Josh Serino Of The Sheridan Hawks Junior Hockey Team Adjusting To The Light Of The Lower 48 States

When you live north of the Arctic Circle and in places that are more rural than Wyoming is, you learn a different perspective of things.

Josh Serino of the Sheridan Hawks comes from Utqiagvik, Alaska, formerly known as Barrow.

It’s the northernmost point in the US.

The only way to get there is to fly and there’s only one flight in and out per day.

On November 18th, the sun set for the final time in 2024 and it won’t rise again until around January 22nd 2025 so for now, the town is in 24-7 darkness.

On the flip side, from about mid-May to the end of July, the sun never sets.

Serino explains more about where he’s from.

“It’s pretty big, it’s a town of 5,000, so it’s hard to live up there. You can only fly. Can’t drive unless it’s the ice road, so it’s different. The community helps out big, so the restaurants and everything, they get pretty lucrative. Pretty much basketball is really big and football. The community really helps out with the football and basketball and volleyball as well. We’re pretty good with those sports, but other than that, there’s not really much to do.”

The Barrow Whalers High School football team recently went 5-3 this past season, and they have actual home and away games, but as mentioned, flying is the only way to get in and out of town.

Serino chose the hockey route and so far it’s paid off, because not only is he the leading scorer for the Sheridan Hawks, his 26 goals so far this season is tops in the NA3HL.