Republished article for HDM Minneapolis 2020!

Jim Westby is likely a familiar name to many who follow high school and college hockey in Minnesota.

Briefly, he played at South High School and in 1955 scored one of the most notable goals in Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament history, when, in the 11^th overtime, he notched the tournament winning goal against Thief River Falls.  He is also a former Minnesota Gopher (1955-57, 1961-63), US National (1959, 1961), and US Olympic (1964) player.

Westby, outside BIG arena after Tuesday skate

He is all too familiar, especially at the national level, for his on-going efforts and success at bringing championship adult hockey teams to tournaments all over the country since 1987.

This attention was not lost on USA Hockey officials who have over many years presented Jim and his Minnesota Old Timers the championship banner at the USA Hockey Adult National tournaments.  Since 2007, Jim’s Old Timers have won 6 out of 10 National titles, often competing in younger age brackets.  The team currently plays in the 70+ age group.

A recent phone call from USA Hockey officials informed him that he was first nominated and then selected to receive the 2016 Adult Player of the Year award (previously known as the “Ironman” award) at a gala “Night of Tribute” affair in Colorado Springs, CO, on June 8, 2016.

The award is presented annually by USA Hockey to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of an American born adult ice hockey player and is part of a larger program that also honors Service awards, New Leader awards, Female Honors awards, as well as the Women’s Player of the Year, Junior Player of the Year, Goalie of the Year, College Player of the Year, and Disabled Athlete of the Year.

MHM, in a phone interview, talked to Jim about his experience and thoughts on receiving this honor and attending the festive “Night of Tribute” event in CO.

The Notification, Off to CO.

Westby as a Golden Gopher

Asked if he saw this coming, he laughed and said, “I was totally caught by surprise, but I had a big smile on my face when I told my wife, Gail.”  He said he was very honored and humbled by the selection and that his wife and family were very happy and proud of him.  They added that Jim was well-deserving for doing so much for hockey in Minnesota.

A second and third call from USA Hockey officials provided all the details about air travel and hotel arrangements, not only for Jim, but for Gail as well.  His daughter Ann and her husband Dave Snuggerud (former Minnesota Gopher, US National and NHL player) and their 3 children, wanting to witness the event first hand, piled in their family car and headed out to CO to meet Jim and Gail.

Jim noted that the accommodations provide by USA Hockey were excellent and that they were treated very much like celebrities.  The event, which was previously held at the popular Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, was held at the beautiful Hotel Elegante Conference and Event Center.

The Award Ceremony.

Westby, on left, with other award winners (USA Hockey)

Jim was informed that he had to give a short acceptance speech, but that he had to keep it at 3 minutes.  After a reception, dinner, and the USA Hockey service awards, Jim was to receive the first player award of the evening.  He received the award at center stage where pictures were taken with USA Hockey dignitaries.  His speech followed.

He explained, “Given only 3 minutes, I couldn’t delve into my hockey background much, so I thanked USA Hockey for being considered and for being selected for this award.  I also thanked Gail for 53 years of supporting my hockey passion, and my kids for being at my side at the ceremony.  It meant a lot to me that my family was in attendance.”

He briefly touched on a couple of his hockey playing highlights including making the ’64 Olympic team and playing for the US National team behind the Iron Curtain in 1958/59 in Moscow and Prague.  He said, “I believe that we were the first team to do that.”

Impressions.

Westby (arrow) with MN Old Timers after winning 70+ National Championship game in 2014

Jim was very impressed with the way USA Hockey managed the entire evening.  He noted that, “The MC was terrific, kept his cool and the evening moving on a tight schedule.  I was surprised as how many service awards there were and at how many USA Hockey volunteers had put so much time and energy into their work.”

He was also moved by the Disabled Athlete of the Year award winner, Sarah Bettencourt, who spoke about her love for sled hockey and how it changed her life after retiring from the U.S Marine Corps in 2012 with 100 percent disability.

There were two other players from Minnesota that won awards at this year’s USA Hockey “Night of Tribute” in June.

Junior Player of the Year – Rem Pitlick.  From Plymouth, MN, Rem was the 2016 USHL scoring champion for the Muskegon Lumberjacks.

Goalie of the Year – Hunter Miska.  From North Branch, MN, Hunter had a record-breaking 2016 season with the Dubuque Fighting Saints with 32 wins.

For more information on the awards ceremony and the players, see this USA Hockey link HERE.

After Thoughts.

Jim considers himself, along with all the other adult hockey players in his circle of friends, very lucky indeed.  He said, “I feel honored to be playing with the same group of guys after all these years.  It’s just remarkable how much fun it has been to travel, meet people and oh, yes, to play some hockey too!”

He continued, “I still enjoy it. It has been a great run, everyone gets along and everyone is welcome.”

The group of adults Jim plays with admire and respect him a great deal.  He is affectionately known as “The Commissioner”.

He appreciates what USA Hockey has done for the adult players in their efforts to help them continue to play and have fun.

He also wanted to acknowledge fellow player, Phil Zietlow, for organizing many of the yearly MN Old Timer tournament trips to Danbury and to Baltimore.

Finally, he said, “We are very lucky in the Twin Cities to have an abundance of ice time and rinks at a reasonable price.  We still have our health, maybe some new body parts and always enjoy the after-skate festivities out in the parking lot.”

Jim’s award as the 2016 USA Hockey Adult Player of the Year (Ironman) is truly well-deserved.

Congratulations from the entire staff at Minnesota Hockey Magazine!

Additional Notes.

Minnesota Hockey Mag published a story about Jim and his Minnesota Old Timers team in 2012 and highlighted his success at that time.  See the article HERE. 

