Thread: Hockey

Hockey is a beautiful game, poetry on ice.

The skating ability, the speed, the stick handling, incredible level of physical fitness, and all at about at 30 KM and hour, make an for an awesome sport.

Like many Canadian kids, I was on skates at 3 years old...as my son and daughter were.

In my son's hockey league, there is the, "Little Stanley Cup":

The Little Stanley Cup is an actual three-foot replica of the Stanley Cup and is the only authorized replica in existence that the National Hockey League allows competition for.
The East York Hockey Association was given authority to play for the Little Stanley Cup in the 1954/55 season directly from Clarence Campbell who was president of the NHL at the time.
The East York Hockey League was founded in 1945 with games being played at Dieppe Park on two pads of natural outdoor ice. In 1946 Stan Wadlow was hired as the director of recreation and the league changed its name in 1947 to the East York Hockey Association.

Here's a pic of the Little Stanley Cup - every year, the team get's there names on it, back to the 1950's.

Originally Posted by Phrank

Hockey is a beautiful game, poetry on ice.
...Like many Canadian kids, I was on skates at 3 years old...as my son and daughter were.

Agreed on all counts.
For myself, I was an immigrant and was quite late in learning to skate. I learned to play hockey at the ripe old age of 37.
It's an awesome workout, and a lot of fun "with the boys".

My son, who is 7, skates and has been playing hockey for about 3 years. My daughter, who is 4, has already started skating, and will play Ringuette (hockey's sibling of sorts) in Septembre.

This year was the second year that we built an ice rink in the yard. It's a lot of work (extra shovelling, plus maintaining the surface), but it's so worth it. I come home from work, and a half-dozen kids are playing shinny outside in -20 C... and they'll play for hours. Beats video games for sure. With the current cold spell, I'm pretty sure we'll be skating outside until early to mid-March. Yé!

Originally Posted by Phrank

....
Here's a pic of the Little Stanley Cup - every year, the team get's there names on it, back to the 1950's.

That is an awesome cup! What age/level does your boy play?

Originally Posted by Jakobs

That is an awesome cup! What age/level does your boy play?

Ice rink in your backyard - you don't get any more Canadian than that...good one brother, and glad to hear your kids are enjoying it.

You started to play at 37!! I admire you, takes a long time to get skating legs, where you don't even think about the skating anymore, it's a great workout.

He is done now in house league, pee wee / bantam and then select junior A. We played at East York, and his team lost the final game for that Little Stanley Cup, was heartbreaking.....

Like Phrank, I started at 3 and played till Junior hockey at 21. I made the mistake of playing an alumni game at 30 and lost a knee.
It's a beautiful game that I miss unbelievably. Rhensley, glad you've been converted .
Mike

Originally Posted by Mcbladescar

Like Phrank, I started at 3 and played till Junior hockey at 21. I made the mistake of playing an alumni game at 30 and lost a knee.
It's a beautiful game that I miss unbelievably. Rhensley, glad you've been converted .
Mike

Wow - you made it to Juniors...wouldn't want to be on the ice with you....congrats!

Haha, it wasnt Junior A
Junior D, slower and a little bloodier.
We went to the Ontario finals and lost in 6 the last year I played.
It was a hell of a ride though

Originally Posted by Phrank

Ice rink in your backyard - you don't get any more Canadian than that...good one brother, and glad to hear your kids are enjoying it......

Last year it was in the backyard, this year we moved it into the front. The neighbour's kids use it freely now, and my wife isn't the only one watching them after school. Not to mention that I'm not the only one shovelling. I'll see if I can find a pic.

My kids are just starting the journey - the boy really likes it. We did our first away tournament last weekend (about 400km away!), but it was fun. The kids loved it.