Providence Bruins repair skates for player fleeing Pawtucket rink shooting
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WJAR) — When Providence Bruins equipment manager Anthony Pelleccione witnessed tragedy unfolding at Dennis M. Lynch Arena two weeks ago, he immediately thought of ways to help.
“It's shocking,” Pellechione said. “We practiced there, I grew up playing there. You never think what's going to happen. And then to see the kids run, it's heartbreaking.”
He got an idea after seeing some players on a high school hockey team fleeing an arena on skates.
“I saw videos of kids running on concrete with skates on, and that's obviously a big problem with hockey skates,” Pellegione explained.
Wearing skates on concrete surfaces can cause the blades to dull. For high school teams that don't have the necessary machinery, players have to go to a hockey shop to get their blades repaired.
So Pellegione and the P-Bruins organization contacted the Coventry-Johnston and Blackstone Valley cooperatives and offered to help them.
“Take the burden off as much as possible and allow them to come together as a team and get through this together as a team and as a family,” he said.
“We coordinate with the teams and let them take their skates off … to take the load off them, sharpen their skates, even if they need to do some minor repairs, we take care of it,” Pellegione said.
Repairing skates was part of his day job, but caring for the skates of a high school student who had just witnessed a horrific shooting was uncomfortable.
“Seeing the condition of the blades, I didn't expect this to happen and knowing what they've been through, it's tough,” Pellechione said.
P-The Bruins didn't stop there. The organization welcomed both teams to Amica Mutual Pavilion last Sunday and took them to the ice before the game to show support.
“When the seniors’ names were called, I got chills for them,” he said. “One of the seniors, when his name was called, he looked at the bench and said, 'That's cool.'”
Pellecione hopes this gesture will remind the team that the Rhode Island hockey community stands with them during this tragedy.