Past winners of the USA Hockey Adult Ironman award included other familiar names from Minnesota.

2007 – Marv Jorde.  Played for the Gophers, U.S. National team, 10 years as a semi-pro and led the adult Parkers Hockey Club to many MN State and national Senior A championships over a 25 year period.

2009 – Roger Moy.  Hockey standout at Michigan Tech and for perennial national Senior A champion Buck’s Unpainted Furniture.

2012 – Bob Lund.  From Roseau, MN, UMD standout and leader of the Byfuglien Trucking adult team that has won several USA Hockey adult championships.  MHM published this article about Bob, click HERE.

2013 – Sue Ring-Jarvi.  Recognized as a pioneer in Minnesota women’s hockey, Sue organized the U of M Women’s Hockey Club team in 1974 and initiated girls’ hockey programs in the metro area from 1976-78.

The post 2016 Adult Player of the Year – Jim Westby appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

MN Extreme, MN Ladyslippers and MN Final Period win USA Hockey Adult National Championships

Ellenton, FL. April 24-27.  Adult women’s teams were in the spotlight this weekend in Florida, as teams from across the country competed in the 2014 USA Hockey Women’s Adult National Championships.

Four teams from Minnesota participated and continued to demonstrate the high level of talent and teamwork coming out of the State of Hockey.

30+.  The MN Extreme finished a perfect 4-0 in pool play, shutting out their opponents in three out of four games.  In Sunday’s championship game, they defeated the Nighthawks in a close 3-2 contest to capture their division national championship.

MN Extreme finish a perfect 5-0 and take 30+ National Championship

40+.  While the MN Blades finished 2-2 in pool play, they did not accumulate enough points to make it to the championship game on Sunday.

50+, Tier I.  The MN Ladyslippers played in a small three team pool, and while they only won a single game in the preliminary round, it was enough to get them into the final game on Sunday.  They saved the best for last, as they avenged an earlier loss to IMS to win the championship game 2-0.

MN Ladyslippers defeat IMS 2-0 in 50+ championship game

50+, Tier II.  The MN Final Period played in an 8 team division and were undefeated in pool games against Wisconsin, Chicago, California and Boston.  In the championship game against Michigan, shots on goal were even but Final Period won 5-1.

The MN Final Period go undefeated in the 50+, Tier II USA Hockey Adult National Championships

For game scores and final standing details, check out the 2014 USA Hockey Adult tournament site here.

The post MN Adult Women National Champs! appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

(Photos courtesy of Sandy Stordahl.  Featured Photo:  Minnesota Old Timers (sponsored by Heartland Hockey Camp) win 70+ Championship.)

The USA Hockey Adult National Championships offer a great opportunity for adult teams (men and women) across the country to compete at both the elite (Tier I) and recreational (Tier II) levels of hockey.  The Minnesota adult teams have been participating since the tournament started several years ago and they continue to set the bar high for other teams around the country.

Tampa, Fl.  Men’s Championships.  April 3- April 13.

This year, at least 6 men’s teams from Minnesota traveled to Tampa, FL and the surrounding area and faced off in 5 different age groups on consecutive weekends.

70+.  This was the first year for this age group.  Four teams participated.  It’s remarkable that there are enough passionate and physically able players at this age that want to compete, but age does not seem to be a barrier for those that love the game and enjoy the travel.  The Minnesota Old Timers, previously champions at the 60+ and 65+ age division, moved up to the 70+ division and won the championship in a tough overtime game, 6-5, against the Florida Everblades.  They were sponsored by the Heartland Hockey Camp, located in the Brainerd Lakes vacation area of Minnesota.

65+.  It wasn’t a surprise that two perennial Minnesota champions at the 60+ and 65+ age division played for the championship game.

Byfuglien Trucking wins 65+ Championship

Byfuglien Trucking from Roseau, MN, winner of the last five 60+ USA National championships, moved up to 65+ this year.  Their long-time rivals from the metro area (remnants of the Minnesota Old Timers), and sponsored this year by Heartland Hockey Camp, were the only Tier I teams in the division.  With only two elite teams, USA Hockey pitted them against the recreational teams in pool play as exhibition games only.  The championship game was one game, easily won by Byfuglien Trucking, 6-0.  Bob Lund’s Byfuglien powerhouse continues to gather championship banners and the treasured white hats.

60+, Tier II.  There were no Tier I teams in this age bracket this year, but Swann’s, a team based at the Blaine SuperRink, played in the Tier II tournament.  They failed to make it to championship Sunday.

50+, Tier I.  Clearly one of the showcase age groups, the 50+ Tier I tournament featured many ex Div I, Div III and pro (as in NHL) players from around the country.  Their speed and level of skill play was more than impressive for this age group.  While the USA Hockey Adult tournaments are “no-check”, there was plenty of body contact in the up and down frenzied pace of play.  The Heartland Hockey Camp team, along with the Sun Valley Suns earned the right to play on championship Sunday after finishing 1 and 2, respectively, in pool play, and they really put on a show.  While Heartland beat Sun Valley in the earlier round, Sun Valley came from behind in the 3^rd period to tie the score 1-1 with just seconds left in the game and went on to win 2-1 in overtime.

50+, Tier II.  The Minnesota No Stars, out of the Minneapolis area, played in the Tier II tournament, but failed to make it to championship Sunday.

Tampa, Fl.  Women’ Championships.  April 24 – April 27.

The USA Adult Women’s National Championships in the 30, 40 and 50 age divisions run from April 24 – April 27.

