They are the original "Lions of Winter," aging warriors who tape up old sticks, old equipment and old joints for another spin around the ice. And another … and another.
"I do it because I can. I pride myself in not acting 62 and not looking 62. Part of it has to do with the sheer love of athletics, and the object of my affection always has been hockey," says Craig Walker of Beverly, Mass., fresh off a Saturday workout with the North Shore Skating Association outside Boston.
"It's just something between people who play the game. It's really a passion. I think the sport feeds both the body and the soul. I'm not very religious, but if I have a religion, it's hockey. To me, it's my fountain of youth. It's my place to escape."
That, in a nutshell, is what draws people to hockey -- good-natured but keen competition, a good sweat and afterwards a cold beer.
Though considered a parochial sport in some circles, the game continues to grow says USA Hockey's Ashley Bevan, particularly among adults, men and women alike. In the past decade, adult memberships in USA Hockey roughly doubled, from 56,373 in 1996-97 to more than 103,000 in 2006-07.
And USA Hockey's Over-50 National Championships grew from four teams in 2004 to 16 squads in 2006 to accommodate the demand. That only begins to capture the game's allure, since the USA Hockey numbers don't include the legion of not-ready-for-primetime muckers who play some variation of organized pick-up.
And those games, many true believers will tell you, are the best of the bunch, provided you can find them and weasel yourself an invitation. Here is a cross-section of regular games that take place across North America on any given night.
North Shore Skating Association The Pingree School, Hamilton, Mass. Various days and times, year-round The NSSA was founded more than a quarter century ago by a band of diehard puck lovers, starting at an outdoor rink at Gordon College in Wenham, just north of Salem, Mass. When that rink closed, the group threw its support behind building a new rink at the Pingree School, a private prep in neighboring Hamilton, in the early 1990s. There are two groups of men's hockey -- Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday and Monday-Wednesday -- that take to the ice at varying hours, depending on whether the high school teams are in season. All the games are "buzzer hockey," limiting shifts to 90 seconds and ensuring balanced lines for a quality game. Competition has grown so keen between the groups -- rarely do players switch nights -- that they now play against each other in the annual Villa Cup Tournament, named after the late Dick Villa, the group's original patriarch. Players range from an 83-year-old Yale grad who played in the 1948 Olympics to sons home on break from college. "For me, hockey is all raw, quick response. It's so fast, there's no real time to think; you just do," says Walker. "You rely on instinct and skill. It's a sanctuary from the day-to-day stuff, the worries, the hard work, the pressures, the deadlines."
The Sky Rink Chelsea Piers, Manhattan Sunday, 1 a.m., year-round In the "city that never sleeps," the puck drops at Marc Nathanson's long-running "Saturday Night Scrimmage" an hour after midnight. "It's open to all adult players, and the only requirements are that you play strictly for fun and that you respect the beginners in the group," says the 42-year-old Nathanson, a resident of the city's Upper West Side. "Our regulars range from Wall Street brokers to Brooklyn construction workers. Some lug their gear on the subway while others arrive by cab. We plug an iPod full of 1980s rock music -- scientifically proven to be the best music to play hockey to -- into the PA system and play until 2 or 3 in the morning, when the overnight crew kicks us off the ice to prepare for the morning figure skating practices." Cost is $20 per player, a bargain by Big Apple standards.
Mount Vernon Recreation and Ice Center Alexandria, Va. Wednesdays and Fridays, 11:30 a.m., year-round You might not think of the District of Columbia and its surroundings as a hotbed for hockey, but you'd be wrong. At the Mount Vernon Recreation and Ice Center in Alexandria, dozens of players start lining up shortly after 11 a.m. for an adult-only "stick practice" that runs year-round. During my visit a few years back, then-Mount Vernon ice director Ernie Harris told me: "This place was originally designed to have two rinks. If I had that second sheet, I could book it solid." That hasn't changed, says Emily Danko, the current ice director. "We've got a really strong group of players who are here every week," she says. "For the price and time slot, we've developed a great following." The 90-minute sessions cost $10 each ($8 if you live in Fairfax county; goalies skate free). To accommodate the demand, the center has added Saturday and Sunday sessions.
