Brotherhood: On and Off the Ice
The FDNY is a brotherhood. Most of the time this brotherhood is displayed everyday in the streets of New York battling fires. For a select few, this brotherhood extends to the ice, when New York City’s bravest take on a variety of different opponents in the game of hockey.
FDNY ice hockey began in 1968 when members of multiple firehouses came together to form the first team. The inaugural team played against different semi-pro, college and local teams. To this day the FDNY Hockey team plays roughly 20 games a season and also competes in 3 tournaments. These tournaments vary from local exhibitions to the World Police and Fire Games. At the 2017 World Fire and Police Games, held in Los Angeles, the FDNY won gold in hockey after defeating the St. Louis Fire Department.
Many of the games the team plays throughout the year are fundraisers to raise money for different causes and relief efforts. Just this September, the FDNY Hockey team traveled to Poughkeepsie to battle against Marist College Hockey and raise money for Hurricane Harvey relief. It was in 1974 when the FDNY hockey team’s popularity rose after they played the newly formed NYPD hockey team for the first time.
Since 1974 the Fire Department and the Police Department have met annually in a winner take all match up. The event has transformed from an exhibition game at Abe Stark Arena in Coney Island to a gravitating spectacle played in sold out arenas such as: the Barclays Center, Nassau Coliseum and Madison Square Garden. As the popularity of the event grew, so did the rivalry.
While on call, New York City’s Bravest and Finest work together to keep the city that never sleeps safe, but on the ice there is no greater rivalry. This event is equivalent to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup for both teams. One game, winner take all. Because of the hype surrounding the game each year and the pride that fuels the players, the games are generally tight and hard fought. FDNY leads all time with a record of 24–18–2. Firefighter and assistant captain Edward Bohan descried his favorite NYPD versus FDNY game memory saying, “Every win, but the one that sticks out the most was in 2011, when we won 6–5 in overtime.”
For the players it is something special to be able to compete for the FDNY. “It means so much to me to represent the FDNY on and off the ice,” said Bohan. “I know once I put that jersey on I am representing the entire job, everyone from the active, retired and all those who have given their lives.”
