For many teams, the end of the postseason means they are done playing until the following season. However, on the contrary, this is not the case for the FHC hockey team.

This season, the FHC hockey team had one of the best hockey seasons in school history. The team was able to turn its season around after the program fell to a record of 5-11 which was then turned around allowing the team to finish 17-12. This led to the team making the high school version of the frozen four for the first time in school history. This successful postseason marked the end of the winter season; however, the hockey team is not done playing yet.

Not many people are aware of the fact that the FHC hockey team plays a spring season that starts a little over a month after the conclusion of the winter season. While it may not be through the MHSAA, the team still plays other high school teams such as Forest Hills Northern-Eastern and East Grand Rapids. The competition allows the boys to continue playing at a high level even though they are no longer in season. “It is pretty competitive because the coaches are watching, and they use this as some evaluation. Still, at the same time, it’s a very fun opportunity to do some extra hitting and a lot of crazy moves and stuff you maybe wouldn’t do in the regular season,” said sophomore Eli Lipke.

As Eli said, the season is not simply continuing just for keeping players in shape, but also it is a time to decompress and have some fun on the ice after a long and tough MHSAA season. Agreeing with Eli’s sentiments, junior Owen Barber commented, “I like that spring hockey isn’t as serious and competitive as the normal season, and it’s just a chance to have fun with the boys and improve.” This extra fun that the boys have allows them to stay engaged with their sport while also enjoying it and not becoming burned out by the strict demands of when the season actually counts.

For this spring season, the team has been divided into two seperate teams, selected at random. This separation allows some players to get more ice time than they usually would get during the MHSAA season which gives them an opportunity to improve. While it may seem like the 2023 winter season is so distant, it will be here before you know it, so there is not time like the present to get started.

Although the 2022 winter sports season is a thing of the past, the FHC hockey team will continue its tradition of excellence thanks to the dedication during the spring of 2023.