Tampa Wolfpack Hockey Defies Extinction Roller Hockey Team Continues Strong Run After 10-Plus Years


By WB Philp


f anyone has had anything to do with roller hock- ey in Florida, it’s almost certain they have been touched by the Tampa Wolfpack in some way. The Wolf family, of whom the Wolfpack is named, has been a constant influence on the inline hockey scene in the Sunshine State for over a de- cade. But to totally understand the Wolfpack’s history, one must learn how the organization came to hap- pen. Wolfpack hockey got its start on the sandlots of Florida. The Wolf sons, Kris, Keith and Kyle, would play baseball from dawn until dusk and then get up and do it all over again. That is until they discovered the heart-pounding, addictive game of hockey. Once their father, Karl, a Tampa firefighter, intro- duced the boys to hockey, nothing else mattered. “We formed our own teams and played games on the tennis courts of Apollo Beach,” remembered Keith.


I


The boys wore the lines off of those courts until they discovered an indoor roller rink, Skate Odyssey, where they honed their skills and fed their passion for the game. Eventually, once Keith turned 19, he started work- ing and coaching for Bill Walleshauser (now the adult hockey director at the Ellenton Ice and Sports Complex) at a Temple Terrace rink near the popular theme park Busch Gardens. The hockey-crazed duo would form the Tampa Tritons, a group of competitive travel roller hockey teams. While the Tritons thrived, the owner of the building was unable to make it financially with the roller hockey organization as its only tenant and the building was set to be turned into a dry storage facility. Keith did not want to see what he and Walleshaus- er had built go to waste. After a few conversations with his father, Keith convinced his father to sign a lease and keep roller hockey going. They renamed the building the Roller Den and Tampa Wolfpack Hockey Inc. was born. Under the Wolf family, Wolfpack hockey grew and


thrived. At its height, the Roller Den was home to eight travel teams from ages eight to 18. The teams were very successful playing local All Star Rec (ASR) tournaments and East Coast Hockey Organization (ECHO) qualifiers. At one point, the 14 and under


Keith Wolf


Lightning won the Stanley Cup, boosting interest in hockey around the area. The Roller Den’s recreational youth leagues were flourishing and concessions and


Kids, Community Come First at All Sports Arena By WB Philp


“I


did it for the kids,” said Matt Garry, the new owner of All Sports Arena in New Port Richey.


But what did he do? How about buying a failing rink that was ready to close its doors and in the pro- cess saving inline hockey in Pasco County? Garry already had plenty of sweat equity invested in the rink as he has been a player, coach and league director there for over 13 years. “I’ll do whatever I can do to keep this place open,” said Garry, with his nine-year-old son, Austin in tow. Garry put his money where his mouth is and now spends just about every waking hour at the rink. He has made his business a family affair, too. Upon entering the building, Garry’s wife, Jennifer, and her effervescent smile greet people and if a concession stand visit is needed, get a hot dog and drink from


Wolfpack team won a silver medal at the North American Roller Hockey (NARCh) finals. Soon thereafter in 2004, the NHL’s Tampa Bay


the pro shop were making money. Karl started, ran and played in an adult league at the arena and the University of South Florida Bulls roller hockey team, now a tenant at the Den, installed Keith as its first coach. The rink also developed and hosted a 14-team high school league, with squads traveling from as far away as Bradenton and Orlando to compete. Life in the Wolfpack was good. “And then it happened,” said Keith. “The NHL


lockout.”


After a long and frustrating pause, he continued. “The lockout hurt us badly,” said Keith. “Interest in


hockey went away. There were too many other sports and activities available to the kids here in Florida. In retrospect, we started all of this because we loved hockey and the kids. We really didn’t look very hard at the economics of it.” In 2005, Keith and Karl decided that their love for the game was not enough to overcome the lack of in- come and interest in roller hockey. The pair painfully chose not to renew the lease at the Roller Den. “We finally realized that trying to run a profitable business involving just roller hockey was impossible,” said Keith. When asked if roller hockey could survive in Florida with all there is to do recreationally, Keith quickly responded. “Absolutely, but it will take someone who will


volunteer a lot of time and money and has access to a rink,” he said. “With only two rinks in the area, it’s a tough sell.” The old Roller Den in Temple Terrace? It was


bought by a franchisor and renamed USA SkatePlex and now offers a diversified brand of entertainment, surrounding roller skating, including roller derby, speed skating, birthday parties and corporate events. What about roller hockey at the refurbished rink


on Busch Avenue? On a Sunday afternoon or a Tuesday or Thurs-


day night, Keith Wolf can be found running his adult leagues and mentoring many of former Wolfpack kids. Yes, a much older Keith Wolf, a roller hockey lifer to be sure, can’t help himself. He runs a ‘B’ and ‘C’ league on Sundays, an ‘A’ league on Tuesdays and an Over-30 league on Thursdays. It seems Tampa Wolfpack hockey will go into hibernation from time to time, but will never succumb to extinction.


Garry’s mother, Karen, and his six-year-old daughter, Sierra, who also does whatever else is asked of her. All the while, Garry’s mother-in-law, Jane Campbell, stays on top of the accounting. While running a temp agency is his “real job,” Garry never stops running the rink. He has developed multiple recreational and competitive leagues of all varieties including men’s, women’s, coed and youth. There are over 180 men, 70 kids and 40 women that play hockey regularly at the arena. The rink hosts many ironman tournaments and is hoping to have ECHO and NARCh qualifiers in the future. The 36-year-old owner is also working hard to de-


velop revenue streams that the previous tenants had not attempted. He now sells advertising space on the boards and logo T-shirts. Simply put, Garry embodies all things good about


Matt Garry


hockey, family, community and most of all, fun. Like he said, it’s all for the kids.


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