Although a severe injury ended Chuck Michaud’s college hockey career, he got a new life on the ice as the head coach of Old Rochester Regional High School’s varsity hockey team.

Michaud, who passed away in 2000 at the age of 41, is among the inductees into this year’s Old Rochester Regional Athletic Hall of Fame.

“It’s long overdue. Chuck Michaud was an incredible individual,” said Ray Andrews, who served as Michaud’s goalie coach.

After high school, Michaud spent a year in the Maine Nordiques farm league before matriculating to Northeastern University. In a non-hockey related incident between his freshman and sophomore years, Michaud’s neck was broken, ending his hockey career and leaving him in need of multiple surgeries.

“I think the road was endless what he could have accomplished in his hockey career,” said Andrews.

But in 1985 Michaud took on the struggling ORR varsity hockey team, whose record was a pitiful 1-13.

Within four years, the team had made it to states and within six years had finished third in the state, South Coast division.

“I called it ‘The Journey,’” said Andrews.

Whereas the team couldn’t fill two lines when Michaud started, Andrews said in a few years they had enough players to start a junior varsity team and were turning away students.

“Everyone wanted to be a hockey player, and they all wanted to play for Chuck,” said Andrews. “Kids wanted to please him because he was such a personable person. They would bend over backwards to do whatever it took to make Chuck happy.”

That was something Michaud earned, said Andrews.

“He saw talent and he saw capability where kids didn’t see it,” he said. “He got the most out of the kids.”

Before there were yoga studios in every town, Michaud’s athletes practiced their Warrior One three days a week, resulting in fewer injuries and strains.

Plus, they were almost indefatigable, even against bigger “powerhouse” schools.

“The Bulldogs could outlast any teams on the ice,” said Andrews.

With his own hockey days ending so early, Michaud knew the value of an education, and made it a priority among his students. In his years as ORR’s coach, only one student failed, and that was because he didn’t ask Michaud for help, said Andrews.

“[Michaud] would start out with the kids and tell them academics is the most important thing. Hockey is not going to get you anywhere,” Andrews remembered.

The team also knew not to mess with Michaud.

“If you mouthed off, the whole team had to do laps,” said Andrews.

But the team respected Michaud and even attended his wedding where they lined the entrance with their hockey sticks as the coach and his new wife Carmen walked beneath them.

After repeated surgeries on his neck and spine and a transfer at Carmen's job, Michaud said a reluctant goodbye to his team, passing the puck to his assistant coach, Greg Centeio.

On Saturday, Michaud will be honored along with one of his players, James Gardiner, which Andrews said is fitting.

“Jimmy Gardiner is without a doubt the best hockey player to come out of the tri-town area.”

Tickets are still available for the ORR Athletic Hall of Fame induction banquet, which will also honor Tim Titcomb, '90; Colin Cabral, '00; Cliff Lopes Jr., '00; Janet Dorr, '71; Ryan Sylvia, '01; Cayla Clancy, '05; special contributor Ted Drew Jr. and the 1993 undefeated super bowl championship ORR football team.

The ceremony will be held Saturday, June 11 at 6 p.m. at ORR cafeteria and will be catered by On the Go. Tickets are $30. The meet and greet begins at 5 p.m.

The following day, June 12, the Hall of Fame will host a golf tournament at The Back Nine Golf Club in Lakeville at 1 p.m. Registration is $95. Players should arrive by 12:30 p.m. and tee off is at 1 p.m.

The round takes about three hours and there will be raffles and prizes. Dinner and golf cart are included.

Tickets for the induction banquet can be purchased at the Mattapoisett Town Hall (ask for Mel Pacheco or Danny White), by emailing gdanielwhite@gmail.com, calling Alison at the ORR athletic director's office, 508-758-3745 ext. 1825, or by emailing Bill Tilden at btilden@orr.mec.edu.

To register for the golf tournament, call John Guiherme at 508-400-1112 or Steve Heath at 508-748-2493.