Survival and mental toughness are central elements of the Israeli character. The members of Israel's small, but fiercely dedicated and passionate hockey community have summoned their reserve in order to make sure the sport lives on and continues to grow in the Holy Land.
That's no easy task when the heart of Israeli hockey lies directly in the line of fire of the current conflict in northern Israel and southern Lebanon.
Two of Israel's three rinks, including the training facilities for the Israeli senior and junior national teams, are located in Metulla, the nation's northernmost town, directly bordering Lebanon. Metulla's Merkaz Canada (Canada Center), an Olympic-size rink and training facility, is the hub of Israel's six-team national league. The third rink in Israel is a tiny rink (about 1/3 regulation size) located in the northern city of Maalot. A new international level hockey and ice hockey center is planned in Hod Hasharon, located just north of Tel Aviv at a cost of $15 million.
For the time being, Merkaz Canada is closed and all training camps are on hold. Originally, Israel's summer hockey camp was scheduled to start this week. The good news is that, so far, all members of the Israel hockey community are believed to be safe and the facility itself remains fully intact. The Israeli Hockey Federation is determined to press forward as soon as it is reasonably safe to do so.
"Everybody is waiting, but the good news we're hanging in there," says David Shmerkovich, a U.S.-based spokesman for the Israeli Hockey Federation.
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Related Information
Diaspora Jews in the NHL
To date, former New Jersey Devils prospect Max Birbraer is the only Israeli citizen to be drafted by an NHL team.
Most Israeli players of Russian extraction gravitate toward Russian players as their favorites. Among Israeli players of North American parentage, however, there is heightened interest in North American players of full or partial Jewish heritage, in addition to the game's stars from all nationalities. Former NHLer Steve Dubinsky is now a coach and trainer with the Israeli junior and women's programs.
Here are a few other notable recent Diaspora Jews with an NHL playing or NHL Entry Draft connection. In addition to the North American players listed below, there has also been a smattering of European Jewish players, including former NHLer Ladislav Kohn and Soviet national team goaltender Vladimir Myshkin, who backed up Vladislav Tretiak during the 1970s and early '80s.
Mathieu Schneider (D) -- A frequent member of Team USA who has earned several NHL all-star game selections, Schneider set single season career highs in goals (21) and points (59) with the Detroit Red Wings in 2005-2006.
Steve Richmond (D) -- A star defenseman for the University of Michigan, the rugged Richmond went on to play 159 games in the NHL for the New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils and Los Angeles Kings. He compiled 514 penalty minutes. Later, he coached in the USHL, assisting college-bound U.S. junior players.
Jeff Halpern (C) -- Halpern, who recently joined the Dallas Stars, is regarded as one of the NHL's better two-way centers. Like Schneider, Halpern has suited up for Team USA.
Ronnie Stern (RW) -- Quebec-born Stern was an NHL enforcer for a decade with the Calgary Flames and San Jose Sharks, retiring after the 1999-2000 season. Three times in his career he cracked double-digit goals, despite racking up as many as 338 penalty minutes in a season.
David Nemirovsky (W) -- Toronto native Nemirovsky was once a well-regarded offensive prospect in the Florida Panthers system. His promise did not pan out at the NHL level, scoring just 16 times in 91 games before he was traded to the Maple Leafs organization. Since 2001, he has carved out a career in Europe, making stops in Sweden for HV71 Jönköping and Finland for Ilves Tampere and Jokerit Helsinki before a four-season stint in Russia. He played for the legendary CSKA Moscow club in 2005-2006.
Dov Grumet-Morris (G) -- Illinois native Morris, a Philadelphia Flyers fifth-round pick in 2002, was a Hobey Baker candidate in his senior year at Harvard. Philadelphia elected not to sign Morris, who went on to make his professional debut in 2005-06, playing for the Laredo Bucks of the CHL and the American Hockey League's San Antonio Rampage. Nine years earlier, the Flyers selected Harvard keeper Aaron Israel in the seventh round of the 1993 draft. Israel played one season in the Flyers' minor league system for the Hershey Bears.
Honorable mention -- Michael Henrich (Edmonton Oilers first round draft pick in 1998).
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Members of the Israeli hockey community are drawing strength from one another and from its supporters in the U.S. and Canada. Outside of the northern pockets of the country, the vast majority of Israel's population of seven million people barely knows organized hockey exists. Israel has just 380 registered players, according to the International Ice Hockey Federation's 2005 Player Survey.
The sport relies heavily on private financial support -- much of it from Canadian and U.S. Jews -- and the know-how of an experienced group of coaching and administrative professionals. At the senior level, most Israeli players are either Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union or transplanted North Americans living in Israel. There is a smattering of native-born Israeli players, mostly from the northern reaches of the country.
At the junior level, however, native Israelis comprise the majority of players. Their ranks (males and females alike) have grown slowly but steadily in recent years. In many cases, the players are the Israeli-born children of Canadian and Russian parents who never played hockey while growing up.
