Editor’s Note: The following is a letter submitted to Plaindealer Sports by Canton boys hockey Coach Anthony Levato.
When I first heard there was a plan to welcome us back to town with a first responder escort and a crowd gathering at the Pavilion, I was hesitant. We didn’t win the championship. In my mind, those kinds of celebrations should be reserved for teams or individuals who complete the job and rise to the very top of competition in New York State and win a championship.
But when we were met by the cavalcade of response vehicles at O’Leary’s Funeral Home, I began to understand the bigger picture. Those vehicles, with lights flashing and sirens sounding when they originally escorted our boys out of town, weren’t leading us out simply to win a state championship. They were sending us off with the hope that our boys would represent the Canton community and the North Country to the best of their ability.
When we returned on Sunday afternoon, the welcome wasn’t just because we had won a game and played in a state championship. It was because every player on our team, whether they saw the ice that weekend or not, made the Canton community extremely proud. It has taken some time for that fact to truly sink in. We didn’t achieve the goal we set out to accomplish when we went to Buffalo. But what our team achieved may have been something greater than any of us imagined.
Over the past week, the other coaches and I have been inundated with texts, phone calls, and handshakes from people wanting to tell us just how special this playoff run was, not just for them, but for so many across our community. Simply put, our boys brought Canton together in an incredibly positive way.
Over the past year and a half, our community has lost so many leaders and special people. Wake after wake and funeral after funeral, it sometimes felt like Canton just kept taking punches to the gut. I never imagined something like this playoff run would provide a reason for our community to come together in such a positive way. But that’s exactly what happened. And through it all, our team felt a tremendous outpouring of love and support. When Canton comes together like this, there’s truly nothing like it.
Our alumni base was incredibly gracious and supportive of our current players. Beyond their donations, the messages sent to our team from different generations of Golden Bear Hockey alumni were heartfelt and powerful. They inspired our boys and reminded them how many people were behind them.
Those messages were echoed by teachers, administrators, boosters, and countless community supporters. Our send-off at the school last Thursday is something our players and coaches will never forget. Seeing the young kids at Banford and J.M. McKenney cheering us on made everyone realize the impact this moment had on the next generation of Golden Bears. The people who lined Main Street that chilly morning, and those waiting for us in Richville and Gouverneur, you all gave us even more inspiration.
Our parent group worked tirelessly in a short amount of time to organize fundraising efforts and coordinate the logistics of the trip. It comes as no surprise to me that our MVP goalie’s mother was at the forefront of those efforts. Miranda Schryver has been a tireless supporter and promoter of our program for years. Coaches dream of parents like her, and our entire team has been blessed by her dedication.
In Buffalo, Canton had the largest and loudest fan section of any of the eight schools present. It should be noted that Canton is the “smallest” of all those eight schools. To those who made the trip, alumni, students, parents and fans, we heard you loud and clear! Thanks for cheering on the brown and gold this weekend and representing Canton so well.
I would also be remiss if I didn’t thank our rink staff; Meghan, Ryan, and the entire crew. You provide us with a tremendous home and an environment where our kids can grow and succeed. We don’t make it to the state final without you.
By the time we got back to Lincoln Street on Sunday night, people were waiting outside their homes, on doorsteps, porches, and in their front yards. Some were even running up the street cheering as we passed. At that moment, my heart was full. It was then that I began to realize what this group of boys had accomplished. Around a hundred people were waiting for us outside the Pavilion when we pulled in, that was remarkable. Our boys needed some love and it was provided!
Canton is a truly special place, and this past week and a half was a powerful reminder of what makes this community so great. I can’t thank you all enough for the support you showed our boys. This is a remarkable group of kids, and every player who has come through the program before them helped build what Canton Hockey is today. Golden Bear Hockey is a special fraternity that exists within a very special community.
To the Canton community – thank you, thank you, THANK YOU.
As they say in Banford, “It’s a great day to be a Bear.”
Anthony Levato
