In 1997, already removed from his playing days at Michigan and his time as a CCHA official, Billy Jaffe made his first trip to Israel as a member of the U.S. team at the Maccabiah Games, an international gathering of thousands of Jewish athletes.
Today Jaffe – better known for his television work on NHL Network, NESN, MSG and elsewhere – returns to the country to lead the 2013 U.S. Maccabi hockey team as the sport returns to the Games for the first time since he played.
Maccabiah Games Official Site | Maccabi USA site
Competition runs from July 19-27, with the Opening Ceremony set for Thursday, July 18. The hockey competition is held in Israel’s only full-sized rink, located in Metulla near the Lebanon border.
Jaffe got involved thanks to Vermont senior associate athletic director Jeff Schulman, who was a teammate on that 1997 team. A former Catamount defenseman, Schulman has been instrumental in bringing hockey back to the Maccabiah Games.
Jaffe’s U.S. squad and the Canadians will rely on a number of current and former NCAA players in their pursuit of the gold medal.
Captain Rosen
Recent BU graduate Ben Rosen is one of the leaders of the U.S. team, and should be in excellent game shape after participating in New York Islanders development camp.
“Ben is flying over after camp and he will be one of our two captains, along with Woody Levin,” said Jaffe. Levin is another teammate of Jaffe’s on the ’97 team.
Other collegians on the roster include Bentley defenseman Steve Weinstein, Air Force goaltender Jason Torf, Vermont forward Pete Massar and Penn State forward Jacob Friedman. A handful of Division III players, including Joshua Bluman (Buffalo State), Benjamin Chwick (Colby) and Max Greenwald (Middlebury), are on the squad as well. BU alum Colby Cohen had been slated to play but recently signed a professional contract in Europe and had to withdraw.
“We’ve got some good players,” Jaffe said. “Our challenge will be to work hard, work together, and take pride in wearing the Team USA jersey. Any chance you get to do that, it truly is something special.”
Canada's leaders
Canada, which beat out the U.S. for gold back in 1997, features Princeton star Andrew Calof among its roster. The Tigers’ leading scorer each of his three years on campus, Calof should be an offensive leader for the Canadians.
Michigan's Zach and Spencer Hyman, Robert Morris forward David Friedmann and Lake Superior State defenseman Zach Sternberg are other current collegians on the Canadian roster.
The competition, Jaffe reminds, is just one part of the experience. As big is the opportunity to visit Israel and take part in an event that includes 9,000 Jewish athletes from 76 countries.
“It doesn’t matter what religion you are, it’s a wonderful experience,” Jaffe said. “Israel is a beautiful country with unlimited history.
“What’s more, when I was growing up – and I’m sure this is still true for many of these players – you are almost always the only Jewish kid on your team. From that perspective, it’s pretty special to be a part of a team like this.”