PROVIDENCE, R.I. — To get through hard times, you need love and support in your life, Chris Librizzi said.

After a fatal shooting at one of their February games sent shockwaves through Librizzi and his hockey team, they had a decision to make: sit out the rest of the season or rally together to honor the lives that were lost.

The team’s decision to play on resulted in a magical ride that culminated in a storybook ending — the team’s first-ever state title.

Chris Librizzi is a 1985 graduate of Saint Joseph's High School and the current coach of the Blackstone Valley School's boys hockey team. The Blackstone Valley Schools co-op, coached by Librizzi, defeated Lincoln in quadruple overtime Wednesday to win the Division II high school hockey championship at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, RI.

“The one thing that I stressed from Day 1 with this team, even before the incident took place, was that we’re a family and a hockey family sticks together,” said Librizzi, a 1985 graduate of St. Joseph’s High School. “From [Feb.] 16 on, we stuck together as a family every single day.”

The Blackstone Valley Schools co-op, coached by Librizzi, defeated Lincoln in quadruple overtime on March 18 to win the Division II high school hockey championship at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, R.I. The game occurred a little over a month after the fatal shooting that rocked Librizzi and his squad.

“The adversity that the boys overcame listening to the direction that we have provided to them and then actually following through and pulling it out is amazing,” Librizzi said. “We made it to the [Frozen Four] three years in a row, and two out of those three years we made it to the championship game, and this year it ended up being a win for us.”

On Feb. 16, Librizzi, a firefighter of 26 years and hockey coach for over 30 years, was coaching Blackstone Valley at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, R.I., when a shooting occurred, leaving four people dead, including the shooter.

One of the shooter’s sons, Colin Dorgan, was on Librizzi’s team and was on the ice when the shooting, which claimed the lives of Dorgan's mother, older brother and grandfather, occurred, according to WPRI-TV.

In the championship game, Colin Dorgan tied the game with 30 seconds left, and he also had the game-winning goal in the team’s semifinal victory.

"I truly felt it in my heart and my soul that they're still with me," he said after the championship victory. "I love them so much, and they're still here, and I know it."

Librizzi said that the championship was more than just a game for his team.

“It was real life dealing with our emotions and the mental aspect of returning to the ice and playing and getting through this as a family,” he said.

Chris Librizzi, right, embraces his player Colin Dorgan, left, after his team defeated Lincoln in quadruple overtime Wednesday to win the Division II high school hockey championship at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, RI. “The adversity that the boys overcame listening to the direction that we have provided to them and then actually following through and pulling it out is amazing,” Librizzi said.

He also credits Colin for returning to the team and said that his demeanor in life and his tenacity are second to none. The team honored the victims by wearing a patch on their jerseys with the initials, and they also had a banner behind their bench.

After the shooting, Librizzi was unsure if his team was going to continue the season, but remembers his friend telling him the next day that he should return to the ice for his mental health and because “sports does amazing things.” Librizzi put the decision up to his players, who decided to return.

Librizzi said that Colin took two weeks off, and Librizzi messaged him nearly a week before the team’s first playoff game. Colin responded to the text later that night that he would be returning, which Librizzi said was the “tipping point for us to get the team back together and moving in a forward direction.”

Since winning the championship, a national spotlight has been put on Librizzi and the team. “My wife and several of the parents on the team have stated that I need a secretary because of the overwhelming amount of attention that this has grabbed hold of,” he said.

Librizzi said that he’s had to turn down some things, but said that the overall support has been “uplifting” and that it’s been “gratifying to see that the boys have smiles on their faces.” On Monday, the team visited the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League, which Librizzi said was a great day.

Librizzi started playing hockey when he was nine years old and was an All-Berkshire goalie at St. Joe's. Librizzi returned to Pittsfield in December 2024 for a tilt with Taconic High School, an 8-5 victory over the Thunder. Taconic made the return trip to Rhode Island this year on Jan. 11, a 6-4 win for Blackstone.

“I received several messages from old coaches and multiple friends from growing up [in Pittsfield],” Librizzi said. “It’s been tremendous support from old friends and present family members.”