Dad's Team

Mel was a fixture in his hockey community until his recent passing. I never knew the man, but a friend of mine did and to hear him talk about this guy makes you feel like you knew him too. Mel took care of the local hockey team in his town and his love for the game was tremendous. He was also a Rangers fan for more years than I'm alive. Mel, you are missed even by those who never met you.

My buddy Paul, a goalkeeper from Massachusetts played with this group of guys and I believe still does. Here's a few words from Paul about Mel and his "Tuesday Night Hockey" group. ----}-

REMEMBERING MEL; Some random thoughts

Bird emailed me the other day and asked me to write a little something about Mel Schwartz for Hockeybird......

I've known Mel since 1990 when I began playing ice hockey ,and a friend recommended this group as a good one for a novice. My first reaction upon seeing Mel was amazement that someone over the age of 65 was still playing. Mel had been running the group since 1963 ,when they played at an outdoor rink at a local seminary. It was originally known as the G.E. League since all the players worked at General Electric.Over the years G.E. players retired ,and stopped playing , the group evolved, but Mel ,even after retirement continued to run the group and play.

I don't consider myself a good friend of Mel's given the differences in age and backgrounds and I am probably the least qualified of all the players,having been moved to the sub list a few years ago, to write about Mel , but hockey brings diverse groups of people together and they are bound together by a love for the game. I've learned that friends you make in hockey are friends for life. Being a part of Hockeybird allows me to share my experiences with the readers. I still play with the group on occasion and I'm going to miss that occasional phone call when I'd hear "Paul, It's Mel Schwartz. Do you think you could play this Tuesday?" I always hated to say no to Mel if I couldn't play, because it was always a fun skate. If I said yes it was always "You're on!" The group has a great bunch of guys and there is always the beers and the social hour (or two) in the parking lot after the game.

When the player's were at Mel's house last Tuesday his wife told us that Mel had 3 things he loved more than anything: his Tuesday night hockey group, skiing (Mel was an avid skier), and his family in that order. I know she was probably exaggerating a bit in as far as the order went but those are the 3 things he loved the most. Mel also volunteered his time at a local elementary school, teaching children about computers. We heard many stories about Mel that night, most of them about hockey. Probably the funniest was that Mel collected The Hockey News and had been for years. His wife Naomi told us about how he would pile them on his desk and when they touched the ceiling she made him move them into storage.

Mel was a very adept at running his group. I have learned from experience over the last 10 years that running a hockey group is no easy task, particularly when it comes to the collection of money and making phone calls every week. Nobody stiffed Mel . If you didn't show for a Tuesday skate and you didn't send a sub, you paid anyway. Even goalies had to pay, albeit at a reduced rate. There were always enough skaters and there were always 2 goalies. Teams were posted on the lockeroom door as you came in. Red or Blue . Guys would good naturedly tease Mel about the money, but everybody knew things would always be run right.Mel earned everybody's respect for the way he ran the group and for the fact that he ran it for so long without missing a beat. Even when Mel was in the hospital, and he knew how serious his condition was, one of his biggest concerns was that someone from the group got his list and took over responsibility for running the group.

Mel did not skate very well. I don't know what he was like as a player when he was younger, but he probably was never a very good skater. He just loved to play. I know over the last few years, at least, he played on a very bad hip. I would watch him limp to the shower after playing and just shake my head. Finally Mel gave in and had hip surgery a little over a year ago and could no longer play. When his hip improved enough he started refereeing the games up until he passed away.The group was no check and guys were very careful not to collide with Mel for fear of injuring him, but on occasion someone would inadvertently bang into him and he'd go down. He'd just get back up and skate as best he could. He always played center and he would skate down in front of me or the other goalie. He'd park himself in the crease and bang away at any loose pucks. Occasionally he scored and you'd see his face light up. Any goalie who had Mel score on them got ragged in the lockeroom afterward. I would good naturedly rap Mel with my stick or give him a shove in the back, and talk to him about what I was going to do to him if he didn't get out of my crease. Usually Mel would end up lying on top of me or next to me after the play was dead. He always had a big smile on his face.

I think Mel played with his original equipment from 1963. One time we all chipped in and got him some new skates. It might have been for his birthday.He opened them in the lockeroom and he thought that was just the greatest thing. Despite all the teasing, Mel took about his play and the occasional grousing by the guys about money, the players in Mel's group loved him and there is a huge void now during Tuesday night hockey. It was coincidental ,but the night we called on Mel's family was Tuesday,hockey night, and Mel's wife, after prayers said she just knew that since it was Hockey Night, Mel was up there skating. Naomi said nothing meant as much to Mel as Tuesday night hockey. Fittingly the guys went up to the rink and played as usual after they left the house. It shouldn't have been any other way. Unfortunately, being a sub, I was not skating that night. After the game they went to a bar and remembered Mel. I went to my favorite bar on the way home and toasted Mel with a Molson Ice (hockey beer) as I watched the Bruins and Canadians. There are a number of different men's hockey groups in Berkshire County and a number of Mel's players play in other groups, but Mel's Tuesday night hockey is unique in this area because of it's longevity and consistency. If you were to ask his players they'd tell you that Mel's Tuesday hockey is their favorite. Every time I hit the ice from now on I won't be able to help but think of Mel if only for just a second. The players refer affectionately to Tuesday Night Hockey as the NHMel. That's all that need be said .

Paul Smachetti
Feb. 17, 2003

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