By ANDREA POTEET
Sunday Times Newspapers
WYANDOTTE — For residents, this has been an unforgettable hockey season.
And a recent ordinance passed by the City Council should ensure visitors to the city remember it as well.
The council unanimously passed a resolution Monday to place signs at all seven entrances to the city honoring the team, which won the Division 2
State Championship Title March 12. The win was the first state championship title for any team in Wyandotte Public Schools’ history.
Members of the team were present at the meeting for the resolution, and council members also congratulated team member Gerald Mayhew, who was named “Mr. Hockey” by the Michigan High School Hockey Coaches Association last Saturday. The honor is the first for the district, and is given each year to the top high school hockey player in the state.
Coach Mike Quint also recognized senior Nick Kovalchik, for his part in the win.
Mayor Joseph Peterson, who also serves as an assistant coach for the team, agreed, noting the teamwork displayed by the two boys. He said shortly after the win, Councilman James DeSana called him and joked that the two were hiding cell phones in their helmets.
“I’ve never seen two young men so coordinated,” DeSana said. “They played together so long that they knew each other’s moves and where they were gonna be … you guys have had your brains coordinated.”
Peterson thanked the team for the winning season, noting it was one of his longtime coaching goals.
“You’ve never seen a grown man cry, well, I’ll admit that I cried on the ice,” he said. “I’ve waited 26 years of coaching to see something like this, and this is the first time I’ve seen it and didn’t have to pay five bucks to watch it.”
Council members also noted the team’s professionalism and academic success. They recently were named an all-state academic team, meaning its members have a combined grade point average of at least 3.0.
“The team is a great ambassador of Wyandotte,” City Attorney William Look said. “You put Wyandotte on the map.”
Quint thanked the council and the community for their support during the season.
“It’s touching when you realize a whole city is behind you,” he said. “I’m sure these young men appreciate it, and I think it’s gonna make us become a hockey town. I think our games will be pretty full this year.”