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NOV/DEC 2021 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM // 47 H OCKEY ISN'T JUST A SHEET OF ICE, A BUCKET OF PUCKS AND A FEW DOZEN STICKS. For anyone who's ever laced up a pair of skates, the real lure of the game comes not only from feeling the brisk wind in your face as you're f lying down the ice. One of the best things about the sport is the relation- ships built with teammates, on and off the ice. It's a bond so strong that it replicates the spirit of camaraderie that is typically found among those who have served our country both at home and overseas. Enter Veterans Hockey United, an organization started in 2018 by Mark Hansen, Marv Floer, Mike Linstrot and S cot t B oeh m , whose m ission is, "To unite the veteran, mili- tary, and first responder hockey com mu n it y, i n order to g row the game of hockey worldwide." A d r i v i ng for c e b eh i nd t he organization was an attempt to rediscover that feeling of cama- raderie that can only be found in the heat of battle or the spirit of competition. " We were a l l get t i ng out of t he s er v ic e a nd we a l l r e a l ly missed the camaraderie," said co-founder Mark Hansen, who s e r v e d e i g h t y e a r s w i t h t h e Marine Corps. "When I first got out, I didn't k now where to look or how to get a hold of a team and we sim- plified that." T he go a l of V H U i s t o g i ve players a nd tea ms a n outlet to f ind each other. On the VHU website (veteranshockey united.com), players can register to be added to a database that pairs them up with veteran hockey teams in their area. "Basically, we play matchmaker for teams and players," Hansen said. Questions like name, address, branch of ser vice, duty stations and hockey experience are asked to learn more about the player. On the f lip side, teams can register on the site as well to be put into the database to help them fill their rosters for a few games or a full season. "It's incredible," said Brad Schmidt, a 12-year veteran of the Marine Corps who registered though VHU. "I go back and forth from different places because of my job, so I'm practically a free agent. VHU gives me the opportunity to easily find a team nearby and hop on it and play." Schmidt, who g rew up play ing hockey throug h hig h school, knew it would be a great opportunity for him to get back into the game and fill a void that had been missing in civilian life. "Hockey seems to me to be the only sport that has that camaraderie like the military," he said. "We may jab back and forth between the different branches, but in the end, we know we all signed up to do something for our country and that builds a strong bond between us, no matter what." However, V H U does more t ha n ju st br i ng vetera n s together to play games. It's main focus is to raise aware- ness about suicide prevention and help end the stigma of post-traumatic stress and mental health issues. Usi ng t he p ower of a d at a- ba s e t h at i nc lude s 3 0 t e a m s a nd 6 0 0 player s, t he or ga n i- z a t i o n d o e s m o r e t h a n j u s t r a i se aw a r eness a s t hey a l so f u n d r a i s e t o h e lp G old S t a r Families that have lost a fam- ily member during a conf lict. "When you lose a family mem- ber in the ser v ice, it seems so sudden," Hansen said. "They're usually so young and could have been relied upon financially, so it 's really our privilege to play hockey and raise money where a ll of the proceeds go back to that charity." Due to Covid-19, VHU hasn't been able to put on the events they have wanted to, but they are participating in a Veteran's Day tournament in Las Vegas. With more than 60 international military hockey teams competing over the course of four days, the event w ill be one to remember as it helps other families while also letting veterans know they're not alone in their struggles to adapt to civilian life. "The military hockey community is a small family so the chance to bring us together is a privilege," Hansen said. "I love that we can do this for people and bring them together because the last thing we want to happen is to lose someone who survived overseas because they didn't have a n outlet or someone to t a l k to. You don't t h i n k you'll have a hard time when you come back home, but the reality is it 's a struggle and we're just trying to help with that." P Michael Reedy is the 2021-23 Brian Fishman Fellow. To find out more about Veterans Hockey United, visit: veteranshockeyunited.com, or on Facebook (Veterans Hockey United), Instagram (@VeteransHockeyUnited) or Twitter (@VetHockeyUnited). "Hockey seems to me to be the only sport that has that comradery like the military. We may jab back and forth between the different branches, but in the end, we know we all signed up to do something for our country and that builds a strong bond between us, no matter what." —Brad Schmidt, Marine Corps veteran and hockey player Veterans Hockey United creates an outlet for players and teams to find each other.