Shasby Issues Clarion Call To Hockey Fans

Hockey fans in Anchorage have been issued a call to action from UAA Seawolves Alumnus Matt Shasby today in an ADN commentary on the sports page.  We here at the blog are overjoyed to see that the ADN editorial staff chose embrace this comment piece.  

Newspapers have a responsibility to promote and support involvement in all sorts of local non-commercial community events.  I must therefore applaud this most recent inclusion in their publication.

Here are some excerpts from the article:

Calling all true hockey fans: You have a hockey team that plays in the WCHA -- the country's top college hockey league -- and it plays at Sullivan Arena.

I would like to think I have a pretty good eye for a quality hockey game and a quality hockey team. Ladies and gentlemen, the Seawolves offer both.

As I sat there watching the Seawolves finishing a very solid weekend sweep of Michigan Tech recently, I looked around and pondered, "I thought this was a hockey town? Guess not anymore." A hockey town loves to watch quality hockey by future NHL hockey players. A hockey town goes to the games regardless of wins and losses, just to marvel at the ability of the players."

My childhood memory of the Seawolves goes like this: Once I would finish my practice at a local ice rink on a Friday evening, all the parents and players from my team would race over to the Sullivan Arena to attend the big game. Once there, we would climb to the very top of the Sullivan Area, not because we could have an entire section to ourselves, but because that was where the only seats were available on late notice. Once you got to the nose bleed seats, you would engage in cross-arena battles of who could shout "U-A-A'' the loudest. I would then go home and dream of being a Seawolf some day, a dream that came true.

Excellent stuff Matt.  Thank you very much.  Seawolf alumni living in Anchorage are a vital link to both the current team and local fanbase.  Efforts such as this show their pride in and dedication to the program.   There are three remaining regular season hockey games for UAA.  Let's hope this clarion call has some effect on those people that call Anchorage a hockey town.

Shasby bio at GoSeawolves.com.