Johnny's Ice House Chicago Saturday mornings, year-round Originally started by Gordon France, the Silver League's Saturday morning skate at Johnny's Ice House was revived a few years ago by a couple of 50-something players, Milton Kane and Tommy Grzeskiewicz. "When the guys come to the skate, there's a piece of paper on the bench that tells you whether you're wearing black or white," says the 54-year-old Kane. "And every single week, it's a different team. We put a value, a ranking, on every player, and we try to make sure the weighted average comes out even. This way, every guy plays with different teammates every week. Before that, we had a guy who would stack the teams every week, so there were 10 players who loved it and 10 players who hated it. What we have now is 20 players who love it. And we're a tight, tight group." So tight, in fact, that the socializing extends well off the ice. "When we're done with our skate and showered up, we walk across the street to another famous place, The Palace Restaurant," says the 57-year-old Grzeskiewicz. "You might see 13 to 18 of the skaters sitting together eating breakfast at a big table."
Various ponds Kittery Point, Maine Saturday and Sundays, 9 a.m. Outdoors means old school for the traditionalists here on Vacationland's southern coastline. Once the temps dip below 32 degrees, the phones start ringing, checking on ice conditions. "We have a core of male participants, ranging from 40 to 70," says Ken Fellows, one of the group's elder statesmen. "However, there is an unwritten rule and long-standing tradition that whoever shows up is invited to play. As a result, games often include adolescents wanting to test their abilities, women who have played before and want to give it a go again, and wannabes of all types." Early-season games are usually at Fort McClary Park alongside the Atlantic, on a "very shallow pond, with a lot of trees around it, so it freezes quick and the sun never gets in there," says Fellows. "Then we migrate to a pond that's back in the woods, and much bigger, but that takes longer to freeze." Fellows chuckles about the renewed interest in "pond hockey" tournaments, noting the rules are almost identical to his group. The best part, though, is the experience. "On a day, when the temperature is 25-30, the ice is hard and smooth, the sun is brilliant and the sky cerulean blue, and I'm having the most fun I could possibly have with some of my best friends, there is no other place on earth I would want to be. It's absolute heaven."
The Ice Sports Forum Tampa, Fla. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons, year-round Pick-up hockey in the Sunshine State? You bet, especially when you consider the number of northern transplants living here. The Wednesday and Friday mid-afternoon Over-35 skates at The Ice Sports Forum in Tampa -- official practice rink for the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning -- have proven so successful that a third session (Thursday) was added this spring. "It's full," says Brenda Scholl, the Forum's general manager. "We cut it off at four goalies and 30 skaters, and we always end up cutting it off. That's why we had to add a third skate." But the most popular, hands down, is the Friday skate, which runs from 3-5 p.m. and, more often than not, spills over into the bar. "We have an outdoor patio with cigar bar. That's huge for these guys. They come in, make a pitcher of margaritas," says Scholl. "It's a beer-league kind of thing. We offer chicken wings, nachos, nothing healthy. And the guys are all awesome. They just love busting each other's butts all the time."
The Onyx Ice Arena Rochester, Mich. 11 a.m. Thursdays, seasonal Detroit may be known as Hockeytown in NHL circles, but there are skaters in Rochester, 30 miles north of the Motor City, who wouldn't trade their ice time for anything. The 11 a.m. over-50 skate at the Onyx Ice Arena is the brainchild of Matt Spierling, head of Health & Wellness for the Older Persons' Commission, one of the largest senior activity centers in the nation. Last fall, Spierling purchased ice time every Thursday at the Onyx, and the program took off. "We always have 22-23 people, and two goaltenders," says Spierling. "It's awesome." The program costs only $10 per session and is managed by 67-year-old Tom Perks, who keeps track of participants via email. "It's an interesting group of people," says 58-year-old Tom Hillard, a regular goaltender who skates between his shifts as a school bus driver. "Most of the guys have been playing all their lives. They are slowing down a little, but they still have a good shot and know how to play the game. Everyone gets along fine. We've never had any fights, and we don't need any referees."
