PROVIDENCE, R.I. — When Colin Dorgan celebrated his high school hockey team’s state championship victory following a grueling quadruple overtime battle, three empty seats in the Rhode Island arena served as a heartbreaking reminder of what was lost.
The team captain’s mother, brother, and grandfather were not there to witness one of his greatest athletic achievements — they had been gunned down during a previous game while watching Dorgan and his Blackstone Valley Co-op teammates compete on the ice.
The tragic incident shook the tight-knit hockey community to its core, leaving many to question if the season should even continue. But in the following weeks, Dorgan not only returned to lead his squad as captain, he played at such an elite level that he helped drive the team to Wednesday’s Division 2 boys’ state title, a thrilling 3-2 victory.
The squad’s remarkable journey has captured nationwide attention, particularly after Dorgan delivered a clutch game-winning goal during double overtime in a recent playoff matchup. That dramatic moment set up the championship showdown against Lincoln High School.
“It’s just a game for Lincoln High School and for everybody that’s coming here, but for us who lived through that shooting? It’s our lives. It’s a tragedy we all went through and are still healing from it,” Blackstone Valley head coach Chris Librizzi said, wiping away tears during an interview ahead of the game.
An energetic crowd packed the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, cheering, weeping, and sitting on edge through three regulation periods before Dorgan evened the score, setting up four heart-stopping overtime sessions. Eventually, Blackstone Valley’s Jaxon Boyes found the back of the net for the championship-clinching goal.
The dramatic conclusion provided much-needed emotional release for a squad that has battled grief and trauma for weeks.
Authorities have named Robert Dorgan as the gunman who fatally shot his ex-wife Rhonda Dorgan and son Aidan Dorgan on February 16 in the spectator area of the Pawtucket ice facility. Officials say the attack was deliberate. Colin Dorgan’s grandfather Gerald Dorgan also sustained gunshot wounds and later succumbed to his injuries, while two additional victims suffered serious wounds.
The terrifying assault ended when several witnesses tackled the gunman as panicked spectators evacuated the building. Robert Dorgan, who authorities say also used the names Roberta Esposito and Roberta Dorgano, eventually died from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot.
Librizzi, a former firefighter with over three decades of hockey coaching experience, wrestled with how to move forward after the tragedy. The squad took a break from competition, and the coach ensured all players attended 10 days of counseling sessions.
He also allowed each athlete to choose whether to return to the ice, while encouraging those who opted out to still support their teammates from the bench or stands.
After some initial uncertainty, every single player returned — including Dorgan, who needed the most time to make his decision.
“I sent Colin a text saying, ‘Bud, playoffs are this Friday night, it’s your call,” Librizzi said. “He didn’t respond all day, but at about 9 o’clock at night, he sent me a text saying, ‘Coach I’ll see you tomorrow at practice.’”
The healing journey has been far from smooth. Librizzi had to pause their first practice back multiple times as players struggled emotionally. There have been countless tears shed by the coach, family members, and even strangers following the team’s story from across the country. Questions about what comes next after the championship victory still linger.
Librizzi remains amazed by his players’ resilience and the overwhelming support from the hockey community during this difficult period. Volunteers sewed heart patches bearing the initials of the three victims onto the team’s uniforms, and many Rhode Island residents have placed hockey sticks outside their homes as a show of solidarity.
“We’re all still struggling with it,” Librizzi said. “We just need to be family with each other, we need to be supportive of each other moving forward and to heal from this.”