Minnesota teams competing include:

30+.  MN Extreme

40+.  MN Blades

50+, Tier I.  MN Ladyslippers

For scores, schedules, standings and other information on the 2014 Men’s tournaments and to follow the Women’s tournament, visit the USA Adult Hockey site here.

The post Minnesota Adult Men’s Teams Make Some Noise in USA Hockey Nationals appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

The Minnesota Old Timers 60+ hockey team, always on the move, made their 4th trip to Europe in October to play in the 2012 Austrian International Oldies Ice Hockey Classic, Oct 3-7, held every two years in Zell am See, Austria. They won the 50+ tournament in 2006, their first visit, and finished high in the final 50+ standings the last two visits in 2008 and 2010. With only five teams in this year’s newly formed 60+ division, they played a round robin and finished a perfect 4-0, winning the gold medal for the second time. More on the tournament games later.

The Town and the Tourney

Location of Zell am See

Zell am See, located in the heart of Austria a couple of hours south of Munich, Germany, and about 100 km east of Innsbruck, is a small Vail-like resort town with a population of about 10,000. It sits next to the gorgeous alpine lake, Lake Zell, and lies in the Zell Valley, a corridor in the Kitzbuhel Alps. The town is surrounded by rugged mountains with world-class skiing and is an important tourist destination and transportation hub for the region. It hosted World Cup skiing events in 1973 and 1979, as well as an IHF World Hockey tournament in 2008. Stunning pictures of the surrounding area and the Schmitten ski area can be viewed at: Ski Zell am See – Kaprun.

A couple of little known facts about Zell am See: first, it was the site of Part Ten of the 2001 TV mini-series, “Band of Brothers”, produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, and second, it was the original home of the real Von Trapp family that was depicted in the “Sound of Music”. They moved from Zell-am-See to Klosterneuburg, Austria, because their home, a lake hotel called “Kitzsteinhorn”, was flooded. Who knew?

Zell am See, Lake Zell and surrounding mountains

The Zell “Oldies” International Ice Hockey Classic started in 1980 and is played every two years. This was the 12th tournament hosted by the Zeller Oldies organization and the Salzburg Ice Hockey Federation, Helmuth Mayer, President. The tournament sports four age divisions: 35+, 45+, 50+ and 60+. This year’s tournament drew 30 teams from 9 countries including teams from Canada and the United States. Info about the tournament can be found at: Ice Hockey Classic Info.

In addition to the Minnesota 60+team, there were 2 others teams from the United States; the Delta Hockey Club out of Seattle and the USA Mainiacs from the East coast, both in the 45+ division.

The Players – The Colorado Connection

Economic conditions, including the cost of airfare and Euros as well as personal scheduling conflicts, took their toll on the team’s plans to participate in the 2012 tournament. Several of the players from the Twin Cities metro area planning to go had to cancel, leaving the team significantly short of a full squad. The organizer of the trip, Kevin Milbery (there is some suggestion that his wife Martha actually did all the work) had to scramble to find enough players to field a team. Kevin is one of the Minnesota Old Timers that has been to all four tournaments. Besides Kevin, only four other players from Minnesota could commit; Larry Stordahl, Bob Dolan, Eric Blank and Bill Rossini.

Zell am See tournament venue

Meanwhile, out West in Colorado a team from Ft Collins and Denver called the Puck Hawgs (a story in itself below) knew about the Zell tournament and were trying to put a 60+ team together. They had the same problem and could not get enough players to commit. One of the players, Tom Davis, knew Jack Skjonsby, a player from Denver he had played with before. Jack lived in Minnesota for several years, knew about the Minnesota team and, in fact, had played with them in Zell in past tournaments and was planning to go again. They got to talking and Jack told Tom that the Minnesota team might be looking for some players. There you go! Tom asked three other Hawgs (Frank Schreiner, Mike Siler, and John Molenar) and all four jumped at the chance. The rest is history. Well, almost. The team still didn’t have a goalie! A few phone calls later and the team landed Charlie Holland out of Monument, CO, and a former goalie from International Falls, MN.

Enter the last piece of the puzzle, the “Professor”, a Canadian from Thunder Bay, Ontario. Dr. Walter Epp, an Associate Professor of History Education at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario, joined the team while on a research trip in Europe. A friend and noted local hockey acquaintance in Thunder Bay had played for the Minnesota team in 2010. This connection and Walter’s personal account of the Europe trip that combined research and hockey can be found in a related article on this website.

Let the Games Begin

The games were played against teams from Austria, Finland, Canada and Germany in that order over a four day period. While the team went 4-0, the first three games went down to the wire. The Minnesota team only scored 5 goals in those three games, but only gave up 1. Only outstanding goaltending and stingy defense allowed them to enter the final game with a record of 3-0.

Game 1 vs Austria, a combined host team from three Austrian cities and one German city. In the early going, since the team was newly formed and playing together for the first time, everyone was tentative and concentrated on defense. As the team gained confidence in the first half of the game, it became apparent the skills and styles of the players blended together nicely. Goals by Larry Stordahl and Bill Rossini, strong play from Charlie Holland in goal and from the defense pairings of Eric Blank/Tom Davis and Mike Siler/Frank Schreiner resulted in a tense 2-0 win.

Game 2 vs Finland, Euro Kiekko. Play against the much tougher and very skilled Finland team was up tempo and filled with great opportunities by both teams. Tom Davis scored early for Minnesota and Larry Stordahl broke the tie late in the game for the win. Again, Holland was sturdy in goal and team defense prevailed for the 2-1 win. Up next, the always tough Kitchener Rangers from Ontario, Canada.

