By Tom and Jerry Caraccioli
Camaraderie is defined as a feeling of trust and friendship among a group of people who have usually known each other for a long time or gone through some kind of experience together. The term is especially apropos when it comes to adult hockey.
Many men and women who play adult hockey grew up playing the game and can’t get it out of their system.
They become lifelong players.
Others picked up the sport later in life and fell in love with it as adults.
All of them understand the luck, joy and desire of wanting, and being able, to continue to lace up their skates and compete.
It doesn’t matter if it’s in adult-sponsored tournaments or weekly pick-up skates at their local rinks, lifers can’t seem to hang up their skates. They always find ice. Some play to stay in shape. Others just enjoy the game and all that accompanies time together with their friends, including having a nice cold, post-game beverage while dissecting the game they just played or ones from decades ago.
Central New York businessman and CEO of Usherwood Office Technology, Lou Usherwood, 60, has played his entire life. A standout player growing up in Oswego, Usherwood was an all-state player who eventually played Division I college hockey and continues to play today.
“I consider hockey to be my life support system,” Usherwood said. “By playing I keep myself healthy. I really do it for the health benefits at this point in my life. And I absolutely love the sport.”
That sentiment resounds with anybody still lacing up their skates into their 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond.
Usherwood laughingly relates, “I’ll probably die on the ice. I play with guys that are in their 80s now. I hope that by playing the game I love, I gain the longevity of life.”
Another facet of adult hockey is tournament play. Many men and women who grew up in the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s still love to play competitively. For those players, adult hockey takes on a different feel.
Usherwood and his Central New York mates whom he grew up playing with and against, continue to be some of his best friends. They are part of those players who seek a more competitive style.
“My ego is an endless bucket,” the CEO of 18 offices located throughout six Northeast states playfully admitted. “I can’t bank enough wins. The memories are emblazoned in our minds and it seems every time we get together we’re seeking more glory to add to our younger days.”
One such tournament catering to those diehards is the Annual Olde Crabs Senior Hockey Invitational in Danbury, Connecticut. Teams from Central New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Minnesota and other places, like Albany Perth, travel to the Nutmeg State to participate in one of four division tiers of play: women’s, 50s, 60s and 70s.
About 400 players from 28 different teams file into the Danbury Arena for the 20th Annual Olde Crabs Senior Hockey Invitational in October. Familiar faces greet each other with smiles, handshakes, hugs and good-natured ribbing from their fellow gray-haired ice warriors. This is adult hockey.
“Our mission is to promote senior hockey,” Olde Crabs Hockey Association former president Mark Lockwood said. “At the tournament we have 50s, 60s, 70s and women’s divisions. We are trying to promote the game as best we can, and at the same time raise money for charity.”
The Olde Crabs Hockey Invitational, one of the most well-established adult hockey tournaments on the East Coast, is one of a number of renowned tournaments that unofficially mark the start of tournament season for the senior adult masses. Tournaments sponsored by USA Hockey (Lake Placid), CAN/AM Hockey, Bay State Games (Berkshires) and other organizations strive to provide this “game of a lifetime” to men and women who have literally been skating, in some cases, their whole lives minus four or five years.
“To get to play with people that I grew up with is really special,” Usherwood said. “As kids we always made it a commitment to stay in shape. I look at hockey as one way to continue to stay in shape throughout my life and hopefully improve my health.”
Having played against and with players in their 20s and 30s, these “age appropriate” tournaments keep the players young at heart and enthusiastic to continue playing the game they love. Though the speed of the game has dissipated, the desire to win and excel on the ice never leaves. And the charity component of tourneys like the Olde Crabs also make it special.
“We’ve raised more than $320,000 for local charities as a 501c3 charity,” Lockwood said. “It’s a win, win, win. We give the money to local charities. It’s great to get together for a long weekend. And we have some fun playing the games. It doesn’t get any better than that.”
While a cold beer is a welcome reward for some following a hard skate, the real prize continues to be the love of playing a lifelong sport with lifelong friends…no matter what age.
Tom and Jerry Caraccioli are freelance writers originally from Oswego, who have co-authored three books: “STRIKING SILVER: The Untold Story of America’s Forgotten Hockey Team,” “BOYCOTT: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games” and “Ice Breakers: A Kids’ Guide to Hockey and the Greatest Players who Changed the Game.”