Andy Cote thinks he'll know when he's ready to be put out to pasture as a hockey player.
The day his teammates tell him he's in charge of the beer cooler because he's too slow to keep pace on the ice.
At 72, Cote isn't thinking that day will come soon. He's too busy thinking about how he's going stop those 30-something punks from scoring on him this weekend.
Cote is one of four septuagenarians on the two Prince George Rusty Nuts teams in the Prince George Oldtimers Hockey Association Easter tournament, which started Friday at the Kin Centre. While he's well past his prime and his skills as a defenceman aren't what they used to be compared to his junior A days in Val D'Or, Que, Cote loves the game as much he did when he was a kid.
In seven decades on the ice, he's learned you can't take the boy out of the man, not when there's a game to be played.
"You just keep on playing, that's the trick actually," said Cote , when asked how he stays healthy enough for hockey. "I've played all my life and I still play every winter and I think that makes the difference. I'm a firm believer if you keep on playing with younger guys, well they keep you going."
It's not hard for him to find younger company. There are only a handful of Prince George players in his age category. That list includes the Hixon brothers -- Ken and Les Vaughan, 73 and 71, respectively; and Dave Bellamy, 71 (who's currently beached in Hawaii and won't be playing this weekend).
Knowing Bellamy and Ken Vaughan weren't going to be available this weekend, the Rusty Nuts put the call out to replacements Tom Olaussen of Fraser Lake and Les Bergman of Victoria, both in their 70s.
Rusty Nut forward Ken Vaughan is on the injury shelf with a pulled groin and won't play this weekend. That leaves it up to his brother to carry the family torch.
"He's been my linemate since we were kids, I'll try to pick up the slack," laughed Les Vaughan. "I'm pretty old to be playing, it should be a challenge. There's a big difference between 35 and 72 and I'll be 72 in June. This keeps me going and I still enjoy it. I have lots of fun out there."
Ken Vaughan went nearly the whole season without getting hurt and he's got a theory as to why he's still able to volunteer for hockey duty.
"I think it's the Hixon air," said Ken, a senior A veteran of the 1960s-era Quesnel Kangaroos. "When you travel around to these oldtimers tournaments, a lot of guys are in their 70s, some of them are 75. Some look in good shape and some not that good, but they're still active. In your mind you still think you're pretty good but you lose your speed and your skills."
Charlie Freeman, 64, will be getting his money's worth this weekend, playing defence for the Rusty Nuts over-60 crew and also suiting up as a referee. Before his first game Friday, he'd already reffed two games. He'll wear the stripes five times this weekend and he's scheduled to play in three games. That's old hat to Freeman, who averages between 250 and 300 games every season.
"I get my fair share of abuse but it keeps me humble," said Freeman. "I try to stay active all year."
The 24-team tournament runs through Sunday and includes 16 male teams and a four-team women's division. Teams from Smithers, Terrace, Mackenzie, Fort St. James, Moberly Lake, Quesnel and Burns Lake are entered along with 13 Prince George teams.
The tournament follows Canadian Amateur Rec Hockey Association rules, which reward teams for sportsmanship and individual skill, as well as what reads on the scoreboard. There are 10 points up for grabs in each game, made up of two 20-minute periods of stop time as well as a between-periods shootout. Each period won is worth two points and the team that's ahead at the final buzzer wins another two. The shootout is worth an additional two points and two more go to the team with the least amount of penalty minutes.
