“You see things; you say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were; and I say, ‘Why not?’” – George Bernard Shaw
This George Bernard Shaw quote is hanging in my home office. It’s not just a platitude in my life; it’s been a philosophy that I have tried to live by throughout my career, going all the way back to high school. I have this deep-seated desire to make a difference in people’s lives. For the most part, it’s turned out positively.
But it doesn’t always work out, in fact, as a card-carrying member of the Feather Rufflers’ Club, I’ve gotten into my share of tough situations. At times it’s cost me relationships both personally and professionally, mostly when I let my ego or myopic focus get the best of me, or when I wrongly believed that I could get it done without a lot of help from others.
Despite the occasional setbacks and failures, it’s been those times when my neck has been stretched that the outcome has been the most satisfying, and even joyful. The temporary pain was well worth the gain. It didn’t always happen in my time or as I planned. It happened with patience and perseverance, in God’s time.
Over the weekend of Jan. 30 – Feb. 1, another one of those dreams materialized. Penn State’s hockey teams played games in Beaver Stadium.
Let me repeat that: The Penn State men’s and women’s hockey teams played in legendary Beaver Stadium. The men drew 74,575, the second largest crowd to ever see an outdoor college hockey game, in freezing temperatures. Nittany Lion fans were joined by hockey enthusiasts from all around who showed up to tailgate and sit outside and brave the cold to watch hockey history.
Penn State captain Dane Dowiak told reporters, “There’s nothing like Beaver Stadium, like I know that now. That was the coolest environment I’ll ever play in my life, no matter if I make the NHL or not.” Our fourth-ranked women’s team defeated Robert Morris 3-0 Friday and the only thing that would have been better was for our fifth-ranked men to win too. But unfortunately, second-ranked Michigan State scored in overtime for a 5-4 win. While the outcome of the game wasn’t what we were hoping for, it didn’t matter as the event was a massive victory for the Penn State hockey programs.
“Turn a ‘no, because’ into a ‘yes, if.’” – Zig Ziglar
What was I feeling when I watched those athletes appear from the tunnel and step onto that ice? Joy, pure joy. Yes, I felt some pride, but mostly joy for the coaches and athletes that were able to do something that no one in Penn State hockey had ever experienced, and I was living vicariously through them. It was a risky undertaking, and I want to give huge kudos to Athletic Director Pat Kraft, the Beaver Stadium staff, the athletics operations staff (especially the Pegula Ice Arena staff led by Bryan Lee!) and everyone else who made the event happen, particularly given the weather challenges. By the grace of God, it all worked out.
I also want to give a shoutout to the residents and business owners of State College who showed the NHL that we could turn a “no, because,” into a “yes, if.” The economic impact of this event will ripple across the area. You showed that future outdoor games could include not only college hockey, but an NHL Stadium Series game as well. In keeping with my deepest Shaw attitude, I dream of the first ever in-season NHL showcase tournament including the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals and, of course, Terry Pegula’s Buffalo Sabres. After all, if it weren’t for Terry and Kim Pegula, this dream of Division I hockey and an outdoor game wouldn’t have ever happened.
I can’t tell you how many times I had heard in the last 48 years how hockey would never be successful at Penn State. I think it was because people did not realize how popular the sport was in the state of Pennsylvania with seven NHL and minor league professional hockey franchises. I also believe we could have done a game in Beaver Stadium 15 years ago — that’s how much faith I had in Penn State’s ability to do the hard things if it wanted to do so. But there were always naysayers who didn’t share the passion and vision that we hockey folks felt. Well, I hope we have put those arguments to bed once and for all.
My own Penn State journey began 48 years ago in 1978, and my first ever experience at Beaver Stadium was very memorable. Coach Paterno was walking toward the south tunnel after defeating Maryland and waved his hand to the cheering crowd. I was 10 rows from the field and a few feet from the railing that looked down at the players and coaches as they left the field. Somebody from “La Vie” snapped a picture, and there I was sporting my 1970s “Super ‘Fro.”
That same year, the old Ice Pavilion, where Lasch building now sits, was transitioned into an indoor practice facility for football (oh the irony!). Penn State hockey was only saved when Coach Paterno made sure a temporary outdoor practice facility was built and we practiced there and took vans to Mechanicsburg for practice and games for two-and-a-half seasons before Greenberg Ice Pavillion was built. Passion and perseverance, indeed!
Photo provided by John Grainda
On Sunday the alumni game and family skate took place on the outdoor rink inside Beaver Stadium. As I walked out of that same south tunnel where I had seen Coach Paterno almost 50 year earlier, I got goosebumps and tears in my eyes. Joy, pure joy, in the eyes of more than 90 alumni who participated whether it was the young varsity alums or the older Icer alums. There is just a purity to playing hockey outdoors. As guys were going off the ice, they were ringing the Beaver Stadium victory bell, telling the same old stories (mostly embellished) in the football team’s locker room, and there were hugs all around.
It was especially meaningful for the guys who came back from the 1970s teams. It was 55 years ago that a group of intrepid students led by freshman Roy Scott, his teammates like Dave McCrabb, Jim Graulty, Dick Merel and Bill Charles, and coach Larry Hendry, helped resurrect hockey at Penn State. From the early years, coach Morris Kurtz, club presidents Bill Proudman and Bill Tracy, and their teammates Paul Visich, Paul Hooper, Thom Charters, Dave Chernitta, Bob Finney and Vern Dando also made it back.
Here is an email that Roy Scott sent to former teammate Dave McRabb:
Dave,
A big weekend just passed. But there will be more. Even though the team lost two games, it was a fantastic weekend for Penn State Ice Hockey
I skated this morning on the ice at Beaver Stadium. We had 100 alumni skate in two separate games. It was a gas! We played and after we posed for photos. There were lots of people on the ice. But before I went back to the locker room to take off my equipment, I decided to skate a slow lap around the rink by myself. I was looking up into the Beaver Stadium stands and thinking about the game that day before when these stands were filled with spectators watching Penn State play Michigan State. Who could have imagined that!? But then my mind turned in a different direction….
Weren’t there people? …people in power at Penn State who looked us in the eyes and said, “There will never be ice hockey at Penn State. No one is interested in having ice hockey at Penn State. No one will support ice hockey at Penn State.”
We changed their minds. WE ARE.
Scotty
As for the incident that involved star freshman Gavin McKenna, suffice it to say there is always more to the story. If some of the accounts of what led to the altercation are true, I could only hope that I would have had the courage to do the same as Gavin.
Back to the real story of the weekend, and I must say that it was simply epic. I would rank it in the top 10 of all my Penn State memories, and at 65, I have quite a few! It is a reminder that sometimes when you are willing to dream big, have passion and perseverance, throw in some well-earned good luck, that those dreams can come true.