Game 3 vs Kitchener. From start to finish, this game featured a wide open, up-and-down-the-ice style of play on the international size rink surface. From the opening faceoff and a Minnesota breakaway opportunity thwarted by the Kitchener goalie, it was clear this was going to be a battle on both ends of the ice. The goalies were exceptional, making many outstanding saves throughout the game. The difference came at about the half way mark when two Kitchener players collided with each other sending Larry Stordahl off on a 2 on 0 breakaway. Larrry finished the deal with a deke for a 1-0 lead. Only Charlie Holland’s hot hand in the last part of the game kept the Ranger’s off the board for a well-fought and well-deserved 1-0 win.

Tournament champs after the final game. Front row left: Eric Blank, Kevin Milbery, Bill Rossini, John Molenar, Charlie Holland, Jack Skjonsby, Back row left: Larry Stordahl, Bob Dolan, Mike Siler, Frank Schreiner, Walter Epp, Tom Davis.

Game 4 vs Ravensburg, Germany. With a 7:00 am game time the next morning (ouch), it was no surprise that both teams were a bit sluggish out of the gate. It’s probable that some of the late evening festivities the night before in celebration of the Kitchener win contributed a bit to the slow start. Frank Schreiner started the scoring when he walked in from the point and found the top corner of the net. This held up until late in the first half when Minnesota score twice and Ravensburg once. With the score 3-1 entering the final half, the team woke up and the scoring barrage began. Eight unanswered goals finished the tired and over-matched Ravensburg team. Almost everyone got into the scoring act with several players scoring multiple goals…including, to everyone’s enjoyment, Professor Epp. Final, an 11-1 win and the gold medal with a perfect 4-0 record.

MVP Goalie Charlie Holland with daughter Sarah

MVP, MVP. While there was no mention or official discussion about an MVP, it was the consensus of all the players that the goalie, Charlie Holland, was the overwhelming choice. His stalwart and sometimes spectacular play in the first three games clearly allowed the team to succeed and “hang on” in those tight games. He only gave up 2 goals in the entire four games. A close second was either Larry Stordahl, who at 70 years of age showed his scoring prowess by scoring the winning goal in all four games, or, the defensive play of the team. While the goaltending and scoring was most evident, overall team defense likely was the foundation for the impressive tournament finish.

The Finishing Act

As the players and their spouses/significant others had most of the final game day to relax and prepare for their post-tourney plans, it was clear that all enjoyed the social aspect of the experience as much as the competition on the ice. It’s nice to win, but most everyone talked about how nice it was to meet new friends and enjoy new places together…great hockey, even better company. The team finished up in the evening by going to the 12th century Kaprun Castle near Zell for the post tournament banquet for all the participating teams. The next day it was off to all parts of Europe; Copenhagen, Salzburg, Munich, Milan and many other cities in Austria and Italy.

You can bet many of these players will be back in 2014 for another European experience. It’s also likely that a permanent connection between Colorado and Minnesota hockey players has been established. Neither group will soon forget about the Professor either.

The Other Story: The Hawgs – Hockey and Riding Club

John Molenar related this story about the history of the Colorado Hawgs.

Puck Hawg Vest Patch

It’s Feb 1987 and Ft Collins finally opens an indoor ice rink. John and Mike Siler started playing against each other and together in Ft Collins men’s leagues and various local tournaments. Frank Schreiner moved to Ft Collins in the mid 90’s and they began playing with and against him. Frank had played in Denver with Tom Davis. In 1997 Mike officially started the “Puck Hogs” (note spelling), when he bought some yellow jerseys for the group to use in tournaments and inline hockey. Around 2000 John started talking to the boys about them getting back into riding motorcycles. John hadn’t ever been without one since he was 18 and he especially liked the Harleys. The group originally rented bikes for their rides but eventually all bought their own. In 2003 they renamed the “Puck Hogs” to “Puck Hawgs” and had one of the guys who is a graphic artist create a Harley-looking logo, coming up with the current Puck Hawgs patch.

The team has played in ice and inline hockey tournaments (and winning their share) in Las Vegas, Florida, Wyoming (Rock Springs, Laramie, Casper, Jackson), Colorado (Aspen, Vail, Denver, Pueblo, Colorado Springs, Steamboat, Greeley, Ft Collins), Hawaii, Finland, Victoria BC (12 consecutive years since 2001), and NOW AUSTRIA! Sounds a lot like the travel adventures of the Minnesota Old Timers, doesn’t it?

This summer the Puck Hawgs celebrated their 15th anniversary with a party and by brewing 5 Barrels of “Perfectly Legal Lager” at Odell’s micro-brewery in Ft Collins. It turns out one of the players (Brendan) is the head brew master of Odell: Odell Brewing.

Looking for a Road Trip, Adult or Youth? Try Austria!

See related article on this website.

The post Minnesota 60+ Team Mines Gold in Austria Tourney appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Bob Lund – 2012 USA Hockey Adult Ironman of the Year

Shortly after returning from the USA Hockey Adult National Championships in Florida in April, 2012, Bob Lund gets a phone call at his Roseau home.  It is USA Hockey on the line and they inform him that he was nominated and selected to receive the annual Adult Ironman of the Year award by USA Hockey. The award is to be presented at the Night of Tribute Awards Dinner in Colorado Springs, CO, on June 6, 2012. Coincidentally, this is the same night UMD Bulldog senior team captain Jack Connolly will be presented with the 2012 College Hockey Player of the Year Award.

