USA Hockey Magazine

PHOTOS COURTESY OF Mike Vaccaro; John Neal " T h o s e f i r s t g a m e s c a m e a b o u t a f t e r t h e D a n e s a s k e d i f U. S. S p e c i a l Operations had a hockey team," recalled t h e 6 5 -y e a r- o l d R o s e n g u a r d , w h o h a s played hockey for more than 50 years, including at Tufts University. " We did not have a team, but said we could put one together in 15 minutes if they want- ed to come over and play." This time around Rosenguard and each of his teammates paid $4,000 to $5,000 to make the trip to Denmark. Fr o m m o st o f t h e p l ay e r s, i n c l u d i n g John Lindhurst, a Buffalo resident and captain of the Red Team, it a trip of a life- time. Once they touched down on Dutch soil the Danes treated their American counterparts like royalty. "They didn't want us to pay for anything," said Lindhurst, who was injured during the first Gulf War in 1991. "They treated us to Michelin-star rated restaurants. They made sure our dinners and drinks were paid. It was ridiculous. They were so kind. They hosted gatherings with entertainment and food." Lindhurst's squad consisted mainly of players from Buffalo along with others from Minnesota, Washington D.C. and Chicago. "I have played in a lot of [Warrior] tour- naments stateside, but the opportunity to play internationally doesn't compare," he said. Mike Vaccaro, who organized the good- will tourney and oversees the 50 teams in the USA Hockey 's Warrior Discipline p r o g r a m , b e l i e v e s t h e s p o r t s e r v e s a s therapy for the veterans. "The guys get it when they are playing locally or internationally," Vaccaro said. "There is so much camaraderie. Everybody has been through the same thing. If any- one is having any issues or troubles, they can talk to each other." N o p l a y e r i n t h e t o u r n a m e n t h a d a more distinguished military career than 6 3 -y e a r - o l d P i t t s b u r g h r e s i d e n t S a m Johnson, who played on the 10-member Blue Team. The retired Army colonel had tours in Grenada, Panama, and Bosnia, t w o i n I r a q a n d t h r e e i n A f g h a n i st a n . He was awarded two Purple Hearts and is 80 percent disabled, due to shrapnel wounds in the leg, calf, thigh and back. In a separate incident, he suffered ear a n d h i p i n j u r i e s f r o m a n i m p r o v i s e d explosive device. H e w a s j o i n e d o n t h e i c e by p l a y e r s from Philadelphia, Arizona and Italy. Johnson also played in games on three different teams as the Americans mixed a n d m a t c h e d t h e i r p l a y e r s w h e n t h e y didn't have full squads for all the contests. "The thing that was amazing was the team atmosphere that the Danes creat- ed," Johnson said. "It was an overwhelm- ingly friendly environment. Sometimes, when you g o to a tournament or play a t e a m i n t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s, i t 's c h i p py. There is a lot of hooking and slamming into the boards. There was none of that. They created a perfect atmosphere." T h a t l e v e l o f r e s p e c t w a s c l o s e l y tied to a camaraderie that comes from understanding what military members g o through in defense of their respec- tive countries. That level of respect also impressed Johnny Neal, a 17-year Army veteran who played for the White Team. "The thing that really stood out to me is how similar our experiences are and how those bonds of brotherhood from our war experiences and our service experiences, translated so easily," Neal said. "It was like I'd known them forever."P Tom Worgo is a freelance writer based in Annapolis, Md. J O H N L I N D H U R S T THE THING THAT REALLY STOOD OUT TO ME IS HOW SIMILAR OUR EXPERIENCES ARE AND HOW THOSE BONDS OF BROTHERHOOD FROM OUR WAR EXPERIENCES AND OUR SERVICE EXPERIENCES, TRANSLATED SO EASILY. It was like I'd known them forever. 26 // NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM

• Cover