The Colorado Xtreme Hockey program announced Thursday that it has hired former NHL player Brian Berard as its new president, with founder and current president Sheldon Wolicki taking on a new role within the organization.
The first overall pick by the Ottawa Senators in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft, Berard is known for his tenacity in overcoming a career-threatening eye injury. Despite this setback, Berard played 619 games in the NHL. He will relocate from Rhode Island to Aspen for his new position.
Wolitski launched the Colorado Extreme program in Carbondale in 2021 and has expanded the organization to Rifle and Craig with hopes of continuing to grow.
“When I first took on the mission of promoting hockey and growing the sport three years ago,” Wolitski said, “I never imagined that three years later we'd have over 400 kids in Carbondale, over 200 in Rifle and now we'd take on Craig and want to keep growing it even more.”
The program’s rapid growth prompted Wolitski to seek out a talented leader to further develop the children’s skills.
“I realized pretty quickly that I needed someone to step in and be a lot better qualified than me to really raise these kids,” Wolitski said. “At the end of the day, it's all about raising kids in hockey.”
Wolitski met Berard at the Colorado Xtreme NHL alumni game in Carbondale this winter and learned more about Berard's inspiring story.
“I knew what kind of player he was, I knew about the accolades, the No. 1 overall draft pick and, obviously, the devastating injury, but I didn't know the full extent of it,” Wolicki said. “That's when I really started to understand what it meant to come back and play.”
Wolitsky stressed the importance of having someone who can have a big impact on the kids in the program.
“What I was looking for most was someone who could have a big impact on kids, especially when it comes to overcoming obstacles,” Wolitski said. “Brian is that person.”
Berard has written a book about his experiences titled “Relentless,” and brings a wealth of knowledge and inspiration to the program. Berard said he is excited about his new role and the opportunity to work with Colorado Extreme.
“It's a great youth program and what we're hoping to do is send them onto the academy team,” Berardo said. “We can develop these kids on and off the ice and as people and as good athletes.”
The program's expansion also includes plans for a new indoor rink and hockey academy.
“We're looking at all options, and I think there are multiple ways to set up an academy,” Wolitski said. “The goal is to make hockey affordable and create a model that parents of all economic levels can participate in.”
Wolitzky believes Bellard's experience at a top academy will be invaluable.
“He played at Mount St. Charles, one of the top academies in the country, and he's done a lot of work there in practice,” Wolitski said. “Once the facility is completed, he'll be able to bring a lot of that experience to the team and help build it.”
Berard said he's also looking forward to the move to Colorado.
“I've been to Colorado many times and it's a beautiful place to live,” Berard said, “I can't wait to get this opportunity and get involved with the kids and this program.”
The Colorado Extreme Hockey program aims to have an indoor ice facility and an Academy team ready by the 2027-2028 season. The Academy model is growing rapidly and there is an opportunity to establish a West Coast division to limit travel.
Both Berardo and Wolicki are committed to building a legendary program on the Western Slope.
“We can really build an elite program here,” Berardo said, “I think we'll have a lot of parents and kids knocking on our door to get involved with Colorado Extreme, and I'm excited to be a part of that.”