"It's important that we continue to support inline roller hockey, because that's where so many Israeli players get their start with the game. It would be nice to make hockey more widespread and attract Arabs as well as Jews from communities other than the Russian and Canadian ones to make hockey a truly national sport," Shmerkovich says. "There is an Arab player on the Haifa team. It would also be nice to have Ethiopian Jewish players. We're working on it."
In light of the many inherent disadvantages and dangers, the Israeli hockey program has been a remarkable success. Israel joined the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) in 1991 and was placed in Division Three, the lowest international level. Fifteen years later, Israel's senior team competed for the first time at the Division One level (one step below the elite level).
While Israel was vastly overmatched at the 2006 Division One World Championships and was relegated back to Division Two, the mere fact the program earned the right to compete against the likes of Team Germany is a testament to the hard-work and commitment of its players and the skill of its coaches and leadership.
Shared Canadian and Russian roots
Israeli ice hockey got its start in 1986, when Canadian olim (Jewish immigrants) set up a program based in a small rink in Kiryat Motzkin. For the next decade, Canadian Jews remained the major organizers, players and coaches.
After Israel joined the IIHF, it competed in its first Pool D World Championships in 1992. Team Israel's first captain was Canadian-born Mark Talesnick, its first coach Israeli-Canadian Gideon Lee. Within a few years, however, the large-scale immigration of Jews from the former Soviet Union (approximately one Israeli in seven is a Soviet ?migr?) changed the nature of Israeli hockey. The balance of players tilted to Russian-born players, to the point that after Hebrew, Russian is most common language spoken among Israeli players and officials.
Shocked to find a hockey presence in Israel, Russian immigrants Sergei Matin and Boris Mindel took important coaching and off-ice leadership roles. Meanwhile, Montreal-born businessman and hockey enthusiast Alan Maislin did yeoman work securing greater financial support and participation of professional coaches.
"I played in the national league in Russia, but I never thought I'd be able to work in hockey once I came to Israel," Matin told journalist Leora Frucht. Today, Matin is the president of the Israeli Ice Hockey Federation. Mindel is its player personnel director.
The Russians' familiarity with hockey helped provide the infrastructure and Soviet-hockey influenced technical know-how needed for the sport to flourish. For many Russian immigrants in the hockey program, the sport provided an opportunity to settle and contribute to the fabric of the Israeli society. Mendel, the longtime coach of the Israeli Junior national team says that, for many of his young players, the opportunity to play hockey helped with their self-esteem and academic performance and allowed them to demonstrate leadership potential in their civilian life and army service alike.
Russian and other former Soviet-born players also came to heavily populate the ranks of the Israeli national team. The most accomplished player on the squad is 38-year-old starting goaltender Evgeny Gusin, formerly of CSKA Moscow (the former Red Army team) and the Thunder Bay Thunder Hawks of the Colonial Hockey League. In addition to his on-ice role, Gusin has worked tirelessly behind the scenes to promote Israeli hockey and tap into his hockey connections overseas to further advance the sport.
Among Team Israel players of North American extraction, Canadian born brothers Oren, Alon and Erez Eizenman are the top players. Oren currently plays NCAA college hockey for RPI and Alon plays semi-pro hockey in France.
There has even been an Israeli citizen drafted in the NHL. The New Jersey Devils selected Kazakhstan-born left wing Max Birbraer with the 67th overall pick of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. He has spent his entire pro career in the minor leagues. Before leaving Israel to play Canadian junior hockey, Birbraer suited up for Israel's junior and senior (at age 17) national teams.
"Very few people in Israel knew there was an Israeli taken in the NHL draft. Hockey is simply non-existent in the Israeli media," says Shmerkovich. "But for those who play in Israel, Max Birbraer is an example of the infinite possibilities. Playing in the NHL is every player's dream."
The opening of Merkaz Canada in 1994 eventually enabled the Israeli hockey community to form a senior league. Members of the league and Israel's national team, almost all of who hold non-hockey full-time jobs travel to Metulla from up to three hours away in order to play. The chance to suit up is their only payment.
Currently, there are six teams at Israel's senior level, representing the cities of Haifa, Metulla, Maalot, Bat-Yam (two clubs) and Mercaz. In 2005-06, the Haifa Hawks took first place in the regular season and went on to defeat HC Bat-Yam II for the Israeli championship. At the junior level, there are five teams plus a women's team. HC Metulla took top junior honors.
"We're amateur, but we're not unprofessional," says Shmerkovich. "The players have received top-quality coaching and technical instruction, which is why we've moved up in the IIHF rankings despite the lack of publicity."
NHL coaching expertise sought and received
Israeli hockey owes a large debt of gratitude to two non-Jewish former NHL coaches: the late Roger Neilson and Jean Perron.
In 1997, then-Philadelphia Flyers head coach Neilson, a devout Christian, started an annual summer hockey development camp in Metulla, teaching young Israeli players.
