Page 36 - FOP_Magazine_ February2019

In the Stars
FOP hockey team scores win against firefighters, give assist to charity
■ PHOTOS BY JAMES PINTO
In a city known for its sports droughts and curses, the rough stretch for the FOP Stars hockey team against their firefighter rivals doesn’t quite compare to the Cubs’ century of futility or a half-century between Blackhawks championships.
But after a string of consecutive losses to the Chicago Fire De- partment’s team over the years in their annual charity hockey game, a 3-2 win on Jan. 18 at the Morgan Park Sports Center certainly qualified as a championship moment for the Stars. Not that there was any talk of a rally in Millennium Park, but the effort on the ice from Lodge 7 skaters went above and beyond.
“It’s nice to beat those guys,” Area North Detective Adam Katz, one of the team’s organizers, said with a sound of relief in his voice. “It was a close game. It’s always a fun game, always a good time.”
Katz described the game as “chippy” at times because of how fiercely serious both sides take the on-ice battle. Afterward, everyone enjoyed the postgame camaraderie and company. A love of the game and mutual respect fuel the competitive spirit for the teams, as does the cause that brings them together each year for this hockey showdown.
Once again, the game benefitted the 100 Club of Chicago, which offers financial assistance to the families of first respond- ers killed or catastrophically injured in the line of duty. The or- ganization’s important role came to the forefront in 2018 with five line of duty deaths across the two departments – Chicago Police Commander Paul Bauer; Officers Samuel Jimenez, Con- rad Gary and Eduardo Marmolejo; and Firefighter Juan Bucio.
“There was an awful lot of tragedy last year,” Katz said. “It’s always wonderful raising money for the 100 Club. They do an incredible job. We’d love it they never had to give out that money (we raise).”
With approximately 80 players across five teams – including a team for 50-plus-year-olds which was created this year – the FOP Stars play in a league based at Johnny’s Ice House in Chi- cago. Katz praised the performance on this ice, but his voice perked up when talking about the program’s charitable efforts.
“Any time there’s an opportunity to raise money for charity, we’re happy to put a team together,” he explained.
That next opportunity is coming up on March 2 when the Stars take on the FBI Chicago hockey team in the 8th Annual Law Enforcement Classic at the Edge Ice Arena in Bensenville.
36 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ FEBRUARY 2019
The game benefits Honor Flight Chicago, which provides flights to Washington, D.C. for veterans of World War II, the Korean War and now the Vietnam War.
“It’s become kind of a big game for us,” Katz said of playing the FBI squad in a contest which helps raise money for these memorable trips. “We’re certainly privileged to be a part of it.”
With the Blackhawks enduring a rough season, Katz offered up the FOP Stars as an affordable alternative for checking out some hockey. Flyers about the FBI game are posted at district and area headquarters around the city, and Katz encouraged anyone interested in attending to pick up tickets through the Honor Flight charity.
The Stars will look to carry over momentum from their win against the firefighters through the coming weeks of league play and into the meeting against the FBI. Defeating rival CFD also sets the tone for a year of police-fire sporting events that will head to the boxing ring in April and hit the baseball and football fields this summer.
“This (win) certainly puts the pressure on the other (Chicago Police) teams,” Katz said with a laugh.