Medals come home with Alberta 55 plus hockey players

Times Contributor 

 

Strathmore hockey players brought home two medals from the Alberta 55Plus Games held Feb. 13 – 16. Doug Risdon and his teammates on the 70+ team brought home bronze. For Risdon, who scored the bronze-winning goal, the win was a family affair.

The hockey team from Zone 2, to which Strathmore belongs, lost their first game of the tournament, but won the second. In their third and final game, Risdon’s brother Leon, from Okotoks, was goalie. 

“It so happened that the last game when we were playing for the bronze, it was my turn the fourth round,” said Risdon. “They dropped two pucks at center ice and then I skated one way to their goal and their guy (skated) to ours.” His brother Leon stopped the puck at their net, “and I scored, and we won,” said Risdon.

Risdon’s wife, Norma Jean and their three children were all there to cheer him on, along with their six-year-old grandson, Nolan Parker, who also plays half-pint hockey. Risdon said Nolan “came up to me after…and he said, ‘Grandpa, I thought you were skating a little slow on that shoot-out.’” Risdon laughed. “Because they have shoot-outs after each of their games. Out of the mouths of babes!”

In the 65+ age group, six Strathmore men helped the Zone 2 hockey team bring home another medal. They won their first game against Edmonton, 3-1 on Feb. 14. Then on Feb. 15, they won 4-1 against Edson. On Saturday the 16, they met Calgary, and team organizer Jim Kay said, “we played against players we play with a lot,” because rural and Calgary people play together in local 55Plus hockey.

The Zone 2 team captured a 2-0 lead very early on, but four or five minutes in, Calgary got a point. Zone 2 didn’t win any more points but they didn’t lose any either so, Kay said, “it was by the grace of God and a little good luck and we ended up winning.” 

They brought home gold.

Despite their big win, though, Kay expressed surprise about one thing. 

“We never had any agents come talk to us afterward,” he joked. “It was unbelievable.”

Well done to all Strathmore 55Plus Games competitors.