Skating tonight, Wed. Feb 11, 2026, at 7 pm. 

Fallback is tomorrow night, same time.

This may be our last skate as the weather through next Wednesday looks too warm. Pray for cold weather!!

The hope is to host a tournament on Saturday, February 28th at 10 am.

Stay connected for up-to-date news and schedules.

I’m grateful to be able to play this great sport of ice hockey, however poorly. My love of Cannabis helps fuel this journey and the CBD salve I rub on my back, knees and ankles help a ton. Let me know if you want to give it a try. I generally have a few samples in my coat pocket. It doesn’t take much as I tend to make it strong.

Speaking of strong. I promise to never give you a strong Chocolate Peanutbutter Ball without warning. Those treats for after the game and mostly CBD with a touch of THC. They help relieve some inflamation and relax you. Find it all on iHempHarvest.com

Peace & Love

Dave

ODR GAMES

This season had a slower start, but we are on for Wednesday and Friday nights, about 7 p,m and Saturday mornings, around 10 am. (Exception is no games Fri 20th or Sat 21st.)

Register to secure a spot during our tournament on Saturday, February 28th. We gather by 10 am and create four teams from the assembled players. We are calling for a majority of 50+ players, but exceptions are the rule, especially if the young exceptions take on a majority of the rink maintenance. Jim’s son, Ben, and Steve Ragge’s son, Maxton, have both been instrumental in pulling this rink together.

The goal is to have 24 skaters and 4 goalies for our four-team round-robin tournament. Players are organized by skill level, and teams are chosen randomly from each skill group.

There isn’t room in the barn for extra people. Only skaters and goalies in the barn, please. We wear full gear, but stocking caps instead of helmets for many.

Bring your own drinks and a dish to pass if possible. We make it a party and wrap things up mid-afternoon. Generally, a game breaks out after the tournament is run from any left standing.

I skated with the Budtenders against the Gooners Dogs in January. That was big fun. I’m out of the habit of getting up and going early on a Sunday morning, but the party in Skaters Bar was worth the effort. We were kicked out of the bar at 4 pm as the rink was closing due to the snow – weird.

As expected, the play is a bit faster than the 50+ and 60+, but I was able to contribute a little. I even got an atta boy for a clapper, which we can’t do in the old man leagues:)

There is a little grumbling about parity in the Sunday EHL league, as expected. There is always grumbling when things get competitive. Some of the players in the league can control a game and score seemingly at will. That is why I made a few efforts to switch to a draft league but found little support. I was tempted to take that Sunday am time and just restart with a 50+ draft, but so many of the guys who have stuck with me for the ten-year run are still kids! (under 50)

Oh, and I was told by Arnie (scorekeeper) that I was an illegal player! My own team didn’t put me on the roster. No respect! 🙂

50+ Oldtimers Hockey Club

Monday nights lead into Tuesday. Good thing I set my own schedule and don’t clock in for my work! We have had some late games, and the bar closes just a few hours after we are done!

The ten team leauge is not being dominated by Gears Beer Hockey this season. Speaking of the Championship team. I ran into JP Dumolin the other night and learned the Denise is getting a new hip. There are not any old hockey players, just rebuilt and refurbished!

This season we have a talented team for Gears.beer but have struggled to put a string of wins together. Phantom and Flint Oldtimers are the clear top of the season so far.

Tonight is the last game before playoffs begin!

Playoff Format

2/9  teams 7,8,9,10 play a 1 game play-in to the top 8 positions.

Winners become seats 7 an 8

2/16 Two-game total goal 1st round

1 vs 8  2 vs 7  3 vs 6  4 vs 5

losers of play-in play against each other

2/23 Second game of the two game 1st round

3/2 Second round with 4 winners playing best 2 of 3

3/23 Third round with the remaining 2 teams playing for the championship in a best 2 of 3, round 3, Final

The following are the tie-breaker rules to determine final team standings:

1. Most wins

2. Best record- head to head

3. Goal differential 

4. Most goals for 

5. Least goals against 

6. Coin flip

60+ Wednesday Hockey

Wednesday are great because you can hang out in Skaters Bar for a few hours and still get home by a reasonable time! See a theme here for the beer leaguge?

