Memory of a Coach Who Never Quit Keeps an Unlikely Program on Solid Ice

On the Thursday after his death, McKenzie's hockey team took the ice for its final regular season game. The team that had lost 10 of its previous 13 games dedicated its final regular season contest to his memory and won, 6-0.

A few days later, the players were among more than 400 people to pack Cleveland Park Congregational Church for McKenzie's funeral. They wore their home jerseys and were mentioned in eulogies. On the family's way out of the church, the boys formed two lines by the doors and made a ceremonial arch with their hockey sticks.

Philip Castiel, the team captain, gave a speech during a service afterward: "During [the past four years], over 30 young high school hockey players, both boys and girls, were given a gift by Coach. That gift is the love of the game of hockey."

A Rededication to Purpose

For each void created by McKenzie's death, someone stepped forward, ready to make life a little busier so the team wouldn't fade away.

Adam Davis, a teammate of McKenzie's in a men's hockey league, took over as coach. Five parents took on roles, including team manager, and handled responsibilities such as procuring ice time, applying for grants and organizing community outreach efforts.

Even with those efforts, the team worried about its future without a more stable affiliation.

"We had a lot of meetings over the summer," said Tim Aluise, a team parent, "and there were many times when we thought we would not have a hockey team this year."

The team's roster had had a growing Wilson presence since 2003, and it became apparent that the majority of players would be from Wilson this season. Dylan Aluise went to Wilson Athletic Director Eddie Saah and pleaded for him to add hockey as a varsity sport.

Saah said Wilson had no money to offer. But the more he heard about the team, the more he liked the idea.

Last month, Paul Koring, another team parent, established the Woodrow Wilson High School Hockey Club as a nonprofit organization. With a projected budget close to $20,000, the team receives donations from McKenzie's Masonic lodge, parents and others. The team also received grants from the D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission.

Fenty, who attended Wilson, said he plans to bring his sons to a game in the future. He hopes others in the city will do the same to help the team flourish.

"This team is great for young people, great for the sport and great for the city," Fenty said. "It's a lesson to all of us. If you believe in something, you go forward with it 100 percent."

The players who knew McKenzie echo that message. "In some ways, we're still representing Paul," Dylan Aluise said. "It might be a Wilson team, but it was his child that he brought up through the years. We would not be here today if not for Paul. I'm sure of that."

In case anyone forgets, a reminder remains on the sleeve of their home jerseys: a red "PM" patch.

Players such as Hill carry McKenzie's legacy beyond their sleeves. Were it not for this team, he would have had nowhere to play in high school, nowhere to try goaltending and nowhere to experience a 37-save night.

"Just being able to play [for Wilson] is amazing," he said. "Everyone kind of embraces you, never saying a bad thing as you learn. It's great."