Break out the skates and head out to the ice — Brooklyn is now hockey town.
The New York Aviators — a brand-new junior-level team owned and operated by Aviator Sports and Events Center started their season on Sept. 24. It’s been a long road to create the team — which brings together some of the country’s top players — one the organization hopes ends with college scholarships for the 22 stars on this season’s roster, the coach said.
“My job is basically to bring them in, make them better players on the ice, and make them better people off the ice,” coach Jeremy Meehan said. “It’s really a high-end program. Our job is to promote them on to different schools. It’s the fastest way to be seen by colleges.”
The Aviators will compete in the United States Premier Hockey League — one of the top junior leagues in the country — and the team expects college scouts to come calling soon. In fact, the promise of exposure was a big factor for most of the players joining the first-year squad, one Aviator said.
“Exposure is everything for a player, for the team, for everyone,” said forward and Massachusetts native Cam Lanier. “That’s what we’re all striving to do is move on to the next level, so that’s the biggest part of it.”
The recruiting process for the Aviators began in late June as Meehan and his staff attended a handful of hockey showcases across the country, meeting with players and explaining what they were hoping to build in Brooklyn.
It didn’t take long for players to start signing up, and teammates reported to Brooklyn on Labor Day weekend.
Of course, bringing in nearly two-dozen teenagers from several states — and even Canada — is a very specific challenge, but it’s a challenge that the Aviators have embraced.
Out-of-town players are staying with families in Brooklyn and on Long Island, and after two weeks in the area, they are starting to settle into New York life.
“It’s a culture shock, but I’d say that the guys being here for two weeks now, they’ve really been able to adjust,” said Chris Werstine, the team’s director of ice operations. “We get some questions, like this is just a different world. But it’s going really great.”
The Aviators are determined to compete this year, but the team knows there will be challenges throughout the first season, particularly when building up the program.
“The start was a little rough, but I think every team has its ups and downs,” Lanier said. “But we’re all starting to come together. It’s a bit of a family, and if we want to be successful, we know that’s what we have to do.”
The future of hockey is bright in Kings County — particularly with the Islanders burgeoning popularity — and the Aviators are hoping to provide an opportunity for the best and brightest youth players to improve their game.
“We have all the right tools to make it a high-level program,” Meehan said. “It’s going to take some time, but to start we have a very talented team and that’s what you need.”
