The Washington Winter Warriors are a one of the original Icehouse Hockey League teams. A franchise with a deep and storied history. The team itself was originally run by the players and has always been a tenacious contender for the Ice Bucket.
H. Cannon, Mac to his friends, is a rarity in more ways than one. Mac is a third generation owner of the team, his grandfather being one of the original player owners. A DC native, he initially made his mark in politics. Mac's style is one of constant contact with his constituents and dedication to improving the lot of his home district.
Looking to make the game more intimate and accessible, his first major project after taking over the team was the removal of the premium suites and owner's box. While this move was met with great resistant, Mac was unrelenting in pushing it forward. His philosophy behind the move was simple and straightforward, he wanted to allow more people to attend the game and experience the fun and excitement of hockey. Mac was quoted as saying, "Suites, while sold at a higher cost, cut down on the number of people who could attend a game and I don't like that!"
The community's reaction to this change has been overwhelmingly positive. Hockey has never been more popular in DC, even the teams practices (see below) becoming highly attended affairs. Mac not only eschews the traditional owner box, but actively seats himself in different sections and watches the games among the fans.
The team's popularity is not solely based upon Mac's fan friendly moves with the arena though. Mac can be a stern and unforgiving taskmaster when it comes to managing the team. The Warriors came in third place for points and overall in Mac's inaugural season. For the 2014 season, Mac was able to retain a core group of players and works to augment the team on a nearly weekly basis. Currently the Warriors have a strangle hold on first place in the league.
While anything can happen in the playoffs, many believe that the path to the Ice Bucket runs through Mac Cannon and the Warriors.
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