Hockey, Alabama Style

I have had the honor and privilege of working with the University of Alabama’s club hockey team the Alabama Frozen Tide for now going on 6 years. When I mention this to people I usually get two questions, first one is “Alabama has a hockey team?” and “what do you do for them?” These questions open the door to explain the history of the team. When I explain what I do, I usually reply I am a “Go-For” which is my way of saying anything they ask. I am then usually asked how I got started with them, and that is simple I went to a game. Growing up in Birmingham, Alabama I was exposed to the sport of hockey when I was 15 and attended a Birmingham Bulls game. The Bulls were a minor league team playing in the ECHL. As I attended more game, I began to fall in love with the sport of hockey. However in 2001, my heart was broken as the franchise was sold and relocated to Atlantic City, New Jersey. That then left me looking for a hockey team to support. In 2004 during the NHL’s lockout season a league known as the WHA2 formed with a team in Pelham, Alabama known as the Alabama Slammers. The Slammers and the entire league for that matter was a failure and both lasted one season. Then in October of 2007 I heard that the University of Alabama had a club hockey team that was playing games in Pelham. So on October 6, 2007 I attended my first college hockey game, The Alabama Frozen Tide vs. the South Florida Bulls. The Frozen Tide who had just started their first full season defeated the more established Bulls by a score of 7-2 and I was hooked. As I attended more games, I got to know the parents of the players and the booster club. Shortly into the second season I was then asked if I would be interested in helping out with a promotion called “Chuck-A-Puck.” I said yes, and the rest is history. Since that day I have missed less than a handful of home games, attended every regional the team has played in with the exception of this season. Since starting with the team, I have moved on from the “Chuck-A-Puck” when I started broadcasting the home games for the team online in 2010. In 2011 I travelled with the team broadcasting both home and road games, and in 2011 I was fortunate to travel with the team to their first ACHA National Championship Tournament. This season I was unable to broadcast games, but still used my filming skills to film the games from ice level and then making highlight videos. This season will see me meet the team in Missouri to end the season as the Alabama Frozen Tide will participate in their second straight National Championship Tournament. I guess if I was to be serious when asked, how I got involved with the team, I would say it was an accident, but the results have been awesome.

Thanks for reading, God bless and have a great weekend.