New Greenwich Ice Hockey Coach Hopes To Push Past Adversity

GREENWICH, CT — Balance. That is the biggest takeaway Jack Duffy had from his time playing ice hockey at Yale University years ago.

As a student at the university, Duffy had to balance his school work, time with family and friends, and other important commitments along with his hockey responsibilities to be successful on and off the ice.

(To sign up for Greenwich breaking news alerts and more, click here.)

"I think you really have to be disciplined when you're playing [a sport] and make sure you're taking care of school and you're taking care of [other] things that are important," Duffy said. "Hockey sometimes comes second or third. I like to tell kids it's about family and school, then hockey."

He hopes to impart this lesson on the student-athletes at Greenwich High School, where Duffy was recently named head coach of the boys ice hockey team.

It's also timely advice, as the bestowing of this honor come on the heels of a tragedy that has knocked the entire Greenwich High sports community off balance.

Duffy, who spent two years serving as the team's assistant coach, will succeed Chris Rurak in the role following the former head coach's sudden death in July at the age of 47. It is not an honor Duffy takes lightly, noting the difficult circumstances surrounding his appointment.

"I had a lot of respect for [Rurak] as a person and a coach, so it's tough," Duffy said. "I guess there's no easy way to put it; it's just a tough situation right now."

Duffy said he was "honored and humbled" to be chosen to lead the team.

"I've had a great time these last two years coaching these boys," Duffy said, "so I am looking forward to the new challenge."

Gus Lindine, the school's athletics director, said he was pleased to have Duffy step into the role.

"Our athletic program is excited to welcome Jack Duffy as our boys ice hockey coach," Lindine said. "Coach Duffy will bring a wealth of successful experiences from the many years he has been involved in ice hockey."

Among the challenges the team will face this season is continuing to grapple with the coronavirus crisis. The virus brought the team's previous season to a screeching halt in March after the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference decided to cancel the remainder of the winter 2019-20 season in the interest of safety.

"It was a very disappointing situation," Duffy said, "especially for the seniors. We had a very good team last year, we were heading to the state tournament with a pretty good ranking, and the kids were really excited about it, so obviously it was a major disappointment."

According to Duffy, the season is currently scheduled to start late next month, with games starting in early December; however, the schedule is still "very fluid" at the moment.

In spite of difficult circumstances, Duffy is determined to help the team pull through using many of the skills the players exhibit on the ice each game.

"I think hockey, as with any sport, teaches you about solving problems, overcoming obstacles and sticking together as a team in order to do that," Duffy said. "I think those are the kind of short-term life lessons we'll talk about, but I also think those things stay with kids throughout their lives."

While he acknowledges this season will be far from easy, the new head coach is determined to help his young players overcome these hard circumstances as a team.

"I think something we'll talk to the boys about a lot this year is overcoming adversity," Duffy said. "We lost Chris during the summer and, as everyone is doing, we're dealing with COVID-19 protocols and restrictions. It won't be an easy year, but we'll overcome adversity together."

It's a lesson he will also be able to impart on his own children, two of whom attend Greenwich High School and play ice hockey.

"I definitely love the fact that they love the sport," Duffy said. "I never really pushed it on them, because I always wanted to make sure that they were doing it for themselves, but we have a lot of fun as a family."

Duffy said he is looking forward to coaching his two sons this year and thinks it will result in an interesting dynamic.

"Not a lot of high school coaches get to coach their kids," Duffy said. "The team and program come first and everything else is secondary, but I am looking forward to it."

Duffy's daughters, one a graduate of Greenwich High and one a student at Eastern Middle School, play ice hockey as well, which means he and his wife are often driving their children to different rinks in their spare time.

It's something he cherishes, another word he hopes to impart on his young team members who have learned this year, among many lessons, the importance of giving their all in every game they play and enjoying every moment they step out onto the ice.

"I just think one message to these kids this year is when we have the opportunity to get back out there, just cherish every moment," Duffy said. "You never know what happens. We usually tell the kids to play every game like it's your last, and we ran into that in March. I think it's going to take a lot of discipline to make sure you're dealing with the adversity of different protocols and how we handle ourselves the day of games and whatnot, but just go out there and have fun. Cherish every moment."

A bio of Duffy's previous experience can be found at greenwichcardinalhockey.com.