The year 2020 has been a hard one for pretty much everyone on the planet. For three-quarters of the year, COVID-19 and the tremendous suffering it caused in all facets of life has taken its toll in every corner of the world. Here in the United States, more than 300,000 deaths related to the pandemic, the millions of positive cases, the lockdowns and economic disasters have made 2020 a year to forget.
We here at ProHockeyNews experienced a different kind of pain on Monday when word filtered out that one of our best and most devoted photographers, Rob Huelsman, had passed away.
Since we do what we do for the love of the game, day jobs are a must. Rob’s day job is pictured above. He was always very proud to be able to serve the community as a registered nurse. It also allowed him to have time for his second love – photography.
For as long as I can remember during my time at PHN, Rob was our staff photographer covering the Cincinnati Cyclones. Our photo journalists serve a dual purpose as both a shooter and a reporter, adding text to their photos. As an editor, it fell to either myself (handling the Eastern conference) or my colleague John Hall (Western conference) – depending on which conference Cincinnati was assigned to that year – to clean up the grammar. There were times that his fandom for the Cyclones started to show but it was never a problem.
The one thing we always knew was always going to be perfect were Rob’s pictures. Rob’s eye for shooting hockey was second to none. He always had the sense of where the puck was going to be or when a big hit was coming. It allowed him to point his lens to the right place at the right time and the results were spectacular.
Shooting the Cyclones was Rob’s passion but it certainly was not his only sport. If there was a game going on near him, Rob was on the sidelines shooting.
And when he wasn’t at a game, he was off shooting other things…
Or welcoming his Facebook friends on the weekends with a “Happy Cat-urday” greeting…
But back to hockey. Shooting the coolest game on ice became at times a family affair. When eye problems made life difficult, Rob’s wife Christine and Robert, one of his sons, would occasionally step behind the lens and snap away.
Rob Huelsman (left) and his son Robert.
Rob’s professionalism and personality were always on display and stood out to everyone who met him. One of those people was Everett Fitzhugh, formerly the Cyclones radio broadcaster who is currently preparing for his new job as the play-by-play voice of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken:
“Rob was a very warm and kind person, and it was an absolute joy to know him, and talk to him on game days. He was a wealth of Cyclones and hockey knowledge, and I loved hearing about those 90’s/2000’s teams that he covered, and the many fond memories that he had from them. He truly loved Cyclones hockey. He was giving and always willing to talk, and I still have a tie he gave me a couple of years ago that featured the classic “Goalie” logo of the early 90’s. Not to mention he was a good photographer, as well. My heart and condolences goes out to his wife, Chris, his family, and the Pro Hockey News organization during this difficult time. He will definitely be missed.”
Sean Lynn, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for the Cyclones, also recalled Rob’s presence at the Heritage Bank Center fondly.
“Rob was a staple at Cyclones games for many years and we will miss seeing his smiling face in the press box. A great ambassador for hockey and the Cyclones, Rob was a great photographer who was able to capture the emotion of the moment,” Lynn said. “A thoughtful and compassionate man, his love for the game was matched only by the size of his heart. Our thoughts are with Rob’s family and friends during this difficult time.”
Rob headed up a team of PHN staff in Cincinnati, providing game stories and Cyclones news, in addition to his photography. When Rob was unable to attend games, Jake Murray and Shawn Conkle stepped in to provide coverage. The transition was seamless, and the trio even occasionally worked together to provide comprehensive coverage of Cyclones games. Rob quickly became not only a friend, but also a father figure to Murray and Conkle.
“He was a huge inspiration to me,” Shawn said. “I believe I first met Rob at a Cyclones game in 2015, I asked if the seat next to him was taken. From then on, I knew I’d learn a lot from Rob,” he said, adding that Rob had forgotten more about photography than he will ever be able to learn.
“That first day I was like a little kid, asking him questions,” he said. “While he would try to answer me, a goal would be scored, a fight would break out, or a big hit would happen. Rob missed those shots that day taking the time to talk to me. As time passed, we worked out being able to communicate while getting great photos of the games. While I’ve thanked Rob countless times for his suggestions, recommendations, constructive criticism, tips and tricks, I know he will never know the impact that he has had on me. Nothing will be the same without him. And yes, Rob, you were right – good glass is more important than anything else.”
“I met him about 10 years ago at a game. He became my mentor, not only in photography, but life as well,” said Jake, who is currently driving a truck for a living. “Rob has been like another father to me, as I said, he’s been a mentor in all aspects of life. Since being in the truck, we have had long conversations about everything under the sun. I’m gonna surely miss that man,” he said.
Rob always looked forward to Cyclones hockey. When Pro Hockey News was preparing for the prospect of covering the games during a global pandemic, staffers were issued PHN-branded facemasks. ECHL Western Conference Editor John Hall said Rob not only let him know when he had received his mask, but also showcased his sense of humor while doing so. “He sent me a picture in an email, titled ‘mandatory mask wearing in public’ of him wearing the mask over a goalie mask and told me that was the preferred style,” Hall said. “He was always quick to try to make you laugh or smile and did a good job of succeeding.”
With the ECHL having a far-reaching footprint, and PHN staff all having day jobs, it’s not uncommon for the staff to not know each other on a face-to-face basis. However, that did not prevent Rob from forming relationships with his colleagues.
“Back in the spring of 2019 we had a rash of flooding and tornadoes here in the Tulsa area,” said Hall. “Rob reached out to me to make sure everyone here was safe and to let us know he was thinking of us. It was a small gesture, but that just speaks to what kind of person he was.”
Rob also left an impression on Tulsa-based PHN photographer, Les Stockton. Stockton said that Rob even assisted when he had plans to travel to Cincinnati to cover a Tulsa Oilers road trip.
“I’m at a loss for words. He loved shooting hockey and he loved his hockey team,” said Stockton. “I enjoyed his sense of humor,” he added.
Les’ words hold true for all of us. Rob Huelsman did love shooting hockey. He loved the Cincinnati Cyclones. We all enjoyed Rob’s sense of humor. We loved the images he captured for us. We all loved having Rob as part of our team and part of our lives. And we will all miss him dearly.
To his wife Christine, his sons Robert Ward and Michael Huelsman stepchildren Darrell Norris, and Julie Norris Battelline (Chris), and grandson Brayden Battelline along with his many friends, we grieve with you and thank you for sharing Rob with us.
We will also try our best to keep in mind every day the motto that Rob lived by: “I’ll never quit. I forge ahead. I adapt to what I am given.”
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to Shriners Hospital for Children or the American Heart Association at 1-800-AHA-USA1.
PHN ECHL editors John Hall and Don Money contributed to this tribute.
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