Veterans Battle Rep. Quigley, Chicago Blackhawks Alumni and Chicago Celebrities in Ice Hockey Classic

CHICAGO – Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) and a team of Chicago Blackhawks alumni and local celebrities faced off against the USA Warriors Standing Team in a hockey game. The USA Warriors Sled Team also played the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago Blackhawks Sled Team. Both USA Warriors teams are comprised of injured and disabled Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, many of whom are Purple Heart recipients.

“It is an extraordinary testament to these veterans who have given us all so much and are still working so hard to be able to compete,” said Rep. Quigley. “The same qualities that made them successful in the military-their teamwork, perseverance and determination-make them inspiring competitors on the ice. It is a tremendous privilege to play the sport I love with these brave veterans.”

Rep. Quigley (left) handles the puck during the second period against the USA Warriors.

“When each of us swore to protect the United States of America as service men and women, none of us thought we would become disabled. The USA Warriors hockey team has given each of us an ability to be competitive again,” said USA Warriors Alternate Captain Mike Davis. “We also have been fortunate enough to have the support of Congressman Mike Quigley. Not only does he proudly represent the city of Chicago and our team, but he is a strong advocate for the men and women who serve this great nation.”

Group photo of all the participants from today’s game.

The USA Warriors Ice Hockey Program, Inc.,founded in 2008, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization that offers rehabilitative sled and standing ice hockey programs to injured, ill and disabled service members and veterans. It is dedicated to fulfilling our promises to the men and women who served our country by providing recreational and therapeutic experiences and education. Learn more about the USA Warriors at www.usawarriorshockey.org.

The RIC Blackhawks Sled Hockey Teamwas formed in the fall of 1999. Supported in part by the Blackhawks Charities, a fund of the McCormick Tribune Foundation, the team includes a core group of players from the greater Chicago-area and several independent players from different parts of the country. The RIC Blackhawks is a member team of the United States Sled Hockey Association (USSHA) and participates in competitions held throughout the United States and Canada.

In addition to Rep. Quigley, the Chicago team included former Chicago Blackhawks players Tom Dillon, Cliff Koroll, and Grant Mulvey, television play-by-play announcer Pat Foley, and local personalities CBS2 Anchor Rob Johnson and ABC7 Anchor Ravi Baichwal.

Rep. Quigley began playing hockey when he was six years old and still plays regularly when he is back home in Chicago. He is a co-chair of the Congressional Hockey Caucus, a bipartisan group of Members of Congress dedicated to advocating for the expansion of hockey programs in America. Rep. Quigley is an avid Chicago Blackhawks fan and has worked with the team to expand access to floor hockey programs to youth at St. Vincent de Paul Center in Lincoln Park and to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community through the Center on Halsted. 

High resolution photos are available upon request.

###