January 27, 2010
By Dave McMahon
Special to USAHockey.com
Last season, when the Fox Cities Ice Dogs placed third at the USA Hockey Adult Checking national tournament, they had their outstanding Great Lake Hockey League to thank.
If the Ice Dogs weren’t in the league, they wouldn’t have even gotten a berth into nationals. In addition to host Fond du Lac, the top two finishers in the league received a spot in the national tournament. The Appleton, Wis.-based Ice Dogs went on to turn their third-place finish in the league to a third-place trophy at nationals.
Fox Cities, a relative newcomer to the decades-old league, has had its share of national success. The team’s first season was in 2002-03, when it drew 600 fans to its opener. In 2006, the Ice Dogs topped Buck’s Furniture for the national title.
“They started the team eight years ago after a couple of guys from the Green Bay Deacons moved to the area,” said defenseman Brad White, a player/coach who also serves on the team’s board of directors. “They wanted to get a team into the league and they asked me to play. I’ve been with them ever since.”
At the time, White was playing in local adult leagues and trying to find a level of competition that suited him. The Menomonie, Wis., native played at the NCAA Division III level at the University of Wisconsin-Stout in his hometown.
Now a resident of Neenah, Wis., White, who works for fire truck maker Pierce Manufacturing, has had staying power with the Ice Dogs.
“I’m the oldest guy on our team,” White, 39, said. “We have a bunch of young guys, which is good because I don’t have to skate as hard.”
In addition to being a competitive outlet for the players, the Ice Dogs are also in the entertainment business locally. Frostbite, their mascot, has been a staple at the rink since Year 1.
“We do pretty well as far as attendance,” White said. “Anywhere from 500 to 1,000 fans. We’re a not-for-profit organization, so we provide some entertainment for people within the youth hockey association.”
From poster night giveaways to working with the youth players themselves, the Ice Dogs find ways to get involved in their community. Retailer Fleet Farm is headquartered in the area, and supports the team by providing the Ice Dogs’ jerseys.
Ice Dogs players perform player evaluations for the Appleton youth hockey teams, and offer to help the coaches during the season.
“I tell the guys when they sign up — this is as close to the NHL as you guys are going to get. You’re going to be signing autographs for little kids,” White said.
The Appleton Family Ice Center, home of the Ice Dogs, gets rocking each year during the Paper Cup showdown against Mosinee.
“We made a Paper Cup trophy and it goes to the winner, but I’m not sure what it looks like. We haven’t won it yet. That’s going to change this year, though,” White laughed. “We were the ones that created it, one of our sponsors footed the bill for it, and we haven’t won it yet. This is the third year, and the year when it will actually be the traveling trophy it was meant to be.”
The Ice Dogs will take all comers who want to lend a hand to their efforts. Michael Keller has become the team’s event coordinator.
“He’s awesome,” White said. “He dresses up in a suit for the games, gets the national anthem singers, somebody to drop the puck. For the first home game he got the mayor to come to the game. He sets up games to welcome veterans, kids with special needs, seniors… He does it all and loves doing it. He makes us look better.”
Keller is one of many supporters that help the Ice Dogs remain a grassroots sports success story.
“We couldn’t ask any more of our volunteers,” White said. “They keep it together, and we wouldn’t be what we are if we didn’t have them.”
Story courtesy of Red Line Editorial, Inc. |