I had a chance to talk to Bob recently about the honor and the three-day trip to Colorado.  He recalled the initial conversation about the reason for the award and was quite humbled that he was considered and chosen over other deserving nominees.  He was also delighted to hear, and who wouldn’t, that USA Hockey would pick up the entire tab for his travel and related expenses.  While in Colorado Springs, he got the royal treatment.  The hotel accommodations were first class and he was introduced to a variety of USA Hockey and other attending dignitaries at the ceremony.

During the ceremony, attended by 600-700 people, Bob broke out the accordion, corralled Jack Connolly and Bruce “Buzz” Olson, the Chet Stewart Award winner for outstanding contribution to the officiating education program, and put on his well-known “Hanson Brothers” show complete with jerseys, wigs and glasses, much to the delight of the howling audience.  See article photos courtesy of Bob.  He often travels with his “entertainment kit” and isn’t shy about putting on a show at tournaments, restaurants and other establishments.

The USA Adult Ironman of the Year Award is presented annually by USA Hockey’s Adult Program to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of an American-born adult ice hockey player.  In Bob’s case, the accomplishments and his hockey background are impressive.

He started playing hockey in Roseau when he was ten years old and played at Roseau High School where he won the 1958 Minnesota state high school hockey tournament in his senior year.  He played defense for the University of Duluth Bulldogs in years 1959-1960, 1962-1965, and is a member of UMD’s All-Time Alumni.

In 1965 he was selected to the U.S. Men’s National Team and played in the International Ice Hockey Federation Men’s World Championships in Finland.  He continued to play for the Warroad Lakers followed by the newly formed Roseau Leafs team well into the 1970’s.

At 72, Lund and his Byfuglien Trucking team, made up mostly of Roseau natives, had just won their fourth consecutive USA Hockey National Championship at the 60+ Tier I level in April, catching the attention of the USA Hockey management in Florida.  This year’s national championship actually marked Lund’s fifth straight at the 60+ level.  He got the bug for traveling to adult hockey tournaments while playing for the Minnesota Old Timers in 2008, when he won the first of his five championships.  He quickly decided that this was great fun and formed his own Byfuglien Trucking team back in Roseau. There was plenty of talent around to compete against the best at the 60+ national level.  The likes of Don Ross, Bruce Falk, Brian Grand, Mike Lundbohm, Larry Stordahl and others made it easy.

The Roseau boys continue to get together for this and other high level adult tournaments and often travel with several other teams playing in national tournaments.  There is no doubt the team will be back in Florida next year looking for more competition.

Considering his extensive hockey background, accomplishments and continuing interest in organizing and advancing the state of adult hockey in Minnesota and beyond, this is a well-deserved and timely honor.

Congratulations, Bob, from Minnesota Hockey Magazine.com!

The post 2012 Adult Ironman of the Year, Bob Lund appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Off To Florida

The Minnesota Old Timers, regardless of the age group they play in, just keep rolling.

The team members, most from the Twin Cities area, are made up of a core group of 15-20 players with varied hockey backgrounds. Many have played at the college/university level and some at higher levels. They compete in several local and national tournaments each year and each team is slightly different based on the player’s availability.

One major tournament they have always looked forward to since first attending in 2007, is the USA Hockey sponsored National Adult Tournament. The tournament hosts several age divisions and sub-divisions depending on the number and profiles of the teams that sign up. It is held just south of Tampa, Florida, in Brandon, in the April time frame.

Where Did It All Start?

I had a chance to talk with player/coach and general manager Jim Westby, a former Minnesota Gopher and USA National player who scored the famous Minnesota High School Hockey tournament winning goal for South High vs Thief River Falls in 11 overtimes back in 1955, about the team’s history and success.

Westby says it started as far back as 1987 when a group from the Twin Cities started playing in the California Charles Schultz Snoopy tournament. The team, then called Minnesota Madness, played for 12 consecutive years in that tournament. They still go back every now and then, but a spin-off team now travels as the Minnesota Old Timers to many other tournaments. This all began in 2002 when they first traveled to Lake Placid, NY, to play in the US Senior Olympics tournament. Governor Wendell Anderson was on that first 60+ team.

Since that first tournament they have played in no less than 30 tournaments in 9 different cities in the US and Canada. The list includes Lake Placid (NY), Buffalo (NY), Tampa (FL), Santa Rosa (CA), Laurel (MD), Vancouver Island (BC), Danbury (CT), Providence (RI), Blaine (MN)…and perhaps one or two more. Their success rate is pretty impressive. They may drop a game here and there, but rarely lose the top prize.

Coach Westby attributes their success to the hockey culture and environment in Minnesota. Most players started playing at a young age, have continued to play after high school or college in senior leagues and still play today 3 or more times per week. There is also a plenty of ice time to be had with over 200+ indoor rinks in Minnesota, dozens just in the Twin Cities. They travel with a full contingent of players, usually 3 lines and 5 defensemen. Other teams outside of Minnesota that play in these tournaments, perhaps with the exception of teams from Michigan, don’t carry enough players and don’t spend as much time on the ice. Westby also notes that the core group has stayed together for years. He believes in loyalty and generally uses the same players for these tournaments if they are available. This creates a lot of good chemistry on the ice and overall a better team.

The USA Hockey 65+ 2012 Tourney

When they were competing in the 60+ age bracket in 2010, they were often giving up 5-10 years per player as many team members were already over 65 and 70 years of age. They won the 60+ in 2007 and 2008, but ran into the “other” Minnesota team from Roseau in 2009 after the boys “Up North” figured out that playing adult hockey at the national level was great fun. The team from Byfuglien Trucking, organized by player/coach Bob Lund (see related MHM articles), has won the USA Hockey 60+ championship starting in 2009, four years in a row. As you would expect, the players from the two teams know each other very well and have played with and against each other many times.  By the way, Bob Lund plays for Westby’s 65+ Old Timers team as well.

