‘Our best one’: City police, firefighters take the ice

NEW HAVEN — The 25th annual Chief’s Cup was held over the weekend, bringing New Haven police officers and firefighters together for fun, a little competition on the ice and the chance to raise funds for colleagues in need.

Mark DeCola, the chief fiscal officer with the Department of Parks & Public Works and lead organizer, said Monday that the hockey event, resuming after missing two years during the pandemic, had gone off well.

The games — a retirement game, the Elm City Cup, for second level players, and the titular Chief’s Cup — had been close, with the last coming down to a goal from the police department in the final minute, and the Ralph Walker Ice Rink was well filled, DeCola said.

DeCola said a series of past chiefs were invited back to part of the festivities this year; former Police Chiefs Dean Esserman and Stephanie Redding and Fire Chief Allyn Wright were in attendance.

The family of firefighter Ricardo Torres, who died after a fire on Valley Street last May, dropped the puck as part of a ceremony, he said. A number of elected officials, including U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, State Sen. Martin Looney and Mayor Justin Elicker, came out to be a part of the event, and residents donated their time to help provide food and play music.

“In our 25 years, it was our best one ever,” said DeCola. “It was just a nice gathering of people coming together for a good cause.”

DeCola said he began organizing the Chief’s Cup in 1997, invited by firefighters Bill Seward and Tommy Holman.

He had experience in the sport — a former hockey player at Wilbur Cross High School and Quinnipiac University, DeCola went on to coach and serve as a trainer with the Los Angeles Kings and New Haven Nighthawks before taking a job with the city.

Over the years, he was aided by a series of others in the endeavor, he noted. People step forward and offer contributions, he said; he puts the puzzle pieces together.

DeCola said the chance to foster the event is meaningful to him. While not a firefighter or police officer himself, they had welcomed him, coming to feel like family; through the years, he had gained an appreciation for the difficulty and stress of the work.

Reflecting on the world faced by first responders, DeCola said there’s always going to be some bad in life, along with the good — “enough to put a little dagger in our side.”

Through the Chief’s Cup, DeCola said he hopes officers and firefighters can relax, taking a weekend away from the grind of the profession, and their families can bond, building relationships across the police and fire departments.

The annual event raises approximately $15,000 to $25,000 per year, DeCola said. The funds go to aid first responders in times of difficulty, he said, such as dealing with urgent medical expenses.

The Torres family had directed a potential donation toward creating a youth hockey scholarship, allowing a young person to play the sport, as Ricardo Torres did, DeCola said.

“It really brings people together,” said DeCola. “The Chief’s Cup — this is what we stand for.”

Steve Musco / Contributed photo Photo from the 25th annual Chief's Cup, the annual hockey game between the New Haven police and fire departments, which was held this weekend.