Upon entering the Athletics Complex on January 27, 2023, students were greeted by a full-sized cardboard cutout of a familiar face: a teenage version of Math Teacher Sean Keller ’86 poised to play. The cutout was just one facet of Deerfield’s Hockey Centennial, celebrating 100 years since the school’s inaugural hockey season in 1922. Though the celebration was postponed from 2022 to 2023 due to COVID-19 precautions, hundreds of alumni returned to Deerfield from Friday, January 27 to Thursday, January 28 for a weekend of reunion and celebration.
Anthony Abene P’22, who inspired the centennial celebration, said, “When my son Max [Abene ’22] was accepted to Deerfield back in 2019, we had seen on the Deerfield website that Deerfield’s first hockey season was in 1922. I told him, ‘Your senior year on the hockey team will be the 100-year anniversary, so maybe the school will do something cool,’ so that was the initial idea.”
Dr. Abene and his son compiled comprehensive lists of every Deerfield varsity hockey player and the scores of every Deerfield hockey game played from yearbooks, news articles, the Deerfield Archives, and the Deerfield Magazine. For example, he talked to an alumnus who graduated in the 1960s to supplement his yearbook information. Eventually, their list grew to about 950 players.
As Dr. Abene reached out to alumni to gauge their interest in the centennial event, his networking inspired an informal alumni committee and he began officially coordinating with the Advancement Office through Director of Alumni Relations Jenny Hammond. John Knight ’83, one of nine centennial committee members and previously a hockey team manager at Deerfield, said, “The committee was focused on exhibiting the excellence of Deerfield’s hockey program and to give current students a glimpse of their future.”
The weekend began with a family skate, as well as two Friday home games on the Class of 1993 Indoor Rink. The girls varsity game against Northfield Mount Hermon ended in a 1-2 loss, and the boys varsity game against Pomfret School resulted in a 5-3 win. Alumni gathered to play two early morning games on the indoor and outdoor rinks on Saturday. Each participant received a special alumni 100-year jersey and a participation medal for the games.
Jim Lindsay ’70 P’96, Head Boys Varsity Hockey Coach from 1989 to 2003, said, “We had six players from that 1970 team who came back for the weekend.” He continued, “There were also a large contingent of players back from when I was a hockey coach so it was great to see so many familiar faces.” Commenting on the newly added outdoor rink, Mr. Lindsay joked, “The rink is the hockey equivalent to the field of dreams… I’m not sure if I would have gotten any work done if I had that when I was a student here.”
In honor of the centennial, Deerfield Academy, with the help of Director of Alumni Relations Jenny Hammond, invited six distinguished alumni from the hockey world: Mr. Lindsay, Olympian Medalists Jamison “Jamie” Hagerman Phinney ’99 and Molly Schaus ’06, former National Hockey League (NHL) players Marty Reasoner ’96 and Ben Lovejoy ’03, and the first female referee for the American Hockey League (AHL) Katie Guay ’01. The guests reflected on their hockey careers during an alumni panel that occured on Saturday, January 28.
Alongside alumni-centered events, Deerfield and the centennial committee worked extensively to prepare displays for the weekend. The Advancement Office and the Communications Office created space for an archival exhibit in the Rink Room of the athletic center. One installation was a blowup of the original rink from 1950 overlaid on the wall. Replica jerseys from Deerfield graduate former NHL players and Olympians were framed and mounted in the room as permanent installations.
The main attraction of the exhibit were the belongings of alumnus Richard Miner ’34. Mrs. Hammond explained, “We received on loan an original 1934 Deerfield hockey sweater and skates from the daughters of Dr. Miner, so we had those on display in the room.” Recalling the exhibit, boys varsity hockey captain Owen Clifford ’23 said, “It was really moving seeing all of the old jerseys and pictures of players in the old rink. It was one of those moments where I just kind of stopped and took it all in.”
Another highlight was a projection of videos dating from the 1950s on the wall next to the staircase leading to the indoor rink. One of the archival videos showed Deerfield students in class dress lugging iron piping, which contained a solution cold enough to keep the ice frozen, into the first indoor hockey rink in 1957. Upon viewing the video, David Knight ’58 said, “I remember carrying those pipes!” He was also the first varsity goalie to play on the indoor rink at Deerfield.
The centennial celebration ended with two more home games: a 0-4 loss against Andover for Girls Varsity Hockey and a 2-1 win against Hotchkiss for Boys Varsity Hockey.
Recounting the weekend, John Knight ’83 explained the significance of the centennial, especially compared to typical alumni reunions. “For the centennial, hockey alumni represented many classes, and alumni were able to see former teammates who were not in their class and catch up, [which] led to the sharing of many wonderful stories but also underscored the quality of the Deerfield family in general.”
Dr. Abene extended a similar sentiment, stating, “The real thing about the weekend was ‘Be Worthy of Your Heritage.’ We’re hoping that other sports can use this as a template for their celebrations.” He concluded, “Hockey in America started in New England, so it’s not just Deerfield history, it’s hockey history.”