As coach Jim Westby would tell you, they have always tried to compete in “younger” age brackets. But as the group has aged (all will say gracefully…even with new body parts), they decided to move from the 60+ to the 65+ age bracket in 2011 so they could keep competing. They won that first year and were looking forward to repeating.

The 2012 65+ tournament in Brandon, Florida, had a five-team Tier I bracket – only one division. The teams played four games in a round robin and the top two teams played for the championship.

The first three games when went surprisingly well, Minnesota OT’s winning 5-1 against the Illinois Ice Holes, 8-2 against the Wynd Breakers and 7-1 against the Carolina Classics. Team scoring was well-balanced while the team defense was sound.

Game 4, the fourth game in 3 days, burst the bubble as the Rink Rats, also with a record of 3-0 going into the game, turned back perhaps 40-50 shots to outlast the OT’s 4-3 in a real upset win. This placed both teams at 3-1 at the end of pool play. Since the Rink Rats won the head-to-head game, they were seeded first and the OT’s second. The championship show-down match was scheduled early the next morning (Sunday) and provided little time to recover with the short turn-around.

With a slow and sluggish start to the championship game, the OT’s fell behind early, 2-0. They finally woke up, but it wasn’t until late in the 2^nd period that they were able to tie the score in spite of badly outshooting the Rink Rats. The OT’s finally got their legs in the third period and proved too much for the Rink Rats in the end, logging almost 60 shots on net for the game. With 5 unanswered goals, the Minnesota Old Timers were again the USA Hockey adult 65+ champs, winning soundly 7-2. The traditional USA Hockey white championship hats were passed out and the team retired to the locker room to celebrate…put another championship into the record books.

MN Old Timers 2012 USA 65+ National Champions
Front row: Dennis Andrews, Bob Lund, Kevin Milbery, John Cook, Bill Rossini, Steve Cook, Phil Zietlow. Back row: Terry Noble, John McNamara, Eddie MacKay, Larry Stordahl, Rex Filstrup, coach Jim Westby, Austin Sullivan, Nelson Otto

Why Keep Playing?

At 70+ years of age, you wonder why Westby and the rest of the 65+ group keep playing. Westby’s first response to the question while laughing is, “So we can drink beer afterward.” Continuing, he admits that competition, on-going physical and mental health, as well as the socializing, is at the root of their passion to continue on. One or two new knees, a new hip here and there, shoulder repairs, etc. can’t keep this group down. Keep the feet moving.

He says that even though it’s less about the hockey now and more about the social aspect of the event, both on and off the ice, it’s nice to win and a lot more fun. Their drive for good competition keeps them coming back for more. They take the travel opportunity, many times with their spouses, to visit new places, meet new people, and take in the local attractions between games and after the tournaments are over.

He ends with, “There’s nothing like sitting around with your friends re-hashing stories from the past and having a cold beer after playing a tough game.” Will they be back in 2013 looking to three-pete? For sure! Road trip anyone?

Footnote:  Four players from Westby’s 65+ championship team also played the following weekend for the Roseau Byfuglien Trucking 60+ championship team and went home with two white hats: Larry Stordahl, Bill Rossini, Bob Lund and John McNamara.

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“NOT JUST ANOTHER HOCKEY BAG”

Butch Williams is shown competing for the California Golden Seals in mid-1970’s

It was a cold winter night in late January of 1964. It was nearing midnight in our two-story home in Taconite, a tiny mining hamlet (pop. 315) on the western end of the Mesabi Iron Range and the snow was piled high outside. It was all quiet except for the sound of the furnace pumping the heat out through the registers, in an effort to combat the -15 below temperatures outside.

The burgeoning Hoey family, which by this time included two girls and six boys (two more boys to come) had went to bed a little later than normal this Friday night. We had a rare treat by having popcorn and pop to share with an overnight guest, a hockey player from Duluth, and even the younger boys stayed up late amid all the excitement.

Youth hockey was just beginning to surge in the early to mid-1960’s throughout Minnesota and Pee Wee and Bantam teams were starting to travel beyond their local area to secure games and play in tournaments. However, traveling for an overnight was still pretty unusual. Taconite, like all the other small communities that made up the Greenway school district, had their own Bantam team. Guys from Coleraine, Calumet, and Cloverdale were our opponents during the regular season despite being schoolmates at the local junior high school in Bovey during the day.

For the latter half of the season, the top players from each “town” team practiced as a so-called “All-Star” team occasionally and then played in sporadic competitions against teams from close-by rivals Grand Rapids and Hibbing and even Virginia and Eveleth. In those days, almost all Bantams were seventh and eighth-graders as the top freshmen players played on the B-team for the Greenway Raiders.

As I recall, we had about 15 guys on our team and five were from Taconite (eight-grader Bill “Cotton” Guyer and four of us seventh-graders, including my cousins Bobby Lawson and Mike Troumbly, and neighbor Eugene Gustason). We were coached by Cotton’s dad, “Cotta”, who worked part-time for the railroad and part-time as our postmaster.

Other guys on the team included Mike Antonovich, Rick Helmer and Bobby Lynch of Calumet, Tom Peluso and Mike Rantala of Cloverdale, Dave “Moose” Prestidge of Lawrence Lake, Steve Polovina of Bovey, and my cousin Billy “Bucko” Troumbly, Jim Kosak, and Rick Glorvigen (actually Midway)from Coleraine.

