Greater New York City Ice Hockey League Alumni Page

During the 1960's having limited options for organized sports, many of my friends played roller hockey on the streets of our Canarsie, Brooklyn neighborhood. My childhood pal and the true founder and first President of the league, Bart Grillo, together with my close friends, Walter Yaciuk, Bob Ciota, Ed Eskanzi, Jerry Rodelli, and Joe LaGatutta, were recruited and became teammates in the local roller hockey association. Our fervor was fueled by our love of the game but it did not surpass the muster of our other great passion; rooting for the NHL's New York Rangers. Our group spent much time together playing and talking hockey aspiring to promote the sport in NYC. We were dismayed to learn there were no organized ice hockey programs in the Brooklyn area so we decided to set our sights on filling that gap. In 1967, we did, founding the Greater New York City Ice Hockey League. 

That year we marshaled our resources and directed our focus preparing the necessary paperwork to form an organization. In those days thankfully it was much less complicated than today. When the paperwork was finally approved establishing our not-for-profit corporation, we were elated. A New York City based youth ice hockey program was finally in business. The first Board of Directors were elected and with the incorporation papers in hand, formal operations could begin. That's when the hard work started.

In the fall of the 1967-68 season upon returning from my service in the United States Army and the temporary separation from my friends, I rejoined our close knit group. Bart and the others had mapped out a business plan working diligently to attain credibility for our start up league. Bart, being so affable, was somehow able to convince Emile Francis, then Coach and General Manager of the New York Rangers, to support us. With the backing of our newly formed NHL alliance and concurrently having developed a relationship with the City of New York Parks & Recreation Department (NYCPRD), we were off and running. The first contracted ice time was inside the World's Fair Ice Arena built in 1964 for the New York World's Fair. The facility was located in Flushing Meadow Park, in Flushing, (Queens) New York. 

The building was a majestic exhibition hall that had been converted into an ice rink. The rink was almost square, uniquely designed for the Fair's speed and figure skating competitions. Light bulbs were strung on wires ten feet above the ice surface secured by stanchion poles along the rinks upper level. Four foot high erect cement walls masqueraded as side boards. An ice resurfacer was not assigned to the location so the ice was consistently in poor condition. Workers collected excess snow shavings and shoveled it down a chute hidden along the side boards. Those same workers then stretched a fire hose to flood the surface. In those days at this venue, this process was the standard. Yet, it was from here, this ancient palace, that National Hockey League Hall of Famers were born. 

NYCPRD, the owner of the facility, charged fifty cents for each practice, skills clinic and/or scrimmage. In our initial season the league charged fifteen dollars annually per player. The fee included membership in the Amateur Hockey Association of the United States (AHAUS), the predecessor of USA Hockey. The first president of AHAUS, Tom Lockhart, would routinely attend our Monday night scrimmages. I would drive Lockhart to and from his apartment in Manhattan to the arena weekly. 

Children laced borrowed skates from the arena rental stock and dressed mostly in worn roller hockey gear. Knee and elbow pads were wads of foam rubber taped to the body; helmets thin plastic sheaths balanced by tape chinstraps. Wood sticks were the norm and practice pucks were used rolls of electrical tape. When the numbers were tallied after our first full year of operation, to our pleasant surprise, the league served over three hundred players.

We continued the weekly ice arrangement in Flushing steadily building a dedicated following. Because of the expanding the player pool, it quickly became apparent additional ice time was needed. In 1969, the Board of Directors agreed take the initiative to adjust the structure of the program and expand the ice availability. In-House age based teams were formed to compete within and thinking forward, we also evaluated the prospect of laying the groundwork to compete against outside organizations. But how? 

After many late night discussions in Goldy’s Diner off the Belt Parkway and Van Wyck Expressway, we contacted Bob Kelton, the owner of the Riverdale Ice Arena in the Bronx, NY. Bob offered us a fair price for ice agreeing to support the newly structured program in exchange for offering children from northern Manhattan and the Bronx the chance to participate. The league was now able to run simultaneous In-House programs at both Flushing and Riverdale.

