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The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, December 9, 2003-25 'Cros~townNHL's Heritage Classic 19~ »Ne(w oe)psie nEC myop to watch, although... couriteprfdringboPy hSOGyacUoPu nWArnaThrOayafs noom Th Mustwgwon the « 4owu qIM 4-2, wfthun mpty nr -uig h nwrw vtoymloemw tumm the* «Ruon star wft tIhrs, lk be#UwIhe q whWaer M'* ~ oS~wa .oored by "5y P4oce UW*g the M o Ow wyleI Thm dAndy Souo. PtrtS by GAA AN HALTON SPORTSMEN'S TL/RKYSDO December l3th, 2003 9 arn to lpm AU1 SNooTERS6 WELCDME! 515 Club Nous. Location:I 515Steeles Avenue e 905-854-2641 That outdoor hockey game in Edmonton was sup- posed to remnind us of simpler times when we played outside just for the fun of it' It mostly looked to me like an mndoor gaine played outdoors with players making millions of dollars in front of more than 60,000 fans. It was fun to, watch, but slightly different froin our childhood memories of playing hockey outdoors. I lived in Weston near the Humber River, which actually used to freeze over in those days. A tributary created a pond a littie ways away fromn the river, shel- tered by the bluff on one side and trees on the other three sides. It was perfect.MTere were even fallen trees we could sit on to 11e our skates. The gaine started in the moming and ended when it got dark. The only breaks were when people would grab their shovels and clean off the snow. There was absolutely no structure to the gaine and scoring a goal seemed to be the least of anybody's womnes. Usually, you could tell which side had the territorial edge while you were putting on your skates and you went to the other team. There could be 10 or 15 players on a teain. It didn't maîter. The nets were somnebody's boots, so when they went home, we had to recruit new boots or pile somne snow. There were rarely any goalies, because nobody wanted to stand arouind in the cold. There was only one basic rule and nobody ever broke it unless by accident: you didn't raise the puck because nobody was wearing equipruent. There were no fights or disagreements. Nobody kept score. Nobody ever got hurt. You just played and played and played. To a kid, il was kind of like being in a candy store where everything was free. You could have as much as you wanted. Sadly, that pond was bulldozed over one day. Even sadder, structured hockey was starting 10 take over. Kids had toumainents and gaines on Saturdays and Sundays, which left lînlie time to go out and have Out in h leftfield fun playing a gaine with no referees or coaches, myself included. Somne kids weren't allowed 10 play because their parents felt it would make them tired for their "ýreal" gaines. When 1 was a teenager, there was an outdoor artifi- cial rink not far fromn where 1 lived. It was a decent size, with smal boards around the edge, which was flooded by a manual ice cleaner. Il was a rink for pleasure skating only, but when il closed ai night il was besieged by hockey players. it was lit by nearby streetlights, but it was plenty good enough. Friday and Satuiday nights it was packed, but not the other nights. Oflen, I'd be the only one there on a weeknight. t didn't care. I'd go anyway somnetimes evcry night. I could skate and stickhandle and play for hours, neyer really wanting 10 leave. I wish kids today could experience Use joy of hock- ey outdoors the saine way many of us"did. You just don't see il anymore. When there was once a backyard rik or two on every block, nowadays it's rare to0 find one anywherc. Par t of the problein is that it's difficult to keep a rink or pond frozen for long nowadays. You put ail that work mbt it and a couple warn days and il's ail gone. Hockey, skating, and outdoor ponds and rinks are part of what makes us Canadian. For many of us il provided some of our fondest childhood memories. Too bad il hasn't been someUsing we could success- fully pass on 10 our own children. Paeu.ri Minor atoms nipped by Ancaster After rallymng to, lie Use gaine with two qimpck goals, Use Milton mninor atoni AA Wmnterhawks sur- rendered a marker late in regula- lion and feil 3-2 to, the Ancaster Avalanche last Tuesday. Avalanche recorded Use winning Eric Schroder and Nick Garcia tally. MatUsew Hunter collected scored 60 seconds spart for Milton two assista for Milton with ta square the affair 2-2 midway Schroder and Garcia also adding through Uhe Usird period before Use helpers. mo Into -th We believe... in helping. Anyone.