When the Greenhalgh family relocated from Canada to Florida in 2023, it had nothing to do with hockey.

The family decided to head south to find the best fit and support system for Isla, their 12-year-old daughter.

“They had some great programs for kids with Down Syndrome in Florida, and we made the move for the best support and programs for her,” Dave Greenhalgh said. “And Spencer has been her biggest cheerleader and supporter, he’s always part of celebrating with her and raising her up; he’s a dedicated brother.”

Spencer is also a dedicated hockey player, and in addition to raising up his sister, Spencer has helped raise up the Florida Alliance (FL), which are playing at the Chipotle-USA Hockey Youth Tier I 14U National Championship this week in Plymouth and Novi, Michigan. 

For the Greenhalgh family, the growing hockey community in Florida helped ease the move from Canada, and it gave Spencer an instant connection with friends and teammates, Dave Greenhalgh said.

“That was a little bit of a worry before we moved, the level of hockey and opportunity for Spencer,” Dave Greenhalgh said. “But we were surprised by the volume of opportunities, the quality of the league. He got to switch from wearing a coat to shorts on his way to the rink, but inside the rink it was the same.”

Gilles Richard coaches the Florida Alliance 14U Tier I team and said that Spencer provided a bit of an instant fit on the ice for a couple reasons. 

“He’s a really skilled player, sure, but I love how much work he puts in, and how hard he’s willing to support his teammates,” Richard said. “It’s not just talent that makes a difference, but kids that are willing to put in the work, and that’s the type of player he is.”

Richard is also proud that the Greenhalgh family, and others, have been able to move to Florida from more traditional hockey hotbeds and still progress in the sport. 

Richard’s son, Jake, grew up playing the game in Florida and was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in 2022. This season he was the second-leading scorer for a UConn team that reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time.

Throughout his journey, he played in Florida up until he joined the USHL at 17 years old.

“There’s a bunch of stories, like Jake’s, where players have been able to make an impact from Florida and not have to leave home so early,” Richard said. “That’s important when it comes to growing a hockey community. It needs to be something where there are paths for everyone, and it doesn’t require someone to leave at 12 years old.”

In fact, in Greenhalgh’s case, it can be quite the opposite. Coming to Florida at that age group has led to an opportunity to play at the Chipotle-USA Hockey Youth Tier I 14U National Championship.

And for the Florida Alliance, Richard said, there’s a bit of pride and chip on their shoulder at the same time entering this tournament. 

They’ve celebrated reaching the tournament — advancing out of regionals was the goal — but they aren’t complacent. Richard said sometimes teams underestimate the Alliance because of their locale, and it’s always a point of pride when they go toe-to-toe with the best teams in the country. 

For the Greenhalgh family, it’s an opportunity to watch Spencer play on one of the bigger stages in youth hockey and support him. 

“It’s definitely been a year where he’s grown as a person and a hockey player, really taking his game to the next level,” Dave Greenhalgh said. “I guess you could say getting the extra Vitamin D from the sun year-round hasn’t hurt. But he’s just worked so hard with his teammates to reach it here, so that’s been so rewarding for us.”

While it’s rewarding on the ice, Dave Greenhalgh said it’s also reflective of how much Spencer supports his family and his sister, how through what could have been a difficult move, Spencer has been one of the positive voices throughout. 

“He’s there whenever he can be to support her, she recently did gymnastics, and he was there supporting her the whole time,” Dave Greenhalgh said. “He’s had some big changes to school and life, but through all of it he’s been a great brother, and we are so proud of him.”

Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.