What’s not to love about high school hockey?

I’ve always had a soft spot for high school hockey. It goes back to my sophomore year at Riverside High in Windsor. I made the team and entered into a realm of hockey I hadn’t anticipated – playing in front of crowds. Up until then, it had been youth hockey in front of parents mostly, with tournaments having some peer viewing as teams hustle and bustle through the rink. But playing for your school was completely different. It marked the first time kids – your friends and classmates – actually chose to watch you play.

Now, that view seems egocentric all these years later, since the student body wasn’t there to see me play, per say; rather, kids would congregate at old Riverside Arena to cheer on their school. Or, more accurately, cheer against rivals Assumption or Brennan. The other unique aspect of that singular high school season – the following year players could not play both AAA hockey and for their high school – was that I got to play against some of my travel teammates who likewise played for their school. That was a competitive first.

The combination of a rink packed with students and looking across the ice at familiar faces turned foe left an indelible mark on what hockey could be. And then there was the whole legacy aspect of high school hockey. Our coach, “Duke” Snyder, was a legend then and continued on for 30 more years from when I played. I had never been a part of a program before – one headed up year after year by the same man where you could look back at the upperclassmen that had played for him and moved on. In short, there was history, tradition and school pride. I found it all so exhilarating.

But I always wonder if that one season tending goal for the Riverside Rebels made such an impression that I gravitate back to the high school game. I enjoyed running the pre-season program for Walled Lake Central. One of my favorite events when I was down south was our high school training camp program. When I was here 15 years ago, I helped out with Divine Child’s program their first season and into year two before I had to step away since I didn’t have enough time to commit fully. Still, the mix at the high school level energizes me – upperclassmen with younger hopefuls, kids still pushing themselves alongside guys who just love being a part of something, and classmates becoming teammates.

Beyond that, though, I wonder if that lone season was enough to push me to seek the next comparable level at Cornell, where playing in front of classmates in packed arenas is what college hockey is all about. Atmosphere. Experience. The experience extends beyond the team and the locker room. You’re part of a collective experience maybe for the first time on any level. Maybe that is it. High school hockey is another way to enjoy the game, regardless of an individual’s motivation to be there. Heck, it’s just fun.

Still is for me. To all the captains who came out to the Novi rink, we thank you and wish you and your teams all the best this season.

I look forward to seeing you around the rink this winter as we launch our high school coverage for both the magazine and MiHockeyNow.com.