The History of the Sharks
Written by Russ Osiecki – 06/97
Extended through 2005
CHAPTER 1
The Beginning
Let’s see now…I guess we should start at the beginning. It was in the summer of 1993, or there about, that I had a crazy thought. I got the idea that, instead of watching hockey on the tube, we should try some of those new-fangled in-line skates on for size…
Well, it didn’t take long after Derek (a.k.a. Smoke) and I made the trip down to Val Surf to buy those first Rollerblades, before we had convinced every man, woman and child within earshot to do the same. Within 72 hours we had assembled the most rag-tagged unskilled, bumbling troop you have ever imagined. Trouble was, nobody bothered to tell us just how pittiful we really looked. I have since seen video of some of our so-called “games”, and, let me find the words…we looked like the keystone cop’s, no; we were not even that good! We very closely resembled a group of Polio victims, the day after the Grinch stole their leg braces. Needless to say, much flesh was sacraficed on the asphalt altar.
I think it was after one of those particularly bad spills, (we used to call them “pavement greasers”) that a strange thought entered my head…”hey, my skin wouldn’t stick to ice.” Of course, I was dead wrong, but the idea that a bunch of west coast boys could possibly play ice hockey festered in my melon for the next month.
The next step took some doing. It wasn’t easy convincing people who had never even put on a pair of ice skates; that it was time to order upwards of $500 worth of equipment. I took the lead, hoping others would follow when they saw me open my box of goodies. My strategy payed off, and soon we all were completely outfitted. We were so “green” that we didn’t know our skates needed to be sharpened before hitting the ice ! I will never forget the look on the man’s face when, after 6 months of skating, we decided that our skates must be ready for their 1st sharpening. He said, “these have never been sharpened, but they look like you’ve played three seasons in ‘em?” When I told him we thought they came from the factory sharpened, he started to cry and told me that his Uncle had “touched” him in a bad way too.
It was a result of that sharpening, and the fact that we simply could not skate with sharp skates, that we decided to take some lessons. We signed up at the Ice-o-plex for the next available session, and at that 1st lesson, the idea of forming a hockey team was hatched. That team would become The Sharks.
CHAPTER 2
The 1st Season
There were about 20 people in that hockey class, as I recall. I can’t remember exactly how long we stayed in the program, but it was long enough to convince about eight of the students to join what was sure to be the best team in 3B. I’ll throw some names around to jog your memory. Do you remember: Steve Goldstein, Steve Black, Steve Refling, Tammy Chandler, Robb Gleckman, Bruce Snyder, Eddie Cleland, Dorie Fullerton, and of course, Dennis “wheels” Lazar. Why, with this bunch, how could we lose….(all of them). Poor Kevin Masters. I knew we were in trouble at the first pre-season game when we lost 10 zip at the now defunct North Hollywood rink. Of the founding members, only Rod Rosato, Kevin Masters, Derek Osiecki, and myself remain as of this writing.

 

 

We learned a thing or two that season. We realized just what it takes to win at this level, you guessed it….RINGERS! Through some stealthy GM work, we acquired two players who had no business at all in 3B (Gary and Chad), and went from worst to first in 6 months. That was the first Championship season for the Sharks, and it was sweet.
CHAPTER 3
The Lean Years
After that season, we lost our coach, Colton Lazar. He was a great teacher and motivator, something we would miss dearly in the ensuing seasons.
We were also forced to give up our two ringers. This, combined with the fact that we slowly stopped practicing on a regular basis, made for some seasons of pure hell. I learned the biggest lesson to date; chemistry. It’s all about chemistry. We found that, if you had the right bunch of guys, you could lose, but still have enough fun to make you want to come back to the rink for your next game. Conversely, if you had the wrong group, you could win your game, but have a rotten time doing it. We spent the next two years trying to put together the right combination of players and coaches together. To be honest, it was not easy.
CHAPTER 4
The Big Three
The first big step towards recovery, that I can remember, was the day a quiet little guy named Alan Buckless showed up. After that 1st period he played, we all knew he was something special. He came in and shored up our defense, but more importantly, he never once complained about being back there. I can’t count how many games he saved or won outright for this team.
Soon after that, we were joined by Thomas Cushing and Patrick Baker. What can I say about these two. Not only were they both terrific talents, but they seemed to exemplify the perfect Shark. They never complained about anyone else’s play. They lead by example, and I for one am proud to have skated with them. The Big Three were in place and the Sharks’ “chemistry lesson” was mercifully over.

 

 

CHAPTER 5
Another Trip to the Dance
We had a great season. Unfortunately, we did have one bad game….the first game of the play-offs. As if that weren’t enough we also lost a major player in the person of John Perry, who was moved to the level where he belonged.
We made two changes after that season. First, we decided that we did not need a coach. After all, we were not coach-able. There are 2 types of Sharks : Those who do not need a coach (i.e. know how to play), and those who can’t do what a coach tells them to do anyway! Unhappily, I am a member of the second group.
Second, as luck would have it, we picked up another great player in Robert Hosie. He may be the most game-smart Shark. “Hoser” has definately added offence and wisdom to the mix.

There are so many other players who contributed every game that season….I get misty. The McGrath’s Rigney’s, Ned’s and Fred’s – the list goes on and on. The result was our second championship. We played the best four games in Sharks’ history, and I’m damn proud of this team. I’m proud to put on that ugly teal jersey, I consider it a privilege to skate with this team. I know you all do too.
CHAPTER 6
The Future
I am puzzled. Is that chrome that I smell?
CHAPTER 7
The Post Modern Era