Bet On This Friendship

The sound of chips flying and hitting the velvet table as they are dealt at roulette might not invoke familiar feeling for everyone. But for Manchester Monarchs forwards Cory Ward and Joe Sullivan, nothing could be closer.

The Monarchs hosted their annual Casino Night in December, allowing the Las Vegas natives to welcome their hometown to New Hampshire for the night.

“It wasn’t about the gambling,” Ward said. “It was the atmosphere of a little mini casino. The chips were flying. We know the noise. It felt like home.”

The sights and sounds of the special event brought the familiar atmosphere back to them for a few hours, but having each other in Manchester for their respective first and third season in professional hockey, has given them the comforts of home 24/7.

Best friends since they were kids, the two are now living out their childhood dreams of playing professional hockey and have been given the chance to do it together on the Monarchs.

Las Vegas is not your typical hockey breeding ground. Both started playing because their families had an interest in the sport. Ward’s family moved to Las Vegas from New York and loved hockey because the sport was a part of their lives on the east coast. Sullivan’s family moved from Long Island, New York, to Las Vegas when he was one year old. His family grew up New York Rangers fans and his older brother played hockey in New York before they left. Ward noted how most of their teammates in Las Vegas had parents transplanted from somewhere else or were Los Angeles Kings’ fans growing up.

Long before the Golden Knights’ logo was plastered throughout the city, the two remember when hockey was an anomaly in the city.

“Growing up we were the outcasts, and so strange for playing hockey or even knowing what it was,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan and Ward both lived in close proximity to one of the few rinks in the state, the Las Vegas Ice Center. As Sullivan said, that location allowed the boys to practically live at each other’s houses. The youngest of three children, with his closest brother nine years older, Sullivan bonded with Ward, who is an only child.

“It was a unique situation with our age and love of hockey that allowed us to become friends so easily, and form more of a brotherly relationship early on,” Sullivan said.

Although they were a year apart, they mostly played on the same team together because of their age grouping, birth years of 1993 and 1994, and the breakdown of the teams in the youth organization.

“When we were very young, there were about three youth teams,” Ward said. “Then that got narrowed down to one youth team for the majority growing up. Even if we weren’t on the same team, we were in the same organization and always together in the same rink.”

When they weren’t skating together for the Las Vegas Outlaws, they attended the same local schools, although never in the same grade. 

“It’s hard not to become friends with someone when you’re with them 24/7,” Sullivan joked.

Ward and Sullivan even played for the same junior team. Ward joined the North American Hockey League’s Aberdeen Wings in South Dakota in 2010, and Sullivan joined the team a year later. For the two Vegas kids, having each other there for their first few years away from home was crucial, both on and off the ice.

“It’s awesome to have your first experience away from home with somebody from home,” Ward said. “Now that we’re older, we look back on it all the time and think about how funny it was learning to cook and control ourselves as young adults.”

Ward’s head-start in juniors was a benefit to Sullivan. For Sullivan, the opportunity to play with his best friend his first year away from home made the adjustment that much easier.

“We had always stayed in Vegas so getting the opportunity to go play juniors was a really cool ticket out of there,” Sullivan said. “And personally to be able to play juniors with him for my first year was a God send.

“Any time you take the next step in hockey, there’s a learning curve,” Sullivan said. “It was just the fact that he was there and it wasn’t hard to ask him questions. As a first year player, both now and back then, there are things you need to learn. Being able to watch him away from the rink, because he’s had a jump on me, both in juniors and pros, and see the way he conducts himself off the ice and on the ice is something that has always been beneficial.”

After juniors, the two took different paths. Ward headed to Bemidji State University in 2012 before beginning his professional career at the end of the 2016 season with the  American Hockey League’s St. John’s Ice Caps, and then signing with the Monarchs the following season. Sullivan spent two more years in juniors before starting his collegiate career with St. Lawrence University in 2014. But the two childhood friends would have their chance to play together again, and it was only fitting that Ward had the head-start to help Sullivan adjust to his first professional season.

Ward, in his third season with the Monarchs, was joined by Sullivan for the start of the 2018-19 season in Manchester. Ward had talked up the organization throughout the years to Sullivan.

 “I’ve always liked it a lot and enjoyed my time here,” Ward said. “It’s known as a great place to play, so he already knew all the positives going in.”

“Like Ward said, Manchester alone was an easy choice, but the fact that he was here too, it didn’t even take a second to think about,” Sullivan said. “It was a no-brainer and took away any doubt choosing Manchester over another team.”

Having your best friend on the team you are joining has its advantages. Not only did Sullivan know about the Monarchs coming in, but he also felt he had a one-up from the start by being so close to Ward. Sullivan used that to his benefit to begin his rookie year.

“You pick up on certain tips and tricks and day one was like starting with a cheat sheet,” Sullivan said learning from what Ward taught him at different stages of his career. “Having the advice and little things he’s taught me throughout the years was really helpful making that transition from college to pros.”

The two’s chemistry is not only noticeable off the ice, but also on. They play on the same line and penalty kill unit, and have combined for over 45 points so far this year. Sullivan noted they have a similar playing style with a defensive, two-way play mindset that is simple and one the two know how to feed off of accordingly.

Although in his third year, Sullivan’s presence in town has made all the difference for Ward. He’s seen the positive effect his best friend in Manchester has had rejuvenating his game and happiness off the ice. This season, Ward feels his comfort level has skyrocketed.

“It’s one of those things that you don’t realize a little piece like that can make you feel at home,” Ward said of Sullivan being on the same team again. “I didn’t realize how much that helps day-to-day living or even being able to motivate you to do little things.  Anything that gives you that sense of home makes you comfortable. Even though this is my third year here, I feel more comfortable around the house and at the rink.”

For Sullivan, knowing Ward is there to help him when things get tough, has helped his game and well-being for his first year, with a long season of highs and lows to battle through.

“Having your friend right there for you, and as a teammate in the locker room, is something that puts a smile on your face every day even when you don’t want to or it’s hard to,” Sullivan said. “It keeps things light when things aren’t going your way and through the ups and downs of the season.”

The two are proud to call Las Vegas home and humbled by their start in a place just now taking off with hockey. Sullivan and Ward know it’s a unique opportunity that two childhood and still best friends get to play the sport they love for a living together.

“I feel like a kid again, Sullivan said. “Obviously now it’s a lot different where it’s a job and comes with that pressure. But once you get away from the rink, and even when we are here, I catch myself thinking I can’t believe I’m playing hockey with my best friend.”