Cool as Ice: The Chaldean Hockey League
Team Red celebrates its Chaldean Hockey League playoff championship.
By Steve Stein
Josh Garmo skated up the right wing, deked Brendan Danou, eluded two other players, and sent a perfectly placed shot into the top left corner of the net. It was a spectacular goal, and it gave Team Red a thrilling 4-3 overtime win over Team Green in the first game of the best-of-three Chaldean Hockey League playoff championship series.
After playing five minutes of 4-on-4 overtime hockey, the teams battled through about 10 minutes of 3-on-3 play before Garmo ended the marathon game at the Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Ice Arena.
It was a great win for Team Red, and a crushing loss for Team Green.
Garmo received a text from Danou, a good friend, after the game. Danou didn’t promise revenge. He didn’t do any trash talking. Instead, he congratulated Garmo and said if Team Red was going to win the game, he was glad Garmo scored the goal.
That story sums up the vibe of the CHL. It’s a fiercely competitive league, but all about family, friends, and community. “It’s the embodiment of our community,” said Team Red captain Jacob Garmo.
“It brings together a lot of guys who normally don’t see each other the rest of the year,” said Danou, the Team Green captain.
Asked if the momentum from Josh Garmo’s overtime goal carried over into the next game, Jacob Garmo said quickly, “It did.”
Danou said his team shook off the loss and came out flying. “But sometimes things bounce your way in hockey, and sometimes they don’t,” he said.
Team Red beat two-time defending playoff champion Team Green 2-1 in the next playoff game at the Detroit Skating Club (DSC) in Bloomfield Township and won the coveted Telga Cup, the CHL’s version of the Stanley Cup, which goes to the league’s playoff champion.
Josh Garmo, named Most Valuable Player of the playoffs by the league’s team captains, scored in the second championship game. But it was Michael Yaldoo who won it for Team Red with a goal in the last five minutes.
“I’m glad it was Team Green that we beat,” said Garmo. “They beat us in the championship round the last two seasons.”
The weekly CHL was founded in 2006. After taking two seasons off, it re-started, had its 2019-20 season interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic just before the playoff championship series between Team Gold and Team Black, and has come back stronger than ever with fresh players joining each year.
The captains of the six Chaldean Hockey League teams and Commissioner Kyle Kassa. From left: Brendan Danou (Team Green), Matt Kesto (Team Black), Andrew Roye (Team Gold), Frankie Awdish (Team White), Commissioner Kassa, Lawrence Kuza (Team Blue) and Jacob Garmo (Team Red).
There were about 80 players on the league’s six teams this season. Regular season games were played at the Novi Ice Arena. The playoffs were held at St. Mary’s and DSC because of scheduling issues caused by Holy Week and a wedding.
It was a competitive post-season. Of the 10 playoff games, six were decided by one goal and three by two goals. The only blowout was Team Red’s 5-0 win over Team Blue in the first round.
A draft was held before the season. The draft normally takes place every three years, but it was after four years this time because of the COVID-19 shortened season. Team Red and Team Green each retained its core of players in the draft and added a few pieces.
For Team Red, which lost seven of its first eight games but ended up going 8-7-1 in the regular season and 5-1 in the playoffs, two additions were crucial to its success.
“We switched Joseph Sheena from forward to defense during the season, and that was huge,” Jacob Garmo said. “(Forward) Anthony Hakim also did a great job. How did we turn things around? We came together, moved some people around, and our goalie (Isaac Garmo) was great.”
The goalie also was a big story of the Team Green season. “We lost Drake Danou, the best goalie in the league (and last year’s playoffs MVP) to a torn labrum,” Brendan Danou said. “He got hurt in Week 10 when he made an acrobatic save and landed on his shoulder. He tried to play through it, but he had to shut it down.”
With the league’s blessing, Team Green brought in Pierce Cadieux, like Brendan Danou and Drake Danou a former Birmingham Brother Rice High School hockey player, to replace Drake Danou.
Cadieux had never played in the league. He did well, taking Team Green to the championship round of the playoffs, but he had big skates to fill.
Team Red’s roster also included Jonathan Kello, Jon Kouza, Kenny Koza, Joseph Shina, Brandon Kassab, Daniel Kassab, and Dominic Kassab. The coaching staff included Sam Yono, Nawar Karmo, Shaun Attiq, and Anthony Shina.
Jacob, Josh, and Isaac Garmo, Kello, Kouza, Sheena and Shina all are former OL St. Mary’s High School hockey players.
Team Green’s roster also included Bryan Farida, Brandon Antoon, David Anton, Hunter Atchoo, Saad Rassam, Brian Binno, Stephen Wardia, Joe Pickens, Mike Yaldo, and Vino Loussia.
Danou issued a warning to the rest of the league. “Team Green will be back,” he said.