Heisler continues family tradition with national sled hockey title June 2
Like all members of his family, Aspen Heisler often says he loves hockey.
His mom, Randi, played high school hockey in Devils Lake. His dad, Levi, has coached hockey for several years. Levi’s father, Ron, who died unexpectedly of COVID last year, had been an “amazing hockey player,” according to Randi.
Aspen’s older brother, Macen, recently graduated from Rugby High School, where he played for the Bottineau-Rugby Braves co-op hockey team. Macen also played football and baseball.
Max, the youngest sibling in the family, plays hockey with the Rugby Ice Hawks in the Mites division.
Aspen said he intended to follow in Macen’s footsteps as he grew up. Like Macen, he branches out from hockey to play other sports. He’s a member of the Rugby Panthers Boys’ Golf team.
A ninth grader who says his favorite subject in school is math, Aspen lives a relatively normal life.
Early battle
However, he saw his love for hockey limited for a while due to spinal issues caused by surgeries to repair damage done by a bout with neuroblastoma when he was 15 months old.
Levi Heisler said Aspen has been cancer-free since age eight.
A surgery two years ago fused several of Aspen’s vertebrae and placed two rods along his spine to correct scoliosis caused by a large tumor that doctors had removed.
“He’s going great,” Randi said of her son. “Time will tell but for now he’s ‘normal’ with some minor aches and pains and restricted activities.”
Randi said Aspen had experienced “a hard recovery” from the surgery.
However, she said she and her husband wanted to help Aspen pursue his favorite sport despite his limitations.
Inclusive sports
“I remember looking for options for Aspen as he wanted to play regular hockey and can’t due to his spine and previous cancer diagnosis,” she said. “I saw sled hockey on TV. I then realized the team USA (Paralympic Coach) Dave Hoff lived in Bottineau for sled hockey and gave him a call and he recommended Prairie Grit in Minot.”
“Aspen also watched thousands of games and hours of Macen and knows the game, rules and plays so well,” Randi added.
The Heislers contacted Prairie Grit and signed Aspen up for sled hockey in 2016.
Prairie Grit was a new organization at the time, providing sports opportunities to children with disabilities in the Minot area. Its sled hockey teams have been with the organization since it began.
“Chris Douglas is on the USA Paralympic team, and he’s a coach,” Levi Heisler said. “Averi Bradley, she’s one of the coaches. And I help with it a little bit and Chad Thompson, he founded Prairie Grit, he helps with coaching at times as well. So, the four of us do.”
“It’s just like standup hockey,” Aspen said. “The rules are the same, but you’re in a sled with two blades on the bottom. They can either get closer or further apart. There are two sticks that are short, and they have picks at the bottom so you can propel yourself forward.”
“On one end of the stick are picks, and that’s what pushes you, and on the other end of the stick are normal hockey blades so you can shoot with either one,” Levi said.
“Right away, it was (a challenge), “ Aspen said, “But you get used to it.”
“The closer you bring your blades together, the more balance it takes with your core,” Levi said. “When you’re in the seat, or bucket, you want to be strapped in tight, because when you lean with your body, you want that sled to lean with you, like it’s part of your body.”
“With the group he can play with, their ages are from five to six years old, all the way to high school,” Levi added. “Prairie Grit does not have an adult team yet, but they’re working on that option for, hopefully in the near future.”
Levi said Aspen also participates in a summer waterski program with Prairie Grit at Lake Metigoshe.
National Champions
Aspen and the Prairie Grit Wolves have competed in sled hockey in North Dakota. On June 2, the team participated in the Hendrickson Foundation’s Hockey Festival at the National Sports Center Stadium in Minneapolis.
The Wolves took first place in their division for youth sled hockey.
“They draw teams from all over the nation,” Levi said.
“There was one team from South Dakota, like Aspen said, and there were two from Minneapolis in his bracket, and one from Carolina and one from Nashville.”
“We had four games,” Aspen said. “We played two on Friday, one on Saturday and one on Sunday.”
“The first game they won 3-0, against the Nashville Predators, and Aspen was selected Player of the Game,” Levi noted.
“Then we played the Minnesota Wild, and tied 3-3. Saturday, we played Carolina and won 3-2, and then Sunday, we played Carolina Hurricanes again and we won 3-2,” Levi added.
“Aspen scored one goal in the first game, one in the second game and two goals on Saturday and two goals on Sunday. And he had assists on both the other goals on Saturday and Sunday,” Levi said.
After claiming their title, team members received trophies and awards for their accomplishments.
Players on the Prairie Grit Wolves come from Fessenden, Minot, Stanley, and other communities as well as Rugby.
Aspen said he recommended sled hockey for anyone with a disability who loved the game of hockey.
“I remember when I first tried it, I didn’t even want to do it,” he recalled.
“He kind of fought us,” Levi said. “We didn’t really know what sled hockey was. She brought the idea home, we took him up there signed him up, and the rest is history.”
“Sled hockey is one thing, but Prairie Grit, with all the activities they’ve put together with sports and things like that, it’s truly amazing what they’ve done for the surrounding area of North Central North Dakota and they’ve expanded,” Levi added.
“They’ve taken sled hockey to Dickinson and Bismarck to make people aware of it and they put on different events with swimming, sled hockey, water sports, golf,” Levi said. “They had a huge golf tournament in Minot yesterday as a fundraiser.”
“They involve themselves in rock climbing and track and field, and they’ve started a physical therapy division,” he added. “They’re expanding their roots and it’s just unbelievable what they’re doing right now. They have hunting, too.”
Co-Coach Bradley said the Wolves’ win at the National Hockey Festival “Was shocking and heartwarming. Every good emotion that could happen, happened.”
“I lost my voice in the first game because I was just super happy to see how they came together as a team and figured everything out,” she added. “They started communicating. The way they started communicating was pretty cool to see as a coach at that point, too.”
Bradley said the Wolves advanced to the championship based on a point system. Wins through the quarter and semifinals advanced the team to the final round.
That was our first ever event – sled hockey. Now, we have over 40 different opportunities that we provide to give chances to kids to try sporting events. So, we’ve got a wide variety, for sure. And Bradley said she “absolutely” encouraged families with children facing disabilities to check Prairie Grit out.
“I always say, whether you’re a participant coming in, or a family member or parent on the sidelines, you’ll never leave Prairie Grit without a smile on your face,” she said.
“You’ll always feel welcome,” she added. “It’s like you’re accepted in a family right from the first couple of minutes you’re there. Everyone wants to meet the new faces and get them right into everything in the department. It’s amazing and everyone feels amazing.”
“Every event I went to, I just fell in love with it and thought, ‘I’m never leaving,'” Bradley added. “I’m actually the program assistant at Prairie Grit. I’ve always wanted to be a coach, and now they’ve given me the opportunity to do that, so, it’s pretty cool.”
For more information on Prairie Grit Adaptive Sports, visit www.prairiegritsports.com.