80+ HOCKEY HALL of FAME/ TEMPLE de la RENOMMÉE du HOCKEY 80+

PRESENTED TO ROTARY CLUB OF WEST OTTAWAJUNE 16, 2015

BARRY WELLAR, BOARD OF DIRECTORS80+ HOCKEY HALL of FAME/

TEMPLE de la RENOMMÉE du HOCKEY 80+wellarb@uottawa.ca

[Biographical information originally provide by RCWO Club Member Keenan Wellar. Speaking notes for this public slide show presentation are provided instead in first person]

THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME TO DISCUSS THE 80+ HOCKEY HALL of FAME/TEMPLE de la RENOMMÉE du HOCKEY 80+, WHICH WAS INCORPORATED IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR. I SEE THAT YOU ARE DAZZLED BY THE HOCKEY SWEATER I AM WEARING. IT IS EYE-CATCHING, AND BY ALL MEANS TAKE PICTURES, I AM HOPING SOMEONE WILL RECOGNIZE THE SWEATER AND TELL ME WHERE I GOT IT. SEEMS THE MORE WE PLAY THE MORE WE FORGET, EXCEPT WHEN IT COMES TO RECALLING HOW GOOD WE WERE BACK IN THE DAY.

CURRENTLY I PLAY HOCKEY WITH OTTAWA SILVER STREAKS, AND THE 60+ GROUP OF OTTAWA ELDER SKATESMEN, AS WELL AS FOR TOURNAMENT TEAMS.

I AM FORTUNATE TO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN RECREATION HOCKEY ACTIVITIES FOR MOST OF MY LIFE, AND I AM PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO PLAY. IT IS A BONUS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE WORK OF THE 80+ HOCKEY HALL of FAME/TEMPLE de la RENOMMÉE du HOCKEY 80+ BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

AS TO HOW I GOT HERE TODAY, A VERY BRIEF ACCOUNT.

I COME FROM THE TOWN OF LATCHFORD, DISTRICT OF TEMISKAMING, IN NORTHERN ONTARIO, BETWEEN NORTH BAY AND KIRKLAND LAKE: HARDROCK MINING, FARMING, AND LUMBERING COUNTRY, WITH FASTBALL IN THE SUMMER AND THEN HOCKEY, LOTS OF HOCKEY, DURING ABOUT 6 MONTHS OF HARD AND SOMETIMES HARSH WINTER AND TWO MONTHS OF TOUGH SLEDDING.

I CLEARLY RECALL THE DAYS OF PLAYING HOCKEY ON BAY LAKE, THE MONTREAL RIVER, AND THE LATCHFORD PUBLIC SCHOOL OUTDOOR RINK, AND THEN I HIT THE BIG TIME WHEN I PLAYED COMPETITIVE HOCKEY IN COBALT, HAILEYBURY, AND NEW LISKEARD WHERE THEY HAD ARENAS.

FOR A KID FROM LATCHFORD, THAT WAS LUXURY HOCKEY: YOU DID NOT NEED TO WEAR A PARKA, THREE TOQUES, DOUBLE MITTS, AND THAW OUT YOUR FEET AFTER GAMES.

MY EDUCATION INCLUDED COBALT HIGH SCHOOL, THEN QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY, AND THEN TO GRADUATE SCHOOL AT NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY IN EVANSTON, ILLINOIS, OUTSIDE CHICAGO.

I TAUGHT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS FOR 3 YEARS, AND THEN RETURNED TO CANADA, SPENDING 7 YEARS AT THE MINISTRY OF STATE FOR URBAN AFFAIRS IN THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA, 26 YEARS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA, RETIRING IN 2005. I BEGAN MY CONSULTING FIRM IN 2005. .

I HAVE BEEN INVITED TO PREVIOUS ROTARY CLUB MEETINGS, BUT YOUR MEETINGS ARE ON TUESDAYS, AND I PLAY HOCKEY ON TUESDAYS, AS WELL AS ON MONDAYS AND FRIDAYS, AND SOMETIMES WEDNESDAYS, SO MY SCHEDULE IS QUITE TIGHT. I EMPHASIZE THAT I DO NOT PLAY FIVE DAYS A WEEK, THAT WOULD BE TOO MUCH, EXCEPT IF I GET INVOLVED IN TOURNAMENTS.

I AM AVAILABLE TODAY DUE TO SURGERY IN APRIL TO REPAIR SPORTS-RELATED ROTATOR CUFF PROBLEMS, SO NO SUMMER HOCKEY FOR ME.

TURNS OUT I HAD TENDON, LIGAMENT, AND MUSCLE TEARS, BUILT UP OVER THE YEARS, AND ALL THE TEARS WERE MADE WORSE BY AN “EXUBERANT” BONE SPUR THAT HAD TO BE REMOVED. THE SITUATION HURT LIKE HELL MOST DAYS, BUT, PERHAPS ODDLY, NOT DURING GAMES. SOME CALL IT A MIRACLE. HOCKEY PLAYERS AT ALL LEVELS AND AGES HAVE SHARED THAT MIRACLE.

THE BAD NEWS IS THAT THE HEALING TAKES 6 MONTHS, AND THE PHYSIO IS NO PICNIC EITHER. WHO KNEW?

HOWEVER, THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT I WILL BE BACK PLAYING HOCKEY RIGHT AFTER THANKSGIVING.

