By Ashley Stadnicki · Sixty years ago, a group of players helped start something that would become a lasting part of Tennessee's sports community. On Friday, the program w…
Sixty years ago, a group of players helped start something that would become a lasting part of Tennessee's sports community. On Friday, the program will celebrate that history against the same opponent it faced in its first game.
Before the packed crowds, championship seasons and generations of players who have worn orange and white, Tennessee hockey started with a group of students who simply wanted to play the game. For Walter Knight, a member of Tennessee's Class of 1967, the beginning of his story came with a moment he still remembers more than half a century later.
Nine seconds.
That was all it took for Knight to make his mark in Tennessee hockey history, scoring the first goal in program history during the team's inaugural game against Miami University.
"I ended up with a puck on the left side of the net, and I was going to take the shot on the goalie," Knight said. "The puck came off the stick, not where I wanted it to go, but where he didn't expect it anyway. In nine seconds, I scored the first goal."
The newly organized Tennessee Ice Hockey Club played its first collegiate game against Miami at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum on Feb. 11, 1967. Although Tennessee fell 9-6, the game marked the beginning of a program that would continue for generations.
Knight's journey to that first game began much closer to home. After moving back to Tennessee during his adolescence, he became involved in Knoxville's growing youth and high school hockey scene. As he approached graduation, conversations began about bringing a collegiate club team to the University of Tennessee.
Thanks to support from influential parents and members of the Knoxville hockey community, that idea became a reality. "We had a great deal of support behind the program to get it started," Knight said. "We had players from all over the United States."
Nearly five years later, Donnie Brown joined the program, playing for Tennessee from 1971 to 1973. Unlike Knight, Brown did not grow up playing hockey. A Knoxville native and Fulton High School graduate, he discovered the sport after watching friends play in high school.
"I went out, watched it, fell in love with the game, got some skates and learned to play," Brown said.
His introduction to the sport came during a different era of Knoxville hockey. Brown remembers playing at the Ice Chalet, a much smaller facility than today's venues, where the rink was surrounded by a wire fence.
"We literally played in a little frozen barn with a wire fence," Brown said.
Despite the limited facilities, the players made the most of every opportunity to get on the ice. The atmosphere was energetic, and Brown remembers a time when hockey in Knoxville carried a reputation for its physical, hard-nosed style.
One story he heard from those early days involved a fight breaking out during a game. The rink operator reportedly responded by turning off the lights, leaving everyone in the building waiting for the situation to settle down.
"Those were the type of things that went on back then," Brown said.
For both Knight and Brown, the significance of Tennessee hockey extends beyond their individual playing careers. They have watched the program continue to grow and create opportunities for players who came long after them.
Brown's connection to the Knoxville hockey community continued well beyond his time at Tennessee. He helped establish the Ice House Sports Group in the 1990s, later worked as an equipment manager and bus driver for the Knoxville Ice Bears, and remained involved in local hockey leagues.
Knight, meanwhile, still has memorabilia from his playing days, including jerseys, helmets, photographs, game programs, and booster buttons. He even has a Knoxville News Sentinel photograph featuring him, with the headline "Waltzing Walter."
Knight and Brown may have played in different eras, but when asked what advice they would give today's Tennessee hockey players, their answers shared the same message.
"Forecheck, backcheck, paycheck," reflecting the mentality they carried with them during their playing days. More than 50 years later, the words still represent the competitive spirit and camaraderie that helped shape the program.
For Knight, seeing the program reach its 60th anniversary is a reminder of how far those early efforts have come. "It's really wonderful to see that it continued," Knight said.
Brown shares that sentiment, especially knowing how often people are surprised to learn Tennessee has a hockey team. "When I tell people I played for UT, most of the reactions I get now are, 'They have a hockey team?'" Brown said. "I think it's great."
Now, the two former players will have an opportunity to be part of another milestone in the program's history.
On Friday, Tennessee will face Miami at 5 p.m. at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum, returning to the same matchup that started it all. Brown will take part in the celebration by performing the ceremonial puck drop, bringing his story full circle more than five decades after his playing days…