Make no mistake, Mosaic Place is an absolute jewel of a hockey arena and undeniably the best place in Moose Jaw to play a game.
But sometimes, going back to the basics can be just as much fun.
Such was the case with the Afternoon Hockey League on Friday afternoon, as a dozen players from the local recreational hockey group took the ice at the Moose Square Rink for their annual outdoor game.
An offshoot of the Crusty Canucks, the AHL takes over the Mosaic Place ice for a couple of hours four days a week, with the oldtimers skating on Mondays and Wednesdays and younger players on Tuesdays and Fridays. The atmosphere is fun and loose, with camaraderie and exercise as important as who wins or loses.
That was definitely the case on Friday, as some of the league’s grizzled veterans were joined by a handful of youngsters for the contest in near-perfect weather conditions -- minus-11 C and sunshine brilliant enough that shades were just as important as toques out on the ice.
“It’s just something different, playing an outdoor game like this, and a few years ago it was colder than you could imagine but today we’re just lucky,” said Dave Mowrey, one of the AHL’s organizers. “We try and plan it in February, since there’s usually a break where the weather is nicer, and it happened to work out perfectly today.”
While the ice conditions might have been what one would expect for a public outdoor rink, city crews had flooded the rink earlier that morning, making things as smooth as possible for the AHL crew.
The contest has seen varying numbers over the years, true to the league’s drop-in format. But one thing remains the same -- everyone has a blast from start to finish.
“The guys really enjoy coming out to play this game and having some fun outside,” Mowrey said. “It brings back a lot of memories of when we were kids and playing on rinks like this… and we even try and make it a bit of an event, we’ll bring in hot dogs and beverages and make it even more of a fun afternoon.”
The game is popular enough that it’s become a hard fixture on the AHL’s schedule.
“We’ve been going in the new building ever since it opened, and in those 10 years, we’ve only missed this game twice,” Mowrey said. “In the one year, it was too warm and there was no ice, and then last year was the only other time.”
The AHL will be back to regular action next week, and for more information on joining that crew, feel free to give Mowrey a shout at (306) 690-5695.
“And as long as we have enough guys coming out to pay for the ice, we’re happy,” Mowrey said with a laugh. ”The guys enjoy it, we have a good time and that’s what it’s all about.”
