Zone 3 Bandits, from Calgary

Cheryl Harwardt

This championship saw over eighty women between the ages of 55 and 75 playing in two different divisions— 55 + and 60 +. They were playing for fun, challenge, camaraderie, and, of course, the honour of being declared provincial champions!

I’ m one of those players who did not take up the game until I was an adult. Sure, I played street hockey with the neighbourhood kids, but ice hockey was never available to me. When I did start playing, I was like a moth moving toward the light. Playing quickly turned into refereeing, coaching, and ultimately, administration within the hockey world. Now that I have retired, I’ ve returned to my true passion— playing hockey.

Alberta 55 plus connects older adults with opportunities to play many sports, and my hockey team, the Free Agents, was just one of six from around Alberta participating in the tournament.

As I assisted with the registration on the first morning of the tournament, I was able to reconnect with old friends and“ frenemies” from over twenty years of previous ice battles.

The spirit of the game was alive in those conversations, and you could feel the enthusiasm for being on the ice in a real competition. We were reminiscing about hockey games from over twenty years ago and smiling in anticipation of the games to come. This pre-tournament chatter proved to be an incredible buildup to the on-ice tournament games.

If you’ re a current or former athlete yourself, you’ ll know the powerful nostalgia that can come from the smells and the sounds of the dressing room— The cold rink air mixing with the smell of rubber and sweat, the sound of Velcro, and the creaking of the benches. It might not be for everyone, but for those of us in that room, we couldn’ t ask for anything better as we laced up our skates and went out onto the ice.

12 | arta. net KEEP MOVING