AS SOME OF YOU MAY RECALL, RECREATION HOCKEY IN THE FORM OF SHINNY STARTS AT ABOUT AGE 4 OR 5 OR SO. AND, AS WE ARE NOW LEARNING, RECREATION HOCKEY CAN GO ON FOR ANOTHER 40, 50, 60, 70 AND EVEN 80 YEARS, WITH THE SAME OR EVEN GREATER FUN FACTOR THAN WHEN WE WERE KIDS.

AND I HAVE EVIDENCE IN THAT REGARD.

THANKS TO MY SON KEENAN, A ROTARY CLUB MEMBER AS GOOD FORTUNE WOULD HAVE IT, WE CAN PRESENT A BRIEF VIDEO INCLUDING SOME PHOTOS AT THE END TO ILLUSTRATE A BIT OF THE EVOLUTION OF THE 80+ HOCKEY HALL of FAME/TEMPLE de la RENOMMÉE du HOCKEY 80+.

CTV National News at 11 and CTV Ottawa News at 6 – February 23, 2013

More news coverage in French and Englishhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5M86yezB5Wg

THE VIDEO IS AN EXCELLENT BACKDROP FOR A BRIEF COMMENT ON OUR ORGANIZATION’S IMMEDIATE AND NEAR-FUTURE PLANS.

THERE WILL BE 75+ AND 80+ GAMES AND AN INDUCTION CEREMONY AGAIN THIS YEAR FOR THE 80+HOCKEY HALL of FAME/TEMPLE de la RENOMMÉE du HOCKEY 80+ EVENT ON NOVEMBER 1, IN OTTAWA.

AN 80+ TEAM FROM MONTREAL WILL AGAIN BE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE. AS CAN BE SEEN FROM THE VIDEO, THERE IS QUITE A RIVALRY HERE BETWEEN MONTREAL AND OTTAWA, WHICH COMES AS NO SURPRISE TO THOSE WHO PLAY HOCKEY, OR WHO WATCHED THE CANADIENS AND THE SENATORS GOING AT IT DURING THE STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

IN SHORT, CONTRARY TO THE STATEMENT OF THE CTV NEWS REPORTER, AND TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A NON-COMPETITIVE HOCKEY GAME AT ANY AGE, PLACE, OR CIRCUMSTANCE.

BUT THE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT IN THE 80+ GAME ALL THE PLAYERS HAD FUN. THEY CLEARLY ENJOYED THE OPPORTUNITY TO ONCE AGAIN TRY TO DEKE OR GO “TOP SHELF” AGAINST GOALIES WHO WOULD HAVE NONE OF IT.

ALSO IN 2015 WE ARE LOOKING AT ADDING TO THE MIX BY HAVING A MINI-TOURNAMENT IF ARRANGEMENTSD CAN BE MADE.

WE HAVE WORD ABOUT THINGS HAPPENING IN PLACES SUCH AS LONDON, PETERBOROUGH, AND KINGSTON, AS WELL AS DIFFERENT PARTS OF QUEBEC AND ALBERTA, AND ELSEWHERE, SO A SMALL EXPANSION OF OUR ACTIVITIES IS UNDER CONSIDERATION.

THERE WILL BE ANOTHER SET OF GAMES AND AN INDUCTION CEREMONY AND, RESOURCES PERMITTING, WE WILL TRY TO EXPAND A BIT MORE, MAYBE UP TO SIX TEAMS IN MULTIPLE GAMES IN SEVERAL TOURNAMENTS, IN PREPARATION FOR 2017 AND CANADA’S 150th BIRTHDAY.

WE ARE LOOKING AT HOSTING A NATIONAL EVENT. THIS WOULD BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO PROMOTE THE 80+ HOCKEY HALL of FAME/TEMPLE de la RENOMMÉE du HOCKEY 80+, AND TO INDUCT A NUMBER OF 80+ PLAYERS FROM ACROSS CANADA IN A SUPER CEREMONY.

MEMBERS OF THE BOARD ARE MEETING WITH MUNICIPAL COUNCILLORS IN OTTAWA AND GATINEAU, AS WELL AS WITH TOURISM OFFICIALS AND BUSINESS PEOPLE TO ASK FOR FUNDS AND IN-KIND ASSISTANCE.

KEENAN HAS ALREADY MADE A REQUEST TO YOUR COMMUNITY SERVICE FUND ON BEHALF OF THE 80+ HOCKEY HALL of FAME/TEMPLE de la RENOMMÉE du HOCKEY 80+, AND OUR BOARD VERY MUCH APPRECIATES HIS TAKING THE LEAD ON THIS INITIATIVE.

I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT EVERY CONTRIBUTION HELPS, WHETHER DIRECT FINANCIAL OR IN-KIND. FURTHER, EVERY CONTRIBUTION IS APPRECIATED BY EACH 80+ HOCKEY PLAYER.

AS RED GREEN LIKES TO SAY, “KEEP YOUR STICK ON THE ICE” AND AS HOCKEY PLAYERS HAVE SAID SINCE FOREVER “KEEP YOUR HEAD UP”.

THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO THE ROTARY CLUB OF OTTAWA WEST IS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED, AND I HOPE THAT YOU ENJOYED THE VIDEO.

OTTAWA, ONTARIOJUNE 16, 2015