Around that the same time, NYC Mayor John Lindsay procured funding to construct an ice skating establishment in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York. The building opened in 1970, named after former Brooklyn Borough President Abe Stark. The arena was a most welcomed addition and very proud moment dedicating this beautiful facility to the children of New York City. GNY transferred our base of operations from Queens (Flushing) to Brooklyn, fully implementing operations for the start of the 1971-72 season. GNY was now supporting a flourishing In-House program in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx. The New York Rangers continued to fully support the organization providing expert instruction to our coaches and selflessly dedicating time developing our player's skills. By 1972-73 the league transformed again attaining membership in the Long Island Hockey League. (LIHL) Higher skilled In-House players were selected to form Tier II all star travel teams on some age levels. Aptly named, the Brooklyn Stars, began competing against outside organizations. The St. Louis Blues uniform colors were chosen to represent the travel side of the organization. 

The league now managed over 500 participants at various age and skill levels. By 1974-75 the program expanded again, adding a Junior "B" level team. The Brooklyn Stars, under the direction of my dear friend and mentor, Ed Eskanzi were crowned champions of the now defunct Metropolitan Junior Hockey Association after besting the New York Westsiders, a team featuring future National Hockey League Hall of Famer, Joey Mullen. The organization was also successfully competing with the more well stablished and staunchly competitive Long Island organizations. 

Choosing to pursue my coaching career in the midwest, I regretfully left the organization in 1975. However, I stayed in close contact with my good friends at GNY. The Brooklyn Stars success at the local district level eventually led to statewide recognition. Eyes were opened in 1976, when the Brooklyn Stars Bantam (14U) team, along with selected players from some Long Island organizations, won the New York State Championship. That team went on to compete in the AHAUS sponsored National tournament in Cranston Rhode Island. This was the first NY State Championship team fielded by the GNYCIHL in it's celebrated 50 year history.  

No longer directly involved, I watched from afar as league growth continued. By 1978-79, the league was now servicing thousands of children from all five New York City boroughs. Three additional existing facilities; Manhattan (Sky Rink now closed), Staten Island (Clove Lake Park-outdoor rink) and the Bronx (Mullaly Park outdoor rink) were brought into the fold fully engaging the children from the far reaches of the Big Apple. 

Looking back for me, it all started in Brooklyn with 50 cents and a dream. I am so very proud of and treasure the early days of my career. Reminders are sprinkled around my office; a worn league patch here, a black and white team photo there. I admire all of the fine gentlemen who worked so hard to make the Greater New York City Ice Hockey League such a sustaining success. I reflect on the impacts the league had on thousands of NYC kids. To this day, I stay in touch with many former players, parents and coaches. I am so very fortunate for the opportunities very few enjoy, still marveling at my luck, as I continue my 50 year ice hockey career.

I will always be a proud member of the Greater NYC Ice Hockey League and it is my hope the organization has many more years of success.

Editor's note: Vairo parted ways with the GNYCIHL in 1975 and accepted the head coach position for the Austin Mavericks in Austin, Minnesota. Lou lead the team to a Junior "A" National Championship in 1978. After a three year stint in Minnesota, Lou was hired by AHAUS (USA Hockey), preparing objectives for the USA coaching development programs, fine tuning concepts for the USA national development camps and structuring the first national under 20 program. Lou was a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and authored several hockey instructional books. In 1980, then an advanced scout, he was responsible for strategizing with Team USA Hockey coaches Craig Patrick and Herb Brooks during the 1980 Lake Placid "Miracle on Ice" Gold Medal Olympic team. Vairo was selected as head coach of the 1984 United States Olympic team and later, reunited with Herb Brooks, made valuable contributions to the 2002 Olympic team. Lou served two years as an assistant coach for the NHL's New Jersey Devils and coached professionally both in Holland and Italy. Lou Vairo eventually returned to USA Hockey in Colorado Springs and is currently Director of Special Projects. Lou was inducted into the New York State Hockey Hall of Fame in 2014