Four teams on Wednesday with some great competition and lots of laughs. The standings are tight and I expect the Flint Oldtimers team I run to be the top of the league soon. Saber has us by a point right now.

For over ten years I’ve been helping Jim Doan put up a killer rink in his back yard. Boards, netting, led lights with a heated barn. Last season was our best with ten games outside. We take every advantage to put a quick game together weekday evenings and Saturday mornings as the weather permits.

This year, the rink is moved 100′ back behind the barn in a 4′ deep hole. The dirt from the hole forms a sun and wind screen. Our hope is to extend the season but the start has been a bit slow. We plan to skate Wednesday and Friday night this week and run a 50 and older tournament on Saturday. The tournaments are limited to 24 skaters and four goalies. Contact me if interested in the tournament. Just show up on Wed or Friday. We get out on the ice 7 ish. Full gear, but some don’t wear a bucket.

For past photos and more, visit the link.

I was fortunate to get the invite to the Senior Olympics with the Flint Oldtimers Hockey Club Team a couple of years ago. Mike Petty assembled an all star team last year and we just couldn’t score enough to take the tournament. We did compete, but no medal. 

Mike and Art have built a 70+ team and gave me the task of organizing a 60+ team. With the work on the Soo team I was a little behind on getting the roster for the Senior Olympics going and in the pursuing scramble I built a huge roster and left some off that should have been invited. I apologize to those who did not get a roster spot, it wasn’t intentional. There are some good skaters who recently turned 60 who are on our roster and I brought in Jim Doan to reward him for his work on the outdoor rink. I was shocked when he said yes! I have high hopes for this team. Go ahead, make your joke:)

The Senior Olympics are March 4-6 at Buffalo Wild Wings Arena in Troy, MI. Stay tuned!

P.S. Reach out if I missed you and you wish to play as you never know what might happen between now and then. Just might have a spot open.

Did you see the latest goalie fight:) Swayman and Vasoleski looked like sumaria warriors in their scrum. I can understand Swayman getting pissed about the stick in the cup. Sucks that Tampa came back to beat the Bruins. We have a tight race for the Atlantic Division and the Wings look great for the playoffs. Hoping they don’t get embarassed by the Avs tonight.

Speaking of Olympics…

U.S.A. Women play Czechia 10:40 am Feb 5th on USA Network.

U.S.A. Men play Latvia (Russians I suspect) on Feb 12th 3 pm ET on USA Network.

I’m grateful to be able to play this great sport of ice hockey, however poorly. My love of Cannabis helps fuel this journey and the CBD salve I rub on my back, knees and ankles help a ton. Let me know if you want to give it a try. I generally have a few samples in my coat pocket. It doesn’t take much as I tend to make it strong.

Speaking of strong. I promise to never give you a strong Chocolate Peanutbutter Ball without warning. Those treats for after the game and mostly CBD with a touch of THC. They help relieve some inflamation and relax you. Find it all on iHempHarvest.com

Peace & Love

Dave

We are halfway through July, and the rink is a cool place to hang out and play with my “old” friends. 

Crystal Fieldhouse is repairing a glycol link in the South rink. Work is progressing, but for economic reasons, they are delaying the full completion until mid-August. Those compressors in the back take a beating in this hot weather.

Just to remind you, the rink will be hosting the Sunday morning league. I’m sure I’ll be subbing during the beginning of the season for Budtenders, but I plan to skate Mondays and Wednesdays primarily, with some Fridays mixed in. Contact Darrel or the rink with any questions about the early Sunday league.

Rory Sayers is working with Dort Event Center to start up a 50+ league on Tuesday nights. I’ve sent over the interest form submissions to Rory. He can be reached at 586-651-0000 for any questions about the upcoming league. They have enough skaters to run the four-team league. There won’t be more teams as the game times would be too late.

