OUTSIDE it was fall, but inside, winter had already arrived. Huddled in the stands on a recent Friday night, a small group of fans yelled enthusiastically for the NY Lions hockey team. One of dozens of teams in the adult coed league run by Sky Rink at Chelsea Piers, the Lions are also one of five that belong to the New York City Gay Hockey Association. On the ice a spirited match against a straight team called TBD was under way.
“I think maybe people are surprised that we’re just as rough and we play just as hard as they do, and I think that they might not expect that,” said Robb Riedel, who plays on two teams — the Wizards and the Hotshots — and is also the gay hockey association’s communications director. But he added, “We’re not as cutthroat as some of the other teams, and we really welcome the chance to bring in new players who haven’t played before and teach them the game.”
Jeff Kagan started the association with Jeff Minck in 1999. The two had previously played on the same team, but neither knew the other was gay until Mr. Minck read an essay Mr. Kagan had written for the Toronto Gay Hockey Association in 1997.
Teams in the adult hockey league are divided into divisions numbered 1 (experienced, highly competitive players) through 8 (stay upright much of the time). This fall, three gay teams are in Division 8, and one each in Divisions 6 and 7.
Despite the name, not all Gay Hockey Association players are gay. “Fifty percent of our membership is straight people, and that’s such a great thing, I think, because their interest shows that they’re very open-minded,” Mr. Kagan said.
One such player is John Haldi, captain of the Polar Bears. “It was a really great place to be on my first hockey team, and there is certainly no requirement to be gay,” Mr. Haldi said. “The requirement is to be open and accepting.”
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