The game of hockey is loved by millions.  It’s more than just a sport here in Canada, it’s a way of life.  Winter is around longer than any other season, and when most Canadians think of winter, they think of cold, and hockey.

Despite the bone chilling nights we face, you can still hear kids on the outdoor rinks playing a game of shinny, or see the different arena’s packed with cars as they are out watching their sons, daughters, friends, teammates, or even just out at a rink to catch a game where they know nobody on either team.

 A lot of kids grow up watching Hockey Night in Canada, and thinking how one day it would be great to be just like one of their heroes they watch on tv.

 Now imagine growing up, being a highly touted hockey player, received a hockey scholarship to a NCAA  school, a very bright future in the game, and then it all gets taken away in an instant.

 That’s what happened to former Winnipeg Blue Jerry Chumola.

Chumola came to the Blues in 1985/86 and made an immediate impact, being named the Blues Rookie of the Year  (an award he shared with Russ Parent).  He went on to have an even better second year, taking the MVP award, as well as Hockey Ability award, Sportsmanship award, and named a First team All Star.

 His strong play didn’t go unnoticed by many colleges and universities both in Canada and the United States, and before long Chumola was offered a full hockey scholarship to the University of Duluth in Minnesota. 

 The game may have sped up, the players may have grew, the level may have jumped a few notches, but Chumola didn’t miss a step.

 In his rookie season he put up 37 points in 41 games.  That performance was good enough to get him named Rookie of the Year.  The Rookie of the Year award in Duluth is now named the Jerry Chumola award.

Year number two was another stellar season for the 21 year old, as he would put up another 35 points in 40 games.

 The future was bright, but it all came to a sudden halt one night in his home town of Starbuck.

 Driving back from Easter Dinner with his family, the car which Chumola was a passenger in hit a patch of ice and slammed into a tree.  Everyone in the car was ok, except for Chumola.  He would spend the next four days in a coma, lose the sight in his left eye, and have five plates surgically implanted in his face after the accident.

 In the blink of an eye, Chumola wasn’t fighting for a loose puck in front of the net, he was fighting for his life.

 After many gruelling hours of rehab and hospital stays,  Chumola recovered, but would never suit up for another game.

 We caught up with the former Winnipeg Blue and talked about some of his memories from his time with the Blues organization, and about what it was like playing in the NCAA.

 I guess first of all, you came to the Blues back in the 1985/86 season.  Who was your coach with the Blues?  Any players on the team stand out for you, or even some NHLers  you remember playing against from the MJHL.

The first year I played it was Dwight Newman, the second year was Graham James and the third year was Doug Stokes.  When I played for Graham James my line mate was Sheldon Kennedy.  I remember the year Graham James was the coach we won Manitoba and then played Humboldt in the Sask final and we had picked up Eddie Belfour from Winkler’s team to fill in as a goalie.

You decided to go to Duluth after being touted by a few other Colleges.  What made you choose Duluth? 

I picked Duluth because the recruiting trip went really well and I figured I would have the best chance of playing if I went there.  There was also another guy from Winnipeg that was going there that I had played against in junior and I thought it would be nice to have somebody there from my area.
 
How was the transition going from Junior hockey to NCAA.  Was it tough to get accustomed to it?

The biggest transition there was between Junior hockey and NCAA was the speed.  It was tough at first but you get used to it.  All of the drills you do in practice were structured to improve your speed and endurance.  Considering that you would practice every day it did not take long for you to get into shape.
 
How big of an honor is it to be recognized by Duluth and have the Rookie of the Year award named after you?

Considering the hockey players that graduated out of Duluth it was a great honor to get the call from the University to let me know what they were doing.  I look back and think to myself what might have happened if I was not in the accident but the University recognizing me for this award makes me proud of what I did.  (Some of the NHL players who attended Duluth University were Brett Hull, Chico Resch, Mason Raymond, Shjon Podein, and Winnipeg Jet Tim Stapleton)
 
Did you end up getting your degree from Duluth?

No I did not finish my degree down there.  The University was still going to honor my scholarship after the accident but I had found it too hard to be down there and live with hockey players that were going to play games that I could not be a part of.  I had never missed a game while I was down there so you could imagine how I felt when I could not play anymore.  
 
What was it like playing teams like Michigan, Minnesota teams like that.  Can you let me know the division you were in and some of the teams that were in it.  College hockey fans in those states I imagine were probably awesome.  Do you have a favorite college hockey moment.

It was awesome playing these teams because of the competition between the teams.  We were in the WCHA which was the Western Collegiate hockey association, the teams were in our division were North Dakota, Northern Michigan, Michigan Tech, Wisconsin, Denver, Colorado College and Minnesota.   I would have to say one of my favorite moments down in College was playing the US Olympic team in my freshman year.  They killed us but it was great to play against guys like Brian Leetch and Mike Richter.  Another great moment that I had was a game against New Hampshire in my freshman year in Duluth, I remember getting 3 goals and 2 assists in that game and as a freshman I felt pretty good.
 
What do you remember most about your time with the Blues.   I see you guys made it to the final but lost to Selkirk 4 games to 3 in the 86/87 season.  Do you remember your line mates?

The thing I remember the most is how much fun I had with the guys on the Blues.  Right from the first year all the way through to my final year there.  It was also a great organization to play for and it turned out good for me making it to the next level.  Some of my line mates when I played there were Larry Skoleski,  Rene Abagail, Sheldon Kennedy, Todd Bohonus and Craig Oster.
 
What do you remember about the level of hockey back in the 80's in the MJHL.  More than a few players went on to the NHL who played in that era.

The level of hockey was great,  there were more than a few guys that went on to the Western Hockey league or down to college.  There was also a handful of guys that I played against that continued on to the NHL.  
 
As a hockey parent now,  what advice do you give your kids if any regarding hockey.
Have fun,  don’t burn yourself out by playing hockey all year round, be a kid and enjoy summer.  Now a day’s kids get sick of hockey by the time there 16 because that is all they have done.
 
What do you miss most?

The thing I miss most about hockey is the excitement of the game.  Scoring the big goal making a nice pass to set up the goal, also the friendships made through hockey.  Being part of a team is a very important thing in life and I think hockey has done that for me.

Chumola knows more than anyone that hockey is a great game that anyone who loves the sport absolutely has a passion for, but in the end, it really is just a game, so enjoy every minute of it.