The Greenway Bantam All-Star team was hosting a four-team tournament on this Friday and Saturday and we were hosting the team from Duluth, a renowned program called Lower Chester from the Port City. We didn’t play the Duluth club that Friday night but we would the next day. Cotta Guyer matched us up with the players from Lower Chester, many of whom would be future adversaries playing for mighty Duluth Cathedral – Mike Randolph, Fred Paul, Steve “Pokey” Trachsel, et al. We watched them manhandle the team from Hibbing prior to our game and they were good, real good, and we would play them the next day.

Our guest Butch was much bigger than me, which wasn’t saying much, and looked like he had been shaving for a few years already. We had thrown our bags into the back seat of our red,three-seater Ford station wagon outside the West Range Arena in Coleraine and took the short three-mile ride home. We got home and Butch was immediately swallowed up with attention from several youngsters in their pajamas, whether he wanted it or not. He was a bit overwhelmed but seemingly amused with all the focus on him. I took his bag and mine into the basement.

I set out my equipment to dry and then grabbed his bag to spread out his gear when I stopped in my tracks. Butch’s bag, now seen in full light, was colorful and impressive. In a split-second, it was clear this wasn’t an ordinary bag. It was red, white and blue and it also displayed the letters…USA. Wow! Then it dawned on me. Butch’s last name was Williams. Wow! I was surrounded by fame and glory. His older brother, Tommy, was the youngest player on the 1960 U.S.A. Olympic team that won the gold medal at Squaw Valley. Just as this was all sinking in, Dad hollered down for me to bring up some pop and join everybody upstairs.

I hustled upstairs with some pop (a real luxury in those days) and settled into the living room as Butch was being bombarded with questions from all sides. He was a bit nervous but certainly was mature for his age and confident in his hockey heritage. Dad told Butch that his brother Tommy had played some with our senior team, the Taconite Hornets, when he was a teenager and that he knew his father, Rip, who was a hockey icon in Duluth. After an hour or so, Butch and I knew it was time to get some rest for tomorrow’s game. He and I shared one of our four bedrooms upstairs and after some conversation about all things hockey, the lights went out. I wondered what it was going to be like playing against the skilled and powerful kid sleeping next to me on the home ice at the West Range Arena.

My mind was racing with excitement and I knew it would be awhile until I would be sleeping this night. Soon, Butch was asleep. After a half-hour or so, all that could be heard was the strong wind outside on this bitterly cold night. With just enough light from the streetlights outside, I made my way out of the bedroom and down the steps and through the kitchen. I reached for the basement lights and switched them on. Quietly, I headed down the final 12 steps. Shivering in the dimly-lit basement, I sat intently right in front of the bag….the USA bag. For several minutes, I pictured where this bag had been and what it all entailed.

Almost exactly three years earlier, our family had watched CBS broadcast the Winter Olympics on television for the first time and we watched the USA win the gold medal in a big surprise at Squaw Valley. Of course, we cheered for the Minnesota guys the most – John Mayasich from Eveleth, the Christian brothers from Warroad, and the goalie, Jack McCartan, from St. Paul. However, we were most proud of the youngest kid on team, Tommy Williams, because he had the connection to our local senior team and he was from Duluth.

The big victory in the 1960 Olympics out in California brought hope to a lot of little kids that they could make it on that stage some day. Just a block away lived my mother’s brother, Jim “Slim” Troumbly, who had been the leading scorer for the U.S. in the 1950 international tournament in London. He was an inspiration to all of his nephews growing up and perhaps we would someday follow in his footsteps. As it was, “Slim” turned down a chance to be on the 1952 Olympic team because of his responsibilities with his new construction company he founded with his brothers. It was a different era, no doubt, when a guy with a guaranteed spot on the USA team spurned an offer to play against the best teams in the world.

All these years later, I don’t recall what happened to our Greenway Bantam team that next day but the memory of that experience with …”The Bag” has never gone away. It was just cloth and a zipper but what an inspiring presence it wrought. As for the Williams’ boys, they did okay. Tommy was the only American to play in the NHL for most of the 1960’s with the Boston Bruins and later played with the North Stars. Butch never played high school hockey but went to Canada, like his older brother, to play juniors. He made it to the big time, too, playing 108 games in the NHL from 1974-76 with the St. Louis Blues and the California Golden Seals. He scored 14 goals and added 35 assists as a sturdy right-winger. Butch, whose first name was Warren, also played in the 1976 Canada Cup for the U.S. and for Team USA in the 1977 world championships.

The post Not Just Another Bag appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

This article provided courtesy of Roseau Times Region, May, 2012.  Author Jeff Olsen, Roseau County Close-Up.

Byfuglien Trucking 2012 USA Hockey 60+ Champions
Front row: Jim Jaros, Bruce Falk, Brian Grand, Kim Newman, Coach Bob Lund, Bill Rossini, Joe Brown, Bruce Gillie. Back row: John McNamara, Ryan Brandt, Larry Stordahl, Charlie Brown, Brush Christianson, Steve Arndt, Mike Lundbohm, Jude Boulianne. Missing: Huffer Christianson.

 What a team of geriatric skaters! Gordie Howe would love them.

If you don’t know Mr. Howe, you’re too young to be reading this.

Take forward Bruce Gillie, who will be 74 next month.  Can he skate?  Does the sun rise in the east? Old Gillie played.  He had to when Dr. Bruce Falk, who fixes teeth for a living, needed the services of a chiropractor during the second game at the Ellenton Ice & Sports Complex near Tampa, Florida.  Falk, 63, ended up slamming into the boards.  “I either got checked or I fell,” he said, mentioning that he was out of action for a while and Gillie, who had been the gatekeeper, filled in nicely.

