The over-70 team the Springfield Hockey Heritage Society team pulled off a decisive 3-1 win versus the Central Massachusetts Rusty Blades during the Massachusetts Senior Games last month in Worcester. The team went on to win gold in the tournament. (Springfield Hockey Heritage Society photo)Springfield Hockey Heritage Society
There are just two requirements to join one city hockey team: You must love the sport and be older than 70.
Those are the rules for the Springfield Hockey Heritage Society’s 70+ team. The team for seniors recently took home gold at the Massachusetts Senior Games, an event that took place in late April and early May at the Buffone Skating Rink in Worcester.
Bob St. Lawrence, 73, has been part of the team for the last four years. He is one of 40 players that rotates through the 20-person roster the team brings to each game. “It’s been a great experience,” he said. “It’s still fun, so we’re still doing it.”
The team for seniors is part of the Springfield Hockey Heritage Society, one of the largest hockey-centric organizations in the region. The club regularly hosts events — like the annual “Hockeyday,” which is scheduled for July 25 this year — and sponsors players on many of the amateur teams in the area.
The over-70 team the Springfield Hockey Heritage Society team pulled off a decisive 3-1 win versus the Central Massachusetts Rusty Blades during the Massachusetts Senior Games last month in Worcester. The team went on to win gold in the tournament. (Springfield Hockey Heritage Society photo)Springfield Hockey Heritage Society
At the Senior Games in Worcester, the Springfield team was led by Nick Athas, a player and manager.
Athas, 77, has been involved in the game for many years, and he created the over-70 Springfield team in 2017.
When he was 50, Athas heard about the Senior Games from a friend, and he has been active in the tournament ever since.
According to Athas, there were six teams in the over-70 division this year, and some teams included a few players older than 80. The tournament also welcomes teams for a over-60 age division, and hosts a special match for those 80 and older.
This year, each over-70 division team played three games. The team with the most wins and the lowest goals scored against them took home the top spot. This means that “running up the score” is a pointless endeavor, and each game requires a cohesive team plan in all areas on the ice.
“Going into this tournament, we had a really great core of guys who, to use Bill Belichick’s term, do their job,” Athas said. “Hockey is a game where you need good players. But, you need good players, who also (understand) a team concept.
Athas said their objective was, of course, to score, but admits the team was intently focused on conceding as few goals as possible. They won their first game against the Central Mass. Rusty Blades 3-1, and their second game against the Quincy Bald Eagles 6-0.
They played their final game against the Rhody Oldies. According to St. Lawrence, they played the Oldies in the 2024 tournament as well. Last year, the Rhody Oldies put up a fight and managed to secure a tie, which knocked the Springfield Hockey Heritage Society’s 70+ team off the podium.
This year, Athas and St. Lawrence’s team approached the final game with a bit more fire to earn a positive result over their previous foe.
Despite going down by early in the game against the Rhody Oldies, the Springfield Hockey Heritage Society 70+ team spurred on a comeback to win 5-2.
By the tournament’s end, the Springfield Hockey Heritage Society 70+ team captured gold with a sweep of three wins with 14 goals scored and conceding only three goals in total. The second-place team, according to Athas, also had three wins by scoring 33 goals, but let in seven.
“You couldn’t have scripted it better,” Athas said. “Just a great team effort, a great bunch of guys, and a lot of fun.”
The over-70 team the Springfield Hockey Heritage Society team pulled off a decisive 3-1 win versus the Central Massachusetts Rusty Blades during the Massachusetts Senior Games last month in Worcester. The team went on to win gold in the tournament. (Springfield Hockey Heritage Society photo)Springfield Hockey Heritage Society
Winning, while nice, doesn’t seem to be the most important objective for these hockey players. Sure, they may want to win some games, but it’s not a new medal around their neck that encourages them to throw their pads on.
It’s something deeper, more personal, that drives the players on the over-70 team to keep playing.
“I like the Tom Petty quote, ‘I don’t know, but I’ve been told, you never slow down, you never grow old,’” St. Lawrence said. That applies to him in hockey and in life off the ice. “You know, we’re chasing grandkids around now and it’s a blast,” he said.
St. Lawrence has also competed in the Massachusetts Senior Games in cycling and enjoys mountain biking and playing golf during the warmer months.
The Springfield team is made up of friends and acquaintances that have known each other for many years, he said.
“We do a lot together,” St. Lawrence said, referring to practices, pickup games, and regular season matches. “Some of the guys play all year,” he said. The group plays at a variety of local ice rinks, including the Olympia Ice Center, Smead Arena at Blunt Park, and the Williston Northampton School’s rink.
St. Lawrence said he’s been playing and coaching hockey for more than 50 years and raised four sons who also came to love being on and around the ice — one even had the chance to referee for the American Hockey League.
Athas said he feels lucky to be able to continue playing at the age of 77 and keeps playing for his health. But it’s also about being part of a team that motivates him to continue lacing up.
“You walk into the locker room, and it’s like you’re walking into your living room,” he said. “It’s the camaraderie, it’s the bonding with your friends. It brings people together and transcends. It’s a great sport, but all sports are great, right?”
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