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Inside a large, concrete structure that’s been thriving for decades lies a cold sheet of ice, glass boards pinned with puck marks, a set of 1980s wooden stands and a wall covered with championship banners. From an outdoor view, it looks like nothing but just an old building with chipped bricks and degraded cement from harsh winters. Take the initiative and walk a couple steps through the front doorway, feel the brisk coldness sting your fingertips and face, and take in the scenery of what is more than just a hockey rink.
Hidden in the hills and deep woods of northern Connecticut, Jennings Fairchild Rink has made its name legendary among all prep schools in New England. More than just an old fashioned arena, Jennings Fairchild Rink has been given the status of excelling high school hockey players and developing them to the next level, and even to the professional level of the NHL. For the premiere hockey program that lies within, Jennings Fairchild Rink has been on the map of the nation for holding eight New England Division I championships and nine Founder’s League championships in the last twenty-five years, which is unlike any other school. And yes, this is just a high school. “To me it’s something that you can’t experience by just going to any ordinary hockey game. I’ve been to many college and professional sports games but the atmosphere at Avon is incomparable,” says Brady Williamson, a junior at Avon who attends every home hockey game for Avon. Jennings Fairchild Rink sits on the east side of campus of an all boys prep school in Avon, Connecticut, known as the Avon Old Farms School. With a little over 400 students enrolled, nearly a third of Avon’s students are hockey players. Among the other preparatory high schools located in the New England landscape, the elite hockey program that Avon has formed throughout the years has puts itself on the top of the NEPSAC (New England Preparatory School Athletic Council) hockey championship list. Cody Doyle, a three year member of the Division I New England varsity hockey team at Avon, describes his experiences over the years as something you cannot put into words. “Even though it was high school hockey it felt like the NHL. It’s cool to see how many guys have gone to have successful hockey careers in college and moreover in the NHL,” says Doyle. “To think I’ve put on the same jersey as Jonathan Quick is something truly remarkable, and to think I’ve just even played in the same rink as some NHL legends is something you can’t describe. This rink has been my home for the past five years, and I can guarantee there’s no other place like it.” On the far wall just above the zamboni garage are 17 championship banners that signify the rink’s legacy. Each banner is designed with a maroon tinge and outlined with dark blue. You’ll see the phrases “New England Championship Division I” and “Founders League Championship” stitched in bold white letters across each banner, and the year of the title just below. On the ice are two bright blue and solid lines dividing the home and away zones, three crimson red lines separating the neutral, offensive and defensive zones, and a galatic “A” in the middle representing the school’s name. Stretched the length of the rink just above the home and away benches, you can find hoisted banners with the names of the other prep schools found in New England. Each banner signifies each school with several different color combinations such as green and black, yellow and orange, and blue and red. As a head coach of the varsity hockey team at Avon, Brian Doyle has witnessed some of the best players go from high school to the NHL. “It’s fun to see your players make it and excel at the next level,” says Doyle. “At Avon, we routinely have college players but we have been fortunate enough to have a handful of pros. These guys shape and change the game. We’re known for what we do, and we’re proud to be named the way we are today. Everybody knows this rink as the place to be when there’s a hockey game, and it’s name is widely recognized throughout the state and other places.” Avon is unlike any other ordinary high school. It filters ordinary hockey players and prepares them for the collegiate level. NHL players such as Chris Higgins and Nick Bonino who play for the Vancouver Canucks in this year’s 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs, graduated in 2002 and 2008, and won two New England Championships. Two-time Stanley Cup winner in 2012 and 2014, Jonathan Quick, graduated in 2005 winning one New England Championship. To add to the list of all stars, first round draft pick and legendary New York Rangers’ defenseman Brian Leetch, class of ‘86, also played at Avon. Leetch would lead the Rangers to win the 1994 Stanley Cup, and later became inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame. These are just some of the many memorable players to skate on the everlasting ice. As old as it may be, Jennings Fairchild Rink is still thriving in its prime with lively culture and grace. Each home game is unlike any other experience one can encounter. At first you may see an aged and barren ice rink, whose only exciting event is the brush of the zamboni replenishing water into the divots and dents of players skates. Wait a few minutes and you’ll have a change of heart. In the small moment of silence when that raven black puck hits the ice for the faceoff, it’s a continuous non stop battle between two schools, with the echoing of 400 voices strengthening the home team. As each game comes alive, you become more than just a spectator or a fan. In Jennings Fairchild Rink, you’re part of the game, part of the history, and part of the legacy.
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October 2017
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