Hockey dad of the year builds backyard rink for the entire neighborhood!

What a dad.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 5 years ago
Hockey dad of the year builds backyard rink for the entire neighborhood!
ABC 7 News

At 8 years old a young Nick Vengyl suddenly and unexpectedly fell in love with the sport of hockey, a relatively late start to the game for young man, so like any good father wood Chris Vengyl encouraged his son to pursue his passion in any way that he could.

"He decided one day that he wanted to skate so we got him on the ice and he fell in love with it," said Chris in a recent interview with ABC 7 News.

What makes Chris a little different though is just how much he wanted to help his son pursue his love for the sport of hockey, a desire that has now made him somewhat of a local celebrity in his southwestern suburb of Chicago, Downers Grove. You see Chris thought that his son Nick was not getting enough ice time due to his late start to the game and wanted to find a way for his son to both get more playing time and perhaps more importantly to have a better chance to pursue that passion for hockey. So Chris did what any man who is the running for "Hockey Dad of the Year" would due and decided to build Nick a massive outdoor rink that would become the talk of the town.

"I thought it would get him to enjoy it more and be better at it. With hockey, it's all about ice time and this was a way to have it done," said Chris.

This is no normal outdoor rink either. The rink, which is located behind his home in Downers Grove, has full height boards, a warming shed where the local kids can go when the cold gets to be too much, and a full set of lights to keep the rink fully lit even at the dead of night. When you consider that a regulation rink is only slightly bigger at 200 by 85 feet that is a rather impressive backyard structure.

That's not even the best part though. Chris' house has understandably become a very popular destination for kids in the neighborhood who want to have a chance to get extra time to play out on the ice and he has welcomed them with open arms. Not only does Chris allow them access to the rink at all hours of the day and night, but he even bought extra pairs of skates that he keeps on hand for the kids who don't have any to use themselves. 

"It's great because the kids can just put on their skates and come by anytime they want," neighbor Bryan Sticha said. "Chris always has the door open and it's always available, even at night."

It seems that what once started as a pipe dream for Chris and Nick has been gaining momentum year after year and it seems to be benefiting everyone in the community. I do not have any vote in the outcome for the fictional award of "Hockey Dad of the Year" but if the winner in 2019 turns out to be Chris Vengyl I do not think that anyone is going to be disputing the legitimacy of the outcome. 

[pub]


Source: