's a fun thing for everyone."

Kaser praised the involvement of Griffins' coach Greg Ireland and the players.

"We feel that it's been a great thing," Kaser said. "Greg and I have talked about ways to expand on this. He has been so good about giving to the community.”

Ireland said he also saw how touched the players were by the determination of sled hockey players to get into their sleds.

"The kids enjoyed this too," Ireland said. "It gives them a chance to rub elbows with big league hockey players. It's a very special time for these kids. They're playing the games to the best of their abilities.”

Also happy with the event was Mark Izzard, a former player on the Grand Rapids Owls, the city's International Hockey League franchise in the late 1970s that played in the old 6,000-seat Stadium Arena in Grand Rapids, prior to the construction of the 10,000-seat Van Andel Arena, present home of the Griffins.

Currenty, Izzard is program manager for the Griffins' Youth Foundation.

"The kids see the Griffins out there playing the game and for them to play with the Griffins is a big thing," Izzard said. "They get all excited about it."

The Griff's Icehouse at Belknap Park had a jampacked lobby during the autograph session and silent auction, and fans eventually filtered into the 400-seat facility to watch the game.

"This event is starting to be a big thing," said Izzard. "It's a great way to help support the foundation and to support sled hockey. All the people see this and how it's a different perspective when we put a kid in a sled.”

Izzard said the players on the sled team are mostly from the west side of Michigan and they practice regularly at Griff's.

"They all keep getting better," Izzard said. "It means a lot for them to be competitive. Every Saturday, the team goes to a tournament. There's not that many sled teams in the area so we go to places like Chicago and Columbus to find some competition.”

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Kuehn, Yu and Podelnyk make U.S. University Select Team Roster

Squad to compete in Winter World University Games in Torino, Italy

Three Michigan American Collegiate Hockey Association players are getting ready to head to Italy for the 2007 Winter World University Games.

University of Michigan-Dearborn’s Joel Kuehn (Troy) and Stephen Yu (Garden City) and Western Michigan’s Michael Podelnyk (Howell) are part of a 22-player U.S. University Select Team that will compete in the tournament, Jan. 17-27, in Torino, Italy.

“I am looking forward to representing our country again, it should be an exciting trip,” said Kuehn, who was a member of the U.S. University Select Team that finished 3-3 in the 2005 World University Games in Austria.

The Winter World University Games is the second-largest sporting event in the world next to the Olympic Games and consists of 11 sports and 72 medal events. Featuring 1,500 athletes in the 17-28-year-old age range, the 10-day event began in 1960 in France and was hosted on American soil in Lake Placid, N.Y., in 1972.

The U.S. team was picked following an identification camp held in August and is comprised of players from non-varsity ice hockey teams affiliated with the ACHA, which includes 300 teams in three men’s divisions.

“Each year that I’ve coached this team it has gotten better and better. We’re going to have a deeper team than last time,” said U.S. University Select Team head coach Chad Cassel, who is returning to the Winter World University Games coaching ranks for the fourth time. “This is the highest level of hockey that most of these guys will ever play, so it will be a great experience for them.”

Saline’s David Debol, the head coach at UM-Dearborn is one of the team’s assistant coaches.