The Colorado Extreme Hockey program announced the hiring of former NHL player Bryan Berard as its new president on Thursday. Founder and current president Sheldon Wolitski will step into a new role within the organization.
Berard, the first overall pick in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft by the Ottawa Senators, is known for his perseverance through a career-threatening eye injury. Despite this setback, Berard played 619 NHL games. He will be relocating from Rhode Island to Aspen for his new position.
Having started the Colorado Extreme program in 2021 in Carbondale, Wolitski has expanded the organization to Rifle and Craig, with hopes to continue to grow.
“When I first took on the mission of growing the game and expanding hockey, this was three years ago,” Wolitski said. “I didn’t realize, you know, three years later we’d have 400 plus kids in Carbondale, 200 in Rifle, and now we’re taking on Craig and we want to continue to spread.”
The rapid growth of the program led Wolitski to seek a qualified leader to further develop the childrens’ skills.
“I soon realized that I needed somebody to step in. It was way more qualified than I was to really develop the kids,” Wolitski said. “At the end of the day, it’s all about developing these kids in hockey.”
Wolitski met Berard at the Colorado Extreme NHL alumni game this past winter in Carbondale, where he learned more about Berard’s inspiring story.
“I knew what he was about, all of his accolades and being first overall draft pick and obviously the tragic injury that he had, but I didn’t know the whole story,” Wolitski said. “That’s when I really started to understand the comeback and play.”
Wolitski emphasized the importance of having someone who could significantly impact the children in the program.
“The number one thing I was looking for was somebody that can significantly impact the children, specifically around overcoming obstacles,” Wolitski said. “Brian is that guy.”
Berard, who wrote a book titled “Relentless” about his experiences, brings a wealth of knowledge and inspiration to the program. Berard expressed his excitement about his new role and the opportunity to work with the Colorado Extreme.
“It’s a great youth program, and then that’s the feeder to the academy teams we’re looking forward to,” Berard said. “We can develop these kids on ice and off ice, and as human beings, as well as good athletes.”
The program’s expansion includes plans for a new indoor rink and a hockey academy.
“We’re exploring all the options. I think there’s multiple ways to create an academy,” Wolitski said. “The goal is to make hockey affordable and create a model where parents at all financial levels can participate.”
Wolitski believes Berard’s experience at top academies will be invaluable.
“He played at one of the top academies in the country, Mount St. Charles, and he actually works with them a lot,” Wolitski said. “He’s going to be bringing a lot of that to the table as well to help build that once we have the facility.”
Berard said he is also looking forward to the move to Colorado.
“I have made my way to Colorado quite a bit and it is a beautiful place to live,” Berard said. “To have this opportunity and to be able to work with these kids and this program, I can’t wait.”
The Colorado Extreme Hockey Program aims to have its indoor ice facility and academy teams ready by the 2027-2028 season. The academy model is growing rapidly, and there’s an opportunity to create a West Coast division to limit travel.
Berard and Wolitski are both committed to building a legendary program in the Western Slope.
“We can really build an elite program out there here,” Berard said. “I think there will be a lot of parents and kids knocking down our door to come to play for the Colorado Extreme and I am ecstatic to be a part of it.”
