Rivalries Put to the side, as Hockey Community comes together

By: Ryan Kelsey

Prior to the Coronavirus, better known as COVID-19 the National Hockey League regular season was supposed to end on April 4, with the Stanley Cup Playoffs set to start the week of April 6. 

The NHL however was not the only hockey league to put their season on hold as the American Hockey League announced the stoppage of play until further notice along with the three leagues in the Canadian Hockey League: the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League and the Western Hockey League. The United States Hockey League also put a halt to their season as well.

However, despite the various hockey seasons coming to a sudden pause, the hockey community has put their rivalries to the side and have made efforts to help assist in this nationwide pandemic.

One team that has stepped up in this time of need is the Syracuse Crunch who are members of the North Division in the AHL. The team received a call from Upstate Hospital Dr. Robert Corona who wanted information about Sani Sport, a disinfectant machine that teams use to sanitize gear, uniforms and even entire rooms. However, instead of just providing information about the Sani Sport machines, Syracuse team Owner Howard Dolgon decided to go a step further by loading up trucks and sending the hospital with the teams machines.

Not only have the Crunch provided their generosity, but other teams in the North Division have put their rivalries on hold too. For example, the Utica Comets, Binghamton Devils and Rochester Americans along with the Crunch have partnered with the American Red Cross to announce the New York Hockey Gives Blood initiative. The blood drive will take place on Friday, April 17 from 12 to 6 p.m.

Although these times are hard and the end of this pandemic remains unknown, reading about how teams are putting their rivalries to the side while working together and joining forces demonstrates just how strong this nation is and how united together, we can get through this crisis.