A multitude of local youth hockey players could barely hold their excitement when the Zamboni freshly cleaned the ice at MedStar Capitals Iceplex. One by one, each player marched onto the ice.
That excitement turned into pure jubilation when, as a surprise, a fan-favorite professional hockey player hopped over the boards with skates and stick in hand – Capitals right-winger, Tom Wilson.
A large crowd of skaters began to form around Wilson as he shouted, “Who’s ready to play some hockey?”
This was just one part of the memorable day and another successful accolade for the United Heroes League (UHL) as it held a youth hockey clinic for over 70 kids from the local area.
The organization, founded in 2009 by Shane Hudella in Minnesota, was created to provide children of military service members an affordable and equal opportunity to participate in sports.
Hudella was a former military member himself serving 24 years on active duty for the Minnesota Army National Guard and was deployed for Operation Desert Storm in 1990.
He vowed to implement an environment where military members wouldn’t have to stress about the costs of ice time or have their son or daughter miss out on a competitive sports environment due to potentially being overseas or out of state.
For these kids any opportunity to skate is something they never take for granted.
“It's pretty amazing,” said Hudella. “We've got about 70 military kids on the ice from every background; their parents represent every branch and our nation's military. I know the sacrifice that goes along with it not only for mom and dad but for the kids. So, for the Capitals to have us here, then for Tom Wilson to take the time to come out and escape with the kids and encourage them is what our mission is all about. It's just an amazing day.”
Since the UHL originated 15 years ago, the organization has provided over $25 million worth of free sports equipment, game tickets, cash grants, sports camps and special experiences to military families across the U.S. and Canada.
Hudella started the program originally to help some local military families in the Twin Cities market and created an early partnership with some of the Minnesota Wild’s players.
What started as a single team partnership resulted in support from over 25 NHL teams and players as the UHL continued to grow coast-to-coast.
One of the organization’s greatest supporters is Wilson as the UHL is a partner organization of his player program, Forty Three’s Friends.
In 2018, Wilson created Forty Three’s Friends to provide tickets and a special postgame meet and greet to kids waiting for their wishes to be granted by Make-a-Wish Mid-Atlantic. In 2019, he expanded his program to also include families selected by UHL.
Over the course of a season, he donates tickets to families selected through Make-a-Wish Mid-Atlantic and UHL and meets with the families postgame.
