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Hit Me: Minnesota Blackjacks Keep Going Back to Eagle River
After missing the first two Pond Hockey Championships, the Blackjacks have gone back every year
Playing in the Labatt Blue/USA Hockey Pond Championships for eight years, the guys from Minnesota Blackjacks have learned a few tricks.
“We used to run and gun, but now we’re a little bit smarter,” Blackjacks captain Al Johnson said. “What we’ve learned is that all the teams we’ve lost to have had a goalie and they’ve had guys back.”
In previous years, the Blackjacks tried to outscore their opponents. They succeeded the majority of the time, but trying to score 30 goals each game after allowing the opposition to score 20-plus can be a daunting task.
These days, the Blackjacks run with a more defensive-minded attack. Al’s brother, Craig, said the guys don’t exert as much energy when they stay back instead of skating back and forth from end to end. The Blackjacks players have certainly gotten wiser with their experiences on the pond.
“Old age does that to you,” Craig said.
The Blackjacks, whose members all hail from the Twin Cities metro area, had a successful 2015 tournament. The team placed runner-up in the 50+ Tier I Division, going 3-2, falling to the champion River Valley Pioneers twice.
The Blackjacks, who missed the first two Pond Hockey Championships but have been at every one since, shifted divisions to 50+ Tier I in 2013 after winning the 40+ Tier I title the previous year.
“We jumped into over 50 so we could play against guys our own age,” Craig joked. “It was getting a little tough in the over 40; some young legs out there.”
The Blackjacks range in age from the mid- to late-50s. The Johnson brothers love the competition in the older division.
“We see a lot of the same teams every year, which is fun to see everybody still playing at this age,” Al said. “Most people aren’t skating and playing hockey competitively. We’re fortunate enough to be able to do that, and it’s great to play with your brother.”
Craig is the diehard member of the team. He had a hip replaced two years ago and now plays on his artificial hip.
“I got it done in the summer and I still made it to next year’s pond hockey,” Craig said. “It’s important to get out and play again. They basically cut your leg off and put a hip implant in there — it feels good.”
The Johnsons are two of four core Blackjacks players who show up in Eagle River, Wis., every year for pond hockey. The majority of the Blackjacks team came together through playing with and against one another in adult hockey or even dating back to high school.
“It’s hard to get everybody together sometimes [for pond hockey],” Al said. “We’re fortunate enough we got everybody here. Every year we have a hard time getting that last guy. It’s a long ways to come to play.”
It’s important for the Johnsons to fill their seven-player roster completely for the tournament.
“You’ve got to have seven guys,” Al said. “We’ve tried it before [with fewer players], and it’s tough. It’s tiring out there. It’s a workout.”
The Blackjacks players always have a ton of fun playing together on the ice.
“They’re just great guys,” Craig said. “Growing up with them and playing with them, everybody backs everybody and we all have a good time.”
After missing the first two Pond Hockey Championships, the Blackjacks don’t plan to miss any more for quite some time.
“We make it a priority,” Al said. “Our significant others know every year.”
Added Craig, “We’re going to try to play into our 60s.”
Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.
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Playing hockey can play a big role in staying healthy as an adult
Adult hockey not only promotes a healthy and active lifestyle, it requires it. As adults get older, they increasingly need to emphasize regular exercise and a nutritious diet. There’s no easy way to go about it—but there is a fun, challenging and rewarding option that sticks with you for life:
Hockey.
That’s right. Hockey is part of the perfect prescription for an adults’ health regiment. Just ask Olympian and former NHL player Steve Jensen.
“Physical fitness is something we should all be thinking about as we get older,” says Jensen, a longtime certified USA Hockey coach/official. “There’s no better activity than hockey to stay in shape.”
Dr. Michael Stuart, chief medical officer for USA Hockey, says the positives of playing hockey are contagious.
“Participation in ice hockey provides all the benefits of exercise while building friendships and ensuring a fun time,” says Stuart, who is also the vice-chair of Orthopedic Surgery and the co-director of the Sports Medicine Center at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
Dr. Stuart and colleague Dr. Edward Laskowski of the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center sketch out specific benefits for hockey players:
- Prevents excess weight gain and/or maintain weight loss.
- Boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good” cholesterol, and decreases unhealthy triglycerides, a cominbination that lowers your risk of cardiovascular diseases.
- Stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed.
- Improves muscle strength and boosts your endurance.
- Relieves stress by helping you have fun and unwind, connect with friends and family, and be part of a team.
- Involves physical activity that can help you fall asleep faster and deepen your sleep.
“Playing adult hockey is a great way to feel better, gain health benefits and have fun,” says Stuart, who also emphasizes maintaining a balanced diet. As for safety concerns, he adds: “The risk of injury is small in no-check, adult hockey games, but players should wear high-quality, well-fitting equipment, including a helmet and facial protection.”
The Minnesota-based Adult Hockey Association is starting to see employers embrace hockey as a health and performance benefit for its workforce. Some businesses are beginning to subsidize hockey registration fees for employees because they feel the activity fits the policy of their wellness programs.
“It’s not a lot, but we’re starting to see more and more trickle in,” says Dave Swenson, the AHA’s secretary treasurer who also serves on USA Hockey’s Adult Council and Minnesota Hockey’s Board of Directors.
Swenson wants this trend to continue growing, not just to see the number of players rise, but to reward players for committing to a healthy lifestyle.
“I’m hoping employers think about that a little more,” Swenson adds. “It’s not just softball leagues anymore. There are recreational hockey opportunities out there for adults.”
Hilary McNeish, a longtime player, ambassador, and current executive director of the Women’s Association of Colorado Hockey, says she sees the positive results in women’s hockey every day.
“There are so many benefits,” says McNeish, “but the quote I hear most from ladies is: ‘It’s like working out a lot, but it’s so fun, it doesn’t feel like working out!’”
Aside from the physical health gains, there’s also a mental side to the story that’s special to hockey players.
“There are so many positive experiences that come with it,” adds McNeish. “Being able to play a sport that so many deem difficult is also great for the mind and wonderful for your personal attitude.
“It’s great to see the looks from people when you can say, ‘I play hockey’”