"I was coaching in Israel at the time with someone else, and we asked Roger if he'd be interested in teaching hockey in the country," says Roger Neilson Hockey Camp and Clinical Director Marshall Starkman. "Roger had a great affinity for Israel, both its history and culture. He said yes immediately."
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The late Roger Neilson, a devout Christian, started an annual summer hockey development camp in 1997, teaching young Israeli players.
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Neilson, who coached 1,000 games in the NHL and was previously a highly regarded coach in the Canadian major junior ranks, formed a special bond with his Israeli charges. Even after he was diagnosed with bone cancer, he made certain camp went on as scheduled. He also kept in touch with his Israeli players throughout the year. Neilson maintained his friendships with the Israeli players and officials until his death in June 2003.
"Roger loved not only their eagerness to learn everything they could about playing hockey, he loved their moxie. They were very proud, competitive players who played with a certain flair and edge that for lack a better word, you could almost call cockiness," says Starkman. "The players loved the speed and physicality of the game."
While Neilson's players picked up quickly on the technical and competitive aspects of the game, most lacked the intuitive hockey sense that comes from growing up watching and playing the sport.
"In Canada, you get indoctrinated in hockey culture by osmosis. Players here instinctually read plays and know where to be on the ice at all times," says Starkman. "In Israel, many of the young players Roger worked with had never seen an NHL game. So Roger sent them game tapes whenever possible and loved to just talk hockey with them."
Meanwhile, Maislin recruited fellow Montreal native Jean Perron to coach the Israeli national team, first the junior team and now the senior program. Perron, who led the Montreal Canadiens to the 1986 Stanley Cup, has similar observations to Neilson's.
"Given the number of games they play, it's unbelievable they have the skills they do. What particularly impresses me about them is their fortitude. These guys are tough. During drills, they refuse to give the puck away. Even if the other guy is bigger, they don't give in."
One player who especially impressed Perron is 16-year-old right wing Oren Zamir. Upon Perron's recommendation, the Notre Dame school in Wilcox, Saskatchewan recruited Zamir, making him the first Israeli and only Jew at the Catholic School. The boarding school program has produced several NHL players, including Rod Brind'Amour, the captain of the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes.
Under Perron's direction, the Israeli national team made a dramatic turnaround after nearly falling back to the Division Three level. In 2005, Team Israel took first place at the Division Two championships, in a pool featuring Belgium, Spain, Iceland, Serbia and South Korea. In so doing, Israel earned a promotion to the Division One level in 2006.
The next steps
The Israelis, currently ranked 33rd by the IIHF and featuring a roster that primarily consisted of amateur players who play no more than two-dozen regulation games a year, knew it faced tough road at the Division One level.
Their opponents consisted mostly of semi-pros and professionals (including a smattering of players with NHL experience on Team Germany). With the exception of goaltender Gusin, this was the first time most of the players on the roster played competitive hockey against pros. As expected, Israel was sent back to Division Two after sustaining a series of lopsided beatings, finishing 0-5 in the tournament and giving up 47 goals while scoring only three.
"It's a reality check and important experience for our players," says Perron. "We have a hard working team. We're going to do everything possible to get back to Division One."
In the effort to hasten the continued evolution of the Israeli program the Israeli Ice Hockey Federation recently recruited former NHL center Steve Dubinsky, a Jewish player born in Montreal, to help train and coach the national junior and women's teams. Meanwhile, last spring, officials brought a surprise visitor to the Canada Center training compound in Metulla: Hockey Hall of Fame Goaltender, former Toronto Maple Leafs executive and current Canadian Parliament member Ken Dryden.
Dryden toured the facilities, met with the players and Israeli officials. He was impressed.
"You don't fall into hockey in Israel by accident," Dryden said to the Canadian Jewish News. "You could fall into hockey accidentally in Canada, but it's got to be a big choice and a big commitment if you want to play hockey in Israel. ... I'm sure Roger Neilson must have really enjoyed coaching the kids in Metulla because they sure as heck want to play."
While relatively few of the Israeli players knew who Dryden was, the special meeting meant a lot to the Israeli officials.
Most of the Russians "are more interested in our Russian stars," said Matin, who presented Dryden with a Team Israel jersey. "But I remember him as the goalie in the 1972 (Summit) Series. ... It was a great feeling. He's a great guy and we talked about hockey. It's a language he loves above anything else."
Dryden confirmed what people like Perron and Gusin already knew: there's a hockey infrastructure with outstanding potential for success if it can establish a broader pipeline for bringing youngsters into the game.
Unfortunately, the current Israel-Hezbollah conflict has put hockey in the Holy Land temporarily on hold. But the Israeli hockey community is determined to survive -- and thrive. The players and coaches are anxious to get back on the ice.
"There are good people -- hockey people -- who are dedicated to the success of the program and we're doing all we can to raise public awareness and support both in Israel and North America. We will do whatever it takes to hang in and then get back to the work of growing the sport in Israel," says Shmerkovich.
