UTICA, NY – It is said that in some cases, no idea is too small to turn into something big. No one knows that better than Robert Bill.
What began as an informal Facebook gathering of former players and staff members of past professional hockey teams in the Utica, New York area has blossomed into the Utica Professional Hockey Alumni Association. The UPHAA will kick off its inaugural year with an alumni reunion weekend in early July, the first event of its kind in the Utica area, to salute the teams who played in the city from 1973-2001.
Fueled by the work of Bill, who spent many of the past 30 years as a trainer for the various squads who called the area home, the event was originally planned as a way to honor the members of the Mohawk Valley Stars team that won Atlantic Coast Hockey League’s Payne Trophy in 1982 – the last time a championship was delivered to local fans. Players were invited to ride atop a float in the Utica St. Patrick’s Day parade.
Realizing that a blustery, cold day in March might not be the best way to mark the special anniversary, it quickly became a full-fledged weekend affair that was moved to July when the weather might be warmer. The ride on the float became a multi-event program that will feature a happy hour mixer, golf outing and dinner party to celebrate the Stars.
As it turns out, it will be a busy late spring and early summer for the Stars. Recently, the Greater Utica Sports Hall of Fame announced that that title-winning 81-82 squad will be inducted into the hall on June 5th. It will be the first time in the 22-year history of the GUSHF that an entire team will be honored as a group.
When word of the UPHAA event went out, the response was more than Robert Bill ever imagined. So many former Utica hockey people wanted to return that Bill turned it into a celebration of every team that laced up the skates at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.
Membership in the UPHAA is not limited to players. The association is open to any behind-the-scenes staff or administrators such as former team volunteers, equipment managers, minor officials, broadcasters, team doctors, Zamboni drivers and more. Its mission statement is simple: “To restore and preserve the great hockey history of those members of the Comets, Mohawks, Stars, Devils, Bulldogs, Blizzard and Prowlers that played at the Utica Memorial Auditorium”.
The number of members of the UPHAA is growing, much of it due to the buzz created through social networking via Facebook. Despite the increase, UPHAA historian / statistician Mike Zalewski said that tracking down alumni from the 70’s and 80’s has been difficult. He said that many of the older alumni have not taken to using online social networking, let alone email.
“To go through and to find each one is an enormous task,” Zalewski, who kept stats for many of the area’s pro teams, said.
Bill, who was the trainer for that 81-82 Stars team that won the ACHL championship, said he hopes ultimately that all of the alumni will be contacted.
“We either can’t find them or we’re waiting for them to find us,” he said. “Definitely it would be nice to be able to find a few that we haven’t (found).”
Despite the challenges, over 130 alumni have been located and that number is expected to grow along with the association. Robert Bill said that he hopes that future alumni events will include fan participation and charity fundraisers. If the weekend reunion becomes a regular event, he would like to find sponsors to fund a Sunday picnic so that the fans can interact with their favorite former Utica players.
“We’re definitely looking forward to the rekindling of some of the relationships. Hopefully wherever we can go with this, it would be neat,” Bill said. “If this is our only one and last one it would be kind of neat. I know we can keep the group continuing (forward) and see what happens.”
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of former Utica professional hockey alumni is encouraged to visit the UPHAA’s Facebook page or to contact Robert Bill via email at rubberbob10@yahoo.com or by phone at (315) 269-5302. June 1st is the deadline for alumni to sign up to attend the reunion weekend. Additionally, fans or sponsors interested in helping with the UPHAA’s mission are encouraged to contact the association for more information.
Contact the author at wendy.hull@prohockeynews.com
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