Here’s another thing about the 60 and over Byfuglien Trucking hockey team – the BTs – which might be disqualified someday because they keep winning national titles.  Roseau’s own Bobby Lund is the general manager/player coach and the closest thing to a George Steinbrenner.  He should consider picking up a hockey playing chiropractor.  “Hey, Doc, you want to crack his back.  He’s over there laying behind the bench.  ”On Monday, Lund looked like a million dollars.  He wasn’t hobbling or complaining. That comes with winning.  “I’m 71,” he said, and is still the kid to Gillie, who is 73.  This particular national tournament was probably the first time Lund went scoreless.  It didn’t matter.  His boys had won consecutive 2-1 decisions on Saturday and Sunday – the last one for all the marbles.  “A helluva game on Saturday against the Tampa Tropics,” he said.  “They pulled in some guys from Edmonton.” For the uninformed, Edmonton is in Alberta, which is in Canada, and these guys from Edmonton are known as ringers.  Meaning that they’re really good players like the dudes who consistently throw ringers in horseshoes.  “The Tampa Tropics were a really good team, very physical, and mostly Canadians,” he said.  “They winter in Florida.”

Not that Bobby Lund showed up with a bunch of stiffs.  He’s always scouting for talented players, mostly from this area.  But not always.  Take the goalie, Kim Newman, 63, who is from the Twin Cities and throws up an iron curtain when he’s in the net.  He’s very solid.  But the first two games against the New York Olde Crabs and the Virginia Gerihatricks were blowouts, 8-1 and 9-4 respectively on Thursday and Friday.  From that point on, what Mr. Newman did in the nets was nothing short of sensational.  Player coach Lund couldn’t say enough about his netminder, who played for the Air Force Academy and was on the 1972 U.S. Olympic hockey team.  “He made key saves, big saves, in the final two games,” he said.  “He secured his spot on the team.”  This was Bobby’s way of introducing Kim Newman as the number one star for Byfuglien Trucking’s fourth straight 60 and over national championship.  “He really stood on his head to stop the shots,” he said.

2011 Championship Team Had the Same Core Group
Front row: Joe Brown, Bryan Grand, Mike Lundbohm, Bill Rossini, “Huffer” Christianson, Bruce Falk, Player coach Bob Lund and Kim Newman. Back row: Bruce Gillie, Steve Arndt, Jim Jaros, Capt. Don Ross, Larry Strodahl, Ryan Brandt and “Brush” Christianson.

Not that there wasn’t competition for that first star.  Ryan Brandt had two hat tricks in the first two games while Mike Lundbohm scored a goal in three of the four games.  Get General Manager Lund talking about the first game on Thursday, and he had the goal scorers down pat.  “Besides Ryan’s three goals, Mike Lundbohm scored twice and Bill Rossini, Huffer Christianson and Bryan Grand each scored a goal.  The 9-4 rout on Friday against the Virginia Gerihatricks saw Brandt with the hat trick, followed by Lundbohm, Jim Jaros, Bill Rossini, Huffer Christianson, Steve Arndt, and Larry Stordahl scoring a goal apiece.

And then the drought began on Saturday as the BT boys scored just twice – Huffer Christianson with the tying goal in the second period and Bryan Grand with the winning goal in the third period.  On Sunday, the BTs might have expected a cakewalk against the Gerihatricks, whom they’d thumped in the second game.  But not this time.  Mike Lundbohm came up big with the tying goal and then it was hang onto your hats.  The BT boys didn’t nail down the title until midway through the third period when John McNamara notched the winning goal.

Believe it.  The old boys celebrated their fourth straight national championship.  But not like the New York Yankees of the 1950s when they sprayed champagne on each other.  Oh, the BT Boys didn’t waste a drop.  “The beer tastes better after a win,” said Bruce Falk, who rebounded to play the third and fourth games.  Of course, he behaved.  His wife was there with him.  So were many of the other players’ wives.  “They’re our cheerleaders,” he said.  “They might be our third stars of the tourney.”

Business Trip

Only Bobby Lund can mix business with sports.  “I had to make a service call to Venice, Florida, during the tournament,” he said, recalling that former Roseau area resident Todd Michal had called a couple of weeks before mentioning that his mattress had some problems.  “I was going to Florida and told Todd to keep calling to remind me,” said Lund.  Sure enough, Bobby made a service call to the Michal residence, which was only 10 miles out of the way off I-75.  A week ago, Bobby and John Mc-Namara showed up to check out the mattress.   “I thought it was funny,” said Mr. Michal impressed with the long-distance service call from Roseau.  “He had McNamara take a picture of the mattress,” said Michal. Earlier this week, Lund said he was going to get a sales rep to check out the mattress.  “How’s that for service?” he said.

Byfuglien Trucking

On Monday, Bobby Lund had Star #2 all figured out.  “It’s Byfuglien Trucking for sponsoring us,” he said, mentioning that the Byfuglien boys, Dana and Dean, pay the $1,000 entry fee.  “That’s nice of them,” he said.  Bobby is already looking ahead to next spring and shooting for their next national title. He and Bruce Gillie could be the gatekeepers by then.  In hockey jargon, the gatekeeper is the guy who opens the door so the players don’t have to leap over the boards and fall on the ice.  Don’t count Lund or Gillie out.  They both played solidly at this tourney.  Bruce Falk put it all in perspective about their winning streak.  “We’ll have to keep her going until we lose,” he said.  “I don’t care if we win or lose as long as we win.”

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