Gears Beer Hockey is continuing its dominance for the Summer League with a 5-1 record and only 9 goals against. (8 if you subtract the error where Murray swept the puck in the net on an attempted crease clear:) We are halfway through the short season. Summer nights at the rink are unique. While the locker rooms can be brutal, it is a relief to skate around. After the skate, it is generally a bit cooler outside, also. I’m considering a BBQ one night at the end of the season. Let me know if you are interested in a late-night burger after our games!

My Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein CBD Balls are available by request. $20 covers the cost to make up 20. They are 50 mg CBD and about 3 mg THC. Recipe is available on iHemp Michigan.

CBD Salve or Balm is available. I’m making up another batch, and the summer version has more beeswax to remain stable in the hot weather. A one-ounce deodorant-style tube is only $20 cash and has over 3,000 mg of CBD. The 2 oz tin is $50.
FYI: It will not get you high or cause you to fail a drug test.

Teamwork Triumphs in Thrilling Playoff Finale

In a heart-pounding playoff showdown Monday night, Gears Beer showcased the power of teamwork and depth, clinching victory in a dramatic shootout against Saber Electric. With solid defense, relentless back-checking, and contributions from every player, Gears Beer proved to be a formidable force all season.

The roster featured a rock-solid defensive core with Mike Hagerman, Brad Kraemer, Tim Doucette, and Jamie Galant. On offense, John Garrish, Bill Read, Steve Suffel, Dave Crabill, Ed McGrath, Brian Mullin, and the dynamic duo of Denise and JP Dumoulin brought skill and chemistry to the ice. John Finn, who was visiting the Gulf of America, was absent for the final game. In net, Mike Davis delivered a stellar performance throughout the playoffs, proving to be the backbone of the team.

This season marked the first time Denise and JP Dumoulin played on the same team, a decision made during the pre-season draft to simplify their carpooling to games. However, the married couple made it clear they didn’t want to be placed on the same line—a humorous agreement that added a lighthearted twist to their debut season together.

Depth Wins Championships

Throughout the playoffs, Gears Beer relied on every player on the roster, refusing to shorten the bench even in critical moments. This strategy paid off in the finals as Saber Electric leaned heavily on their top five players during the last ten minutes of regulation and overtime. By contrast, Gears Beer kept rolling lines, maintaining energy and pressure until the very end.

“Exactly, you played everyone and WON! Classy! Congrats! Well deserved!” said Greg Parker, one of the many fans in the “Peanut Gallery” who watched the game unfold.

Saber Electric faced adversity early in the playoffs when their starting goalie, Tom Gwillim, was injured in the first game. They brought in a higher-seeded young talent, Edwin Dean, who proved to be a formidable replacement. The goalie duel between Dean and Davis set the stage for an epic playoff battle.

A Defensive Chess Match

The game was a defensive chess match, with both teams battling for control at center ice and stifling offensive opportunities through relentless checking. Neither team managed to set up much offense until the 25:49 mark, when Steve Suffel fed the puck into the corner. John Garrish retrieved it and found Dave Crabill in front of the net, who tapped it past Dean to give Gears Beer a 1-0 lead.

The lead held until the 3:53 mark of the third period, when Saber Electric’s Steven Malenich sent a breakout pass to Joe Nesbit. Nesbit’s shot somehow squeezed past Davis, tying the game at 1-1 and sending the crowd into a frenzy.

During the five-minute overtime period, both teams played conservatively, avoiding mistakes and limiting offensive chances. With no change in the score, the game headed to a shootout.

Shootout Drama

As the home team, Gears Beer chose to shoot last. Mike Davis stood tall in net, stopping all three Saber Electric shooters. On the other end, Edwin Dean denied the first two Gears Beer attempts. It all came down to Jamie Galant, who skated in with confidence and flipped the puck past Dean for the game-winning goal.

The bench erupted as Gears Beer celebrated their hard-fought victory.

“I’m really proud of our team,” said Dave Crabill. “It was a great locker room, and everyone contributed on the ice.”

Bragging Rights Secured

Now, the bragging rights for Gears Beer are good for a year! Of course, Dave made a t-shirt to celebrate the win:)

On sale with discounted pricing for a limited time, grab yours today!