Eastside Elite League ready for another season of summer hockey

By Michael Caples –

Steven Oleksy’s Eastside Elite League is ready to roll once again.

Now in its’ eighth season of operation, the summer hockey league for professional, college and junior hockey players will kick off on June 16. The league, designed to offer competitive but safe summer hockey for players wanting to stay game-ready during the summer months, continues to establish itself in the hockey community – and not just in Michigan.

Oleksy, a Chesterfield native and Lake Superior State alum, said executives with his Hershey Bears (AHL) team said they love what he has built in Michigan, and he’s talked to plenty of professional players about expanding into other locations.

“It’s incredible,” the 29-year-old Oleksy said. “Especially as you move along in your career, the older you get the more you see things from the managerial side. Obviously dealing with the guys in the summer league, I kind of feel like I’m in that role sometimes – trying to make teams work and the scheduling and everything like that. It’s a fun challenge for me, and obviously when I talk to people they think it’s a great idea. I’ve talked to some guys I’ve played with and some other guys about possibly expanding it to other areas, as well. Just to establish the name and get the Michigan one where it is, I think that will allow us to, if we want to take it somewhere else, to do that.”

Oleksy said he’s excited about the 2015 Eastside season, as well, because of some of the players who might be returning to team lineups.

“We’re going to keep it to 12 teams, and obviously it allows us to keep the quality up to where we want it to be,” Oleksy said. “A lot of new guys and a lot of bigger game guys will be joining this year, which is going to be nice. A couple guys who played previously are coming back, such as Corey Tropp – with him in Columbus now, it’s a little easier. Chad LaRose is going to play this year. We’re trying to get Sergei Samsonov out of retirement, so we’ll see how that goes.

“As the league has grown, I can attract more of those higher end guys like that, because like I said before, Tropp played when he was in town previously, but when guys really hear what it is and what it’s become, I feel it helps me draw the higher end guys. The more names you get like that obviously the quality, I think more guys are going to try to follow their lead and probably join the league so we can move on here.”

Oleksy said he’s proud to watch something grow within the boundries of his home state, as well.

“What it’s become is a huge, huge reward, but the other things, it’s all on the guys,” Oleksy said. “The guys make the league what it is. I play in it, which it’s great for me and it wouldn’t be of any quality if I didn’t have the quality people I’m dealing with, so obviously like we talked, there’s kind of that family atmosphere there. All the guys get along, they’re great. That’s what it’s all about, too, which is really important and that’s what I wanted – not a summer league where you let anybody in, but kind of directed toward the higher-end player who isn’t afraid about getting hit or high-sticked and can work on his game. I think guys have really embraced that and really understand what summer league is all about.”

As for Oleksy’s own hockey career, the free agent said he’s ready to explore his options after hitting the market for the first time in three years.

“Obviously, being a free agent for the first time in three years, we’ll kind of see what happens here in the summer and go from there. At this point in your career, you’ve got to take the best opportunity that’s available for you, and hopefully there’s few out there, weigh the options and make a solid decision.”

The experience with Eastside has led Oleksy to start considering life after hockey, as well, and he has enjoyed being on the managerial side of the game the last few summers.

“Talking to a lot of people in exit interviews and things like that, asking what they do in the summer, and as you get older and you’ve played for years, I never thought I could get into coaching or that kind of stuff, but I like the managerial side a lot more,” Oleksy said. “Doing this, I think I get a good feel. You deal with so many different players and so many different attitudes, characters, both teams together, trying to balance them out, make everybody happy, make teams even. It’s definitely something I would like to continue after I’m done playing, hopefully it’s not for a while, but definitely I think it’s given me a taste and I think it definitely prepared me a little bit for what I’d like to do after hockey.”

All Eastside Elite games take place at the Mount Clemens Ice Arena and Fitness Center. The regular season kicks off on June 15 and lasts through July 28 (games taking place Monday through Thursday with 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. puck drops) and the playoffs will commence shortly after.