Hockey has always been a cornerstone in the Young family legacy, tracing back over five generations. It is more than a game to us; it is a shared passion that binds us together. Of my family of five, hockey has forged an irreplaceable bond among us. However, this bond spans to more family and friends than can even be counted.
I grew up going to my brothers games. Connor, being seven years older than me, was well into his hockey career when I came along. My mom, sister and I would rarely miss a game, watching Connor on the ice and my dad coaching from the bench. Spending those early years of my life surrounded by our Blue Devils hockey family taught me the essence of a chosen family. Hockey moms became second mothers, other hockey sisters would roam the rink with me, and my brothers teammates were automatic big brothers.
When my brother was 16 he moved to Colorado to play hockey at an advanced level. As a nine year old I was definitely confused why my brother had to move away just for a sport, but I admired the hard work and grit he had for the game. I loved bragging to my friends about how cool and good at hockey my brother was! My parents’ willingness to support Connors dream at such a young age speaks volumes about their commitment and love for the sport.
On my dads side of the family, hockey runs deep. My older cousins Tyler and Travis, my brother Connor and my dad and uncle all played. We made it a point to cheer each one on, whether they played together or not. When the five “Young” men took the ice together, it was a unique feeling. With two defensemen and three forwards, it was special to watch the five of them play the game we all love, together. When I decided to start my career as the first girl in the family to play, I felt nothing but support from my family. I pulled together a full uniform of my brother and cousins gear, leaning into the family hockey lineage, and was ready to hit the ice. As both my Nana and Poppa were all about hockey for the family, you can imagine how much all of us playing meant to them.
My Poppa Mo was the heart and soul of our families passion for hockey. He would come to practices, be the vocal fan in the stands, give us corrections on our game, and also be the one to buy us a treat at the end of a good game. Although it wasn’t any of our favorite things to be in the car with Poppa after a tough loss, this taught us hard work and determination. We wanted to show our Poppa that we took his corrections and worked to improve. Even as he got older and had a hard time getting to the rink, he always asked how many face-offs were won or how many penalty minutes we served. On the day he passed away, my brother won his Colorado State Championship. This was too special for us to just be a coincidence. We saw it as a tribute to his love for the game and for our family.
The Lady Blue Devils opened another chapter in our family’s hockey story. With my Dad as head coach and my mom as the team manager, it was truly a family affair. My dad and I spent countless hours honing my skills, from perfecting my stride to mastering face-offs. I looked up to my dad not only for his immense knowledge and skill of the game, but also for this ability to lead a team of many that had never hit the ice. He taught many girls the game, starting from scratch. The three of us created the design for the Lady Blue Devils jerseys and saw it come to life when the program expanded. Ten years later the program still uses the logo that the three of us created. Having this time together was extra special to me, as it was something special that I shared with my parents, without my siblings. My sister was around, but she preferred watching games over suiting up and getting on the ice. I will say, she was definitely one of our loudest cheerleaders! Beyond my parents and sister, my brother and older cousins would come help coach when they were back in town. Little ten year old me felt like the coolest girl on the team when they would come to practice. This will always be a special memory for me.
In the end, hockey is more than just a game for the Young family. It is a shared history, with a bond strengthened over generations. Hockey has tied my family together since before many of us were alive and I believe it will continue to do so for many generations to come.
Erin Young 
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