Puck doesn’t stop here
WENATCHEE, Wash. – They are doctors and lawyers and investment brokers. They coach youth sports, work on cars or help protect our forests.
They come from all sorts of backgrounds and lead different lives. But one thing’s for sure: They all share a common bond that appears unbreakable. They are the true senior hockey players of the Wenatchee Valley.
Senior hockey in the area has long been defined as a catchall for anyone too old for youth leagues, which means anyone 19 or older. Somewhere along the line, this became a big problem.
“Age takes its toll on your ability to skate, on your stamina, and the quickness you can exhibit on the ice,” said Sandy Ross of Wenatchee, who recently organized a pickup hockey league for players 35 and older. “I guess we’re all pretty vain in the sense that we all like to be able to shine a little bit.
“The older we get, the less we’re able to do when we’re playing with guys 15 and 20 years younger.”
As a result, many longtime players began dropping out of the local hockey scene. But Ross’ creation has given them a means to return, some of them after absences as long as 14 years.
The idea was born from postgame conversations between members of a team in the regular “senior league” last season, an ongoing series of where-are-they-now pow wows.
“I was on one of our senior teams and we happened to be, by far, the oldest team,” Ross said. “Our conversations always consisted of getting all the long-gone players back on the ice.
“The biggest work for me was in putting together a list of names and sending the letters out. I had a sense the response would be fairly immediate in terms of wanting to play … and that’s exactly what happened.”
The project was a success. The 30-player league filled up immediately, and the reunion was complete. It was a full house at Riverfront Park Ice Arena on opening night in November, with players in their mid-30s to early 60s turning out. (George Reinhart of Monitor is the senior of the seniors at 61.)
Many of their jerseys were battle-tattered from years of use, or perhaps, overuse. They were blue, yellow, red and white – some new, but many old and faded, or too small (as if left over from their youth hockey days), with numbers peeling off or missing altogether.
How cohesive a unit could this motley-looking, over-the-hill bunch really be? That question was answered as soon as the puck hit the ice. It was almost as if these guys had been playing together all these years.
While many of them were obviously kicking off years of rust, they showed flashes of brilliance from their younger days – even if they quickly ran out of breath.
Players frequently darted toward the benches, shouting “Right wing!” or “Center!” or “Defense!” – whatever substitution was needed to keep the game flowing. To their credit, it was always a smooth transition.
“The guys were really moving through those line shifts,” Ross said. “You were getting a two-minute break at the most.”
At times, there was sharp passing, sure-footed skating and sure-handed stick tending. The shooters netted their fair share of goals, but the goalies also shined, particularly Mick Mueller, who often seemed unflappable under heavy fire, fighting off many multishot barrages.
Naturally, the league’s no-contact rule helped things roll along a little more smoothly. No, you won’t see any of that garbage frequently found in the NHL (such as fighting, blind-side cheap shots or hockey sticks turned deadly weapons) in their games.
“When I sent the invitations out to everybody I made sure to state that we were going to get together on Wednesday night, divide up into two teams, and play gentlemen’s hockey,” Ross said.
By all rights, some of them should have looked good. Some have been playing in other leagues every winter. Some have pro and semipro experience, like Gary Vaughan (drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in 1975) and Ross (Chicago Blackhawks, 1978). But even these guys aren’t trying to leave anyone behind in a wake of shaved ice.
Vaughan, 49, who was a paid player at various pro levels until 1982, admitted to being far too overconfident when he first started playing with some of these guys in senior leagues in 1991. But he has since come to respect his competition, many of whom he said have the talent to have played at a higher level – they just never had the opportunity or the exposure needed.
“(In 1991) Hell, I thought I’d be able to waltz through this league and score as many goals as I wanted, but that wasn’t the case at all,” Vaughan said, noting goals are still tough to come by in the new league. “The key message for our league is fun.
“If you’re not out there to have fun, you shouldn’t be out there.”
The teams are different every week. Everyone throws their sticks in a pile on the ice, and someone randomly tosses them to one side or the other.
That’s how the teams are chosen. It’s not like PE in grade school, in which the best players are picked first and, well … you know how the rest goes.
Ross said this helps keep everyone interested, while avoiding unfair advantages or unnecessary rivalries with fixed teams, knowing everyone is still competitive and will play somewhat relative to their talent levels.
“I guess we (have) all skill levels,” said Dave Lane, one of the area’s most talented players and one of the league’s youngest at 38. “There (are) a lot of them that started when they were 5 or 6 years old, and there (are) guys who didn’t start until they were in their 30s.”
It’s a good deal, too. These guys get to play a 20-week season for $160 – and that includes pregame ice prep.
Softball leagues run $250 and up for a 16-game schedule. Some recreation basketball leagues run $400 for 10 games – and the floor isn’t swept.
Other than paying the fee up front before play started, Ross, in a joking manner, said the only criteria for getting into the league was that “we liked them” and that they “bring the Heinekens” once in a while.