Warren Gelman

Warren Gelman began a long and influential career in local athletics as a three-sport athlete at Nichols School, playing soccer, hockey and baseball.

He went on to play hockey at Yale University, was the captain of the undefeated 1963-64 freshmen Yale hockey team, and the captain of 1966-67 Yale hockey team which was ranked 5th in the East.  Yale defeated Cornell in overtime at Lynah Rink in Ithaca.  The loss was Cornell’s only loss of the season and Cornell went on to win the National Championship.

Returning home after college, Gelman began a career in hockey coaching and administration, eventually becoming the President of the Shamrock Amateur Hockey Association now known as the Bison Hockey Association. He coached boys’ and girls’ teams for 36 years and won several league and state championships. He founded the Bison Girls Hockey Program in 1986 when there were no existing girl’s hockey teams in WNY. He also went on to become the Co-Chairman of the Frozen Four Committee for NCAA Men’s Hockey Tournament in 2003.  He also coached softball at Nichols School and in the Connie Mack League in Amherst.

Memorably, months before the Miracle on Ice game at the 1980 Olympic Games in Lake Placid, Gelman spearheaded a game between the U.S. Olympic hockey team and Yale University at Nichols School in December 1979 to raise money for the gold medal winning 1980 Olympic team. He also organized, in December 1983, the games between the U.S. Olympic hockey team and Cornell University at Nichols School and between the U.S. Olympic hockey team and Clarkson at the Amherst Recreation Center in 1983 prior to the 1984 Olympic games in Sarajevo to raise money for the 1984 Olympic team.

Gelman’s accolades include: Men’s Club Champion at Cherry Hill Club in 1995; recipient of J. Michael Duffett Award given by Buffalo Sabres in memory of J. Michael Duffett; member of the Nichols School Athletic Hall of Fame and Jewish Center Wall of Fame; recipient of the National Conference for Just Communities Service to Youth Brotherhood Award in 1989; first recipient of the Ned Mathias Award at West Side Rowing Club.