Hockey history is enshrined in the Syracuse Hockey Hall of Fame TheAHL.com

by Katie Hamlin | AHL On The Beat

From the Syracuse Stars, to the recording of the Slappingand now for the Syracuse Crunch in its 31st season, the city of Syracuse has a rich hockey history.

Professional hockey came to Syracuse when the Stars joined the old International Hockey League in 1930 and captured the first-ever Calder Cup in 1937. Since then, eight different teams and hundreds of individuals have contributed to building the home of hockey in Central New York. .

Syracuse has long established a Hall of Fame to honor and celebrate these individuals for their great achievements and contributions to hockey in the city. On Nov. 23, Crunch was written Scott Walker, Howard Dolgon, Ed Kochian, Alan Taylor again Brian Elwell as the inaugural class of the Syracuse Hockey Hall of Fame with a special induction ceremony.

The first Crunch player to be permanently inducted was Walker, known as “The Wild Thing.” Walker quickly became a fan favorite at Syracuse with his blue-collar demeanor and physicality on the ice. In the Crunch's first season of 1994-95, he played in 74 games and accumulated 334 penalty minutes. He scored 67 points in 89 regular season games with the Crunch and went on to score 829 games in the National Hockey League with Vancouver, Nashville, Carolina and Washington.

“It's a great day,” Walker said of the honor. “It's clear that you've dreamed something you don't grow up, at least I didn't dream it. I grew up dreaming of scoring a goal, an extra seven game win playing street hockey. But this is amazing. It's unbelievable.”

Walker says his time at Syracuse shaped him into the player and person he has become.

“It's part of who I am now,” said Walker, who arrived in Syracuse when the Canucks moved their AHL affiliate from Hamilton, Ont., in 1994. “I came back a lot because it means a lot to me. . I couldn't be happier and more lucky, because in the end you get drafted and you go to play [AHL] you don't know where you will play. Fortunately for me, Howard (Dolgon) and his team brought the team to Syracuse and we can say it was a perfect game. I tried to do what they wanted, and it helped my career a lot.”

Along with the players and team on the ice, it's the many officials behind the scenes that make up the long-lasting hockey community. The tradition starts at the top with Crunch, starting with owner Howard Dolgon.

Dolgon has been promoting the Crunch since the group's inception in 1994. From hosting the first-ever AHL outdoor game to setting the United States record for professional indoor hockey, Dolgon and his team are at the forefront of hockey innovation and promotion. . He has been honored by the AHL with numerous awards and was recently inducted into the New York State Hockey Hall of Fame in July.

“You know it's a cliche, but a dream does come true,” said Dolgon. “Thirty years since the team was born, seeing this and what we have achieved is something we should be proud of.”

Originally from Brooklyn and now living in Florida, Dolgon has found a home away from home in Syracuse.

“I was welcomed by the people who live here and work here, and you know they make me feel like one of them,” he said. “It is important for us that this franchise continues to do well because the people in this community deserve it.”

The owner of the Crunch knew that Syracuse could be a special place for hockey, and the franchise continued to prove that hockey belongs in Central New York.

“There were many who doubted, as people say this is a hockey cemetery. We've shown that this is a vibrant hockey market that continues to grow bigger and bigger, and has a lot of fans and now has a great track record.”

Without a field to call home, there would be no place for the team. That's where Kochian comes in. He served as Onondaga County deputy sheriff for 28 years and was instrumental in bringing the Crunch to Syracuse. As the district's point man, he worked closely with the Crunch and the War Memorial arena to broker a lease that would ensure professional hockey could thrive in Syracuse. His commitment to the region, its citizens and the Crunch played a major role in bringing the team to Syracuse and keeping it here 31 years later.

“One of the things when I first got that call was, 'Are you sure?'” Kochian said of his selection. “I am honored. I couldn't be more proud, and it makes a lot of sense to see when I get to town on Crunch night. There are things happening at Oncenter, things happening here, seeing some life, it's fun. We have a lot of loyal fans that I've known personally for at least 30 years, it's really good.”

Taylor and Dolgon have a long history as business partners. Dolgon was a founding member of Alan Taylor Communications, Inc., the nation's leading independent sports public relations agency. When Dolgon approached Taylor with the idea of ​​owning an American Hockey League franchise, Taylor played an important behind-the-scenes role in the creation of the Crunch and remains one of the team's general partners, a position he has held since 1994.

Taylor's children, Stephen Taylor again Ginger Whitehe accepted the induction into his position.

“Having a team was a dream come true, so when the then-young Howard said, 'Let's buy an AHL team,' I said, 'Let's get it,'” Stephen Taylor said, quoting his father. “And I did it, I went for a ride. For the first few years I was active in helping to set up a business start-up. The rest is history… except for one. I won't fulfill my dream until I put a Calder Cup ring on my finger.”

It wouldn't be a Syracuse Hockey Hall of Fame without highlighting those who came before the Crunch. Originally coming to the city to play for the Eastern Hockey League's Syracuse Blazers in 1968, Elwell spent four years and 233 games with the team. He became one of the most famous players to ever wear the Blazers and stayed in the Syracuse area after his retirement. His love for the game and the city, after his playing days were over, inspired him to participate in the “Ice the Future” effort aimed at luring an AHL team back to Syracuse, and he was instrumental in bringing it about. Crunch to town.

Elwell died on March 20, 2023. His daughter, Ashley Dastyckhe accepted the admission to his honor.

“My father loved hockey, he loved watching hockey, he loved all sports and fishing,” said Dastyck. “But this team was talking a lot about the people and the sense of community that brought the city he ended up in and he never left because he loved it so much. We wish he was here, but we know he's very happy looking down.”

Walker, Dolgon, Kochian, Taylor and Elwell are enshrined on the Syracuse Hockey Hall of Fame wall on the Montgomery Street side of the Upstate Medical University Arena's second floor.

The Hall of Fame means something different to everyone. For Walker, it's about the city of Syracuse and its lasting impact on him.

“If the Hall of Fame wall means anything, it's the people who cared about being here in Syracuse and cared about being the Syracuse Crunch and were passionate about it.”