Culver City Ice Arena Culver City, Calif. Sundays, 8:45 a.m., and 10:45 p.m., year-round No, you'll never have the skills of the Great One. But that doesn't mean you can't glide across the same surface. Culver City Ice Arena lets you do just that, twice a day on Sundays. "The rink is unchanged in over 50 years," says Andrew Goldstein. "It used to be home to the Los Angeles Kings when Wayne Gretzky came to town, and there are still marks on the boards from where he juggled the puck at the boards back and forth up and down the ice." The morning skate is a bit quicker but requires an early wake-up call (admittedly not the strong suit of most hockey players). The 10:45 evening slot is run by a local legend, Bernard "Bern" Winestock. Asked how long he has been running the skate, the 73-year-old deadpans: "Oh, not long, just since 1970 or so." Winestock doesn't have any specific rules about who can and can't play, and he doesn't see the need to implement any. "No matter who comes in, they're easy to get along with," he says. "They don't try to kill each other. The group is special because hockey is special."
YMCA Boulder Valley Boulder, Colo. Fridays, 5 p.m., year-round Here, happy hour starts on the ice for local hockey types. YMCA members can reserve a spot in this skate on 95th and Arapahoe five days beforehand. "If you're not a member, you can't," says 45-year-old John Warfield, a Boulder Y regular. "You can call 48 hours in advance and hope there's an opening, but there rarely is." The reason could be because this is the Y's one "competitive" level pick-up skate. Another is because it's free for members (guests pay $6 and non-members pay $12, though the Y gives reciprocal rights to visiting Y members). The Y also hosts "advanced" and "intermediate" sessions early morning, late morning and noontime. Boulder Valley Ice at Superior (bvice.com) also offers adult drop-in skates at noontime on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 2 p.m. on Fridays. "It's first-come, first-serve, which I really like because you don't have to think too far ahead," says Warfield, laughing. "But my favorite is the Y. If someone gets out of hand, it's quickly resolved. It's all about respect."
Liberty University Lynchburg, Va. Monday and Thursday nights Not to be confused with the hometown of Jack Daniel's next door in Tennessee, Lynchburg, Va., is home to Liberty University and a sparkling new ice center that hosts a terrific pick-up skate on Monday and Thursday evenings. How special? Joel McGrath, 70 years young, insists on driving 80 miles each way twice a week to participate. The skates are part of the Rusty Blades Ice Hockey Club, which also hosts a pair of sessions at the Roanoke Civic Center. "Our roster exceeds 120 men and women, all over 45," says McGrath. "We don't keep score, there's no hitting, no slap shots, always two goalies, and never more than 20 players per session. It's great fun, and a very good workout." Regulars pay for a block of games (usually 10), and the per session cost runs about $13. Substitutes are recruited to fill in for absentees and pay only $11 a skate. "We get an hour and 15 minutes at prime time, and that's all year round, summers as well," says McGrath. "The rink (at Liberty) is only 2 years old. The facility itself is fantastic, and the ice is always top quality."
Bill Durnan Arena/Doug Harvey Arena Montreal Friday and Saturday nights In La Belle Province, a region synonymous with hockey royalty, it only makes sense that two of the best skates in Montreal are held at rinks named for NHL Hall of Famers who wore the bleu, blanc et rouge of Les Habitants, the fabled Canadiens. The Bill Durnan Arena at 4988 Vezina (named after goaltending great George Vezina) and the Doug Harvey Arena at 4985 West Hill both feature pick-up hockey sessions early Friday and Saturday evenings. And those are just the tip of the iceberg. "Most of us just go to the local outdoor rinks any time, and there is always a game going," says resident Janet Laskey. "It is incredible how many outdoor rinks there are here. The nice thing about the outdoor rinks is that anyone can just step in for a game. Kids play with adults and there are all levels. Later in the evening is when you will find mostly adults. Language doesn't seem to matter a bit when you get in a fast game."
Chaparral Ice Center Austin, Texas Friday, noontime, year-round The best thing about this pick-up skate in the big state of Texas is that they keep the crowds small. The noontime pick-up skate at the Chaparral Ice Center is limited to 20 players and four goalies. That's an even two lines of 10 per session, stretched out over 75 minutes, almost guaranteeing a great skate for everyone. The skate is first-come, first serve, and players can sign up in advance, but attendance is closely monitored via a punch-card system, ensuring the right number shows up, says Jason Maurer of the Ice Center. The skate draws primarily from the center's adult leagues (28 teams over five divisions), so most skaters are familiar with one another. "They're just out there playing, having fun," says Maurer, before adding wryly: "Most of the time they all remember that." So while Texas may have the most professional hockey teams than any other state in the United States (including minor leagues -- it's great trivia question), less means more in Austin.
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