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Because it’s more than a game …

Because it’s more than a game … deb-gardner-0812.jpg

I may not be a very athletic gal myself, but I’m a sucker for a great sports story, like the one in this month’s issue on the Forest Park Hockey League.

With so many clubs and institutions in the area finding it hard to remain viable as time goes on, it’s refreshing to see one that continues to thrive after more than four decades – especially in an arena as competitive as hockey.

Originally chartered as a league designed for hockey players over the age of 30, with an emphasis on “fitness and fun,” these men have laced up their skates every week to battle it out on the ice for the pure love of the competition.

You see from the beginning, it’s been a league that has played its games “with no standings and no scoreboard,” according to Robert Desilets, one of the younger team members.

They may not play for championship bragging rights, but almost from the beginning, it’s been a league with an international connection, something other leagues can’t boast.

This March, as they have for more than 40 years, the Forest Park Hockey League hosted dozens of members of an over-30 hockey league based in Montreal, Canada, for a two-day tournament. At the end of March, the Forest Park team traveled north to participate in a tournament hosted by their Canadian friends.

They play, the eat together, they swap stories, they make and rekindle friendships – for these players a hockey game has, over the years, become so much more than a hockey game.

Hats off to these men, who have found a way to keep their sports passion alive, and turn it into so much more than a game.

Here’s to many more puck drops for Forest Park and Dorval.

Thanks for reading,

Debbie Gardner
debbieg@thereminder.com