MORRIS TOWNSHIP, NJ – A hockey high school final was finally played – 21 years after it was supposed to take place!
21 years ago, the New Jersey State Ice Hockey Championship was set to take place between two hockey powerhouses. St. Joseph’s High School and Delbarton High School were ranked No. 1 and No. 2 respectfully and seemed destined to meet each other in the final in 1989. They did, but the dream final that everyone hoped for never took place. The day before the game, a measles outbreak hit Delbarton and the game was off.
“The Greatest Games Never Played” is what the final became known as. The question of which power would be superior was never answered – until last week. Players from both team, now middle-aged, dusted off the old skates and took place in what became known as the “Frozen Flashback.” Delbarton won the game, but both teams were just happy to relive their glory days and put an official end to their high school hockey careers.
The players had clearly lost a step and the game wasn’t exactly as smooth as the ice, but they played regardless. Kids of the players enjoyed seeing their dads get a penalty and be subjected to a “time out.”
Scott Williams, a defensemen for St. Josephs, and James Olsen, a forward for Delbarton, were integral in re-organizing the final. They had the idea to not only bring both teams together, but to sell tickets for the event and donate the proceeds to cancer charities such as the NHL’s Hockey Fights Cancer. The game was able to raise over $250,000.
“This was better than any of us could have expected,” Williams said. “The good will that’s been generated for this from so many companies and individuals has blown us all away. We were able to do some good for a lot go people who really need help. I think I can say this was the most meaningful men’s hockey game in the country today.”
