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Boats littered Hudson Ave., in Freeport, N.Y., in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, that hit the East Coast in early November 2012 causing millions of dollars in damage. Below, Martin Brodeur stops a shot by Bobby Ryan during Operation Hat Trick Benefit Exhibition Game at Boardwalk Hall Arena in Atlantic City, N.J. "We had coaches that lost cars who needed to carpool with parents ... For some teams, it really brought everybody even that much closer together." —Joe Brand, president of the Long Beach Apple Core said. "We had a number of kids who lost equipment; there were equipment drives that went on. "The Long Island Hockey League was great with us. All the other teams, the support we got was great. We're playing home games in their buildings, using their practice slots." Even with ice and equipment taken care of, the issues didn't stop, but meeting the challenges fostered an even greater sense Photos By Getty Images of community and brought the Apple Core family even closer together. "We had coaches that lost cars who needed to carpool with parents," Brand said. "We're buying ice in buildings that are 45 minutes from here; you pray that the gas problem was going to be solved soon, because who's going to be able [to drive]? For some of the teams, it really brought everybody even that much closer together." A Bonding Experience The Greater New York Stars had a bonding experience of their own in the wake of Sandy, as the players and their families pitched in to help clean and restore their home at Coney Island's Abe Stark Rink, overseen by Pete DiBona and league treasurer/registrar Lisa Davie. "The kids came down and helped in cleaning out what we needed to clean out," George said. "Obviously, the rink staff did the maintenance and getting the chillers up and running. When I got down there, I thought our season was over, but they got it up and they got it going and they did a great job." A Helping Hand The Westchester Mariners, who play out of the Playland Ice Casino in Rye, N.Y., couldn't get their rink back in time for the 2012-13 season, but they found a strong USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM april/May. 2013 17