While hockey season is winding down for hockey teams across the province, one group is proving age is just a number.
The Yorkton Grinders are like most hockey team – but the player’s ages set them apart.
“I’m 76 now,” said goalie John Garbutt.
“I’m just about 82,” forward John Nightingale said.
The Grinders roster is made up of 22 players, ranging in age from their late 40’s to early 80’s.
Nightingale is the team’s oldest player.
“There’s a lot of positives,” he said. “As long as I can play, as long as I’m physically okay.”
Garbutt has played on the team for more than a decade – and isn’t far behind Nightingale.
“The guys give me a hard time, but it’s all in good fun,” he said.
The team has been around for nearly 20 years.
“I’ve been with them for about 15 years,” said player and organizer Collin Liebrecht. “It was going probably three or four years prior to my starting. A lot of the same guys are still playing that were here before I was.”
Every Wednesday during the season, the players show up and throw their sticks at centre ice to draw teams.
“As you get older, you’re not as competitive,” Liebrecht said. “But, the desire is still there. So, you come out and you just have some fun.”
Over the years, the team has had to bend their rules a little.
“It started off originally being 50-plus,” Liebrecht explained. “We have allowed a few younger guys to step in because of the numbers. But, if they’re hot dogs and stuff, this isn’t the place for them.”
The players say it’s great exercise, but one thing keeps them coming back year after year.
“It’s not about hockey anymore,” Garbutt said. “Basically, it’s about coming out and having a good time with the guys.”
“It’s a lot of fun, and the guys are great,” Nightingale said. “We have a lot of fun out there.”
New players join the Grinders every year to keep the Yorkton hockey tradition alive and well.
Based on a report by CTV Yorkton's Stefanie Davis
