There are more than 1.2 million Canadian adults who play in hockey beer leagues, and none more proud to suit up than those who play for the Bowden Night Hawks.
The game is typically played for the love of the game by men and women over 19 years old, who proudly engage in post game rituals of chugging down a beer while talking about the finer points of the game, whether they have them or not. But beer league hockey is a pastime that prides itself on sportsmanship and camaraderie, and the game, attracting the most vocal cowbell ringing fans anywhere, has been a steady tradition for Bowdenites for 40 straight years.
On March 26, it was time to salute the town's beer leaguers with a 40th Alumni Game at the Bowden Igloo, which was followed with a dinner and dance at the Bowden Lions Hall. The Night Hawks sponsored the alumni beer leagues games while the Bowden Community Hall committee organized the dinner and dance at the Bowden Lions Hall.
“The team decided that since the Night Hawks had been around for 40 years it would be really cool to have a 40th Alumni Game, and get the old guys back out. Some of the old guys are the current Nigh Hawks' fathers,” said Tara Rankin, one of the organizers of the day's festivities, adding that the ages for players for the alumni games ranged from 16 to 62.
“They (Night Hawks) also decided they can add in their sons, because many of the 60-year-olds probably aren't going to skate; some of them will, some of them won't.
“So they took the dads, which are the alumni, plus the kids and they made up four teams. They didn't know how many they would get but as it turned out there were four separate teams, so they could have two fun games. These were all Night Hawks over 40 years.”
Added to hockey fun on the ice, punctuated with the steady ringing of cowbells and passionate vocal fans, was the special recognition for Dean "Chicken" Molyneux, now retired and who served as they Night Hawks' manager for 30 years.
Most of all, however, the alumni hockey event was a celebration of community spirit.
“Chicken was a huge part of it as he managed them for 30 years, but it was all about alumni players who have been here for at least 40 years playing hockey, devoting their lives and careers. You are Bowdenites. It is the community,” said Rankin. “It was the fact the fathers could go out and play with their sons. That is why it was special. It is very cool they can all still come out and skate 40 years later with their children and their siblings.”
But the celebration did not end at the Igloo. Later in the evening 240 citizens came to the Bowden Lions Hall. About $5,400 was raised. All of it going to the town's new community hall project.
“We are in the process of fundraising to build a new community hall,” said Rankin of the planned $1.2-million project, which received a $300,000 funding commitment from Red Deer County in February. “It's the energy of it, then boom, all of a sudden the county gives us $300,000 to start and we can apply for the (provincial) grant. It is going very quickly, very well.”
Tara Rankin
"It was the fact the fathers could go out and play with their sons. That is why it was special. It is very cool they can all still come out and skate 40 years later with their children and their siblings."
