Star Trib article about HS hockey

[Pucknutz69]

Good story should be a good movie. Notice some of the coaching tatics I highlighted, that wouldn't fly nowadays.


Movie on 'the Mount' takes hockey players back in time
A Rhode Island hockey hotbed that molded past and present NHL stars went on a title run that became documentary-worthy.

By Michael Russo, Star Tribune

Last update: December 25, 2007 - 10:48 PM

Jamal Lewis' single-game rushing record was meant to be broken, as Vikings fans know. So was Roger Maris' home-run record and, quite possibly soon, the Miami Dolphins' perfect 17-0 season.

As the old sports adage goes, all records are meant to be broken.

But in the new documentary "Ice Kings," the moving film tells of the extraordinary dynasty that was Mount St. Charles Academy, a Catholic high school in Woonsocket, R.I., that reeled off 26 state championships in a row under the same coach, Bill Belisle, from 1978 to 2003.

That's the national record for consecutive state titles in any sport.

"In today's world, I don't see how that streak will ever be broken," said Brian Lawton, who dominated at "the Mount" from 1979-83 (121-3-2 during Lawton's years) and became the first American drafted first overall in the NHL, by the North Stars in 1983. "I mean, think about it: Twenty-six straight years, same coach, and to do this despite injuries and academics and all the other distractions young kids inevitably go through.

"I think it's the greatest streak in amateur sports, and it's an amazing story about [Belisle] -- that one individual can touch so many different people."

Besides Lawton, the program has produced a number of NHLers, including Wild 16-year veteran Keith Carney, Anaheim 19-year vet Mathieu Schneider (Carney's 1986 defense partner), former goalie and current Islanders General Manager Garth Snow and 1995 No. 1 overall pick Bryan Berard.

"It was considered a hockey factory," said Snow, the Mount's goalie in 1987. "Not many schools had a hockey rink right on campus. And there was always the fear that you'd be the team that lost. Nobody wanted to be known as the senior class that didn't carry on the tradition."

Added Carney: "We made it [11] straight my senior year, and to think of the stress we were under and the fact that it continued for another 15 years, it's amazing. Even when I went to college, my dad would go to the state final and always call, 'They did it again. They did it again. ...' "

Belisle, a former rink manager who now is the winningest hockey coach in prep history with 806 victories entering this season, is still coaching the Mount with his son, David.

And if you listen to the tales by Lawton, Carney, Schneider and Snow, the elder Belisle makes Herb Brooks sound like a toy poodle.

"He was off the charts. I mean, he was crazy," Lawton said of Belisle. "He always had a rough look on his face. He threw pucks at guys misbehaving or would get the puck machine out and run it at guys like Snowy at 110 mph."

Belisle was famous for skating marathons -- i.e. players "owing him a period." If Belisle was unhappy with a period in a hockey game, at the next practice he would put 15 minutes on the clock and make his players sprint goal line to goal line.

"I remember one goal," Snow said. "Coach Belisle went up to the scorer's box and screamed, 'You owe me a game.' He ran the clock and put pails on each bench for puke buckets. We skated and skated and skated. He yelled the whole time, 'You think you can take a night off.'

"I think we won the game. That's what was scary."

Carney played for the Mount from 1985 to '88 and was teammates with Snow, Schneider and Lawton's brothers, Steven and Jason.

"He used to make Snowy play with a weighted goalie stick, like 40 pounds, in practice so he'd learn to keep his stick on the ice," Carney said, laughing. "Defensemen who couldn't keep pucks in, he'd make you dive at these pucks, screaming, 'Into the pool!' If a defenseman ever shot the puck high ... he'd be all over you.

"He had closed-door practices. And if he ever saw somebody try to peek their head in, he'd sprint across the ice screaming, 'Close the door.' As soon as he saw that light come in, he'd lose it. I mean, this would be somebody's mom or dad."

Added Brian Lawton: "In my four years, the only person he let watch practice, and that was only a brief part, was Bobby Orr. And I'm sure that was probably hard for him."

While the atmosphere was intense and pressure-filled, Belisle's players became better for it.

"Bill was able to take a lot of mediocre, hard-working players and mold them into a team that year after year kept up an incredible tradition," Schneider said. "He taught us at an early age about work ethic and what it means to be part of a team.

"Sure, guys hated going through it. But it was an incredible experience."

Carney agreed, saying, "At the time, we didn't like what was happening to us. But looking back, you realize how much he shaped us as players and as people."

At age 78, Belisle won't be coaching the Mount forever.

"It was the hardest experience of my life, but if I could send my children for the exact same experience, I would do it in a heartbeat," Lawton said.

[suntzu]

"Good story should be a good movie. Notice some of the coaching tatics I highlighted, that wouldn't fly nowadays."

On the contrary, Belisle and his son are still coaching at Mount St. Charles and nothing has changed. It's the most successful HS program in the country and a great example of what can be accomplished when a good coach is allowed to run his program without interference.

[WendyClark]

This story was also featured in the sports page of the Arizona Republic on December 26th. Very Interesting Story. Im down visiting my parents and will be at the wild-coyotoes game tomorrow night, look for the guy in the santa suit with the "circle me burt" sign, thats me.

[TheHockeyDJ]

They won state titles in Rhode Island? How many teams are there? 8?

[Orange and Black]

31 Teams in 3 divisions!! last year (Mount finished runner up), and take note Rhody is the only state with a "Best of 3" Final, so all those teams had to beat Mount twice to win a state title.

[whatitdobaby]

There is a book about the program, similar to that of Blades of Glory. I believe it is called Pride on the Mount