J.D. Potié
BRACEBRIDGE
Nov. 12-13, 2019
A couple of weeks ago, the Pontiac Old Timers hockey club travelled to Bracebridge, Ont. to play in the . . .
eighth annual Old Muskoka Lakers Hockey Tournament.
According to one of the Old Timers players Marc Latreille, it was the team’s second tournament since being established, last year.
Played over two days, the tournament consisted of an eight-team, two-division, round-robin format, finished off with a knockout round. Each team was guaranteed four games (two per day) and team’s average ages had to be 65 and up.
On Nov. 12, the Old Timers took on a pair of teams who Latreille estimated were the tournament’s top competition.
In their first game, the Old Timers lost 3-1 against North Bay Rivet Insurance, followed by a 4-1 loss against North Shore later that day.
“It was stiff,” he said. “It could’ve gone either way.”
Without a win and only two games left to play, the Old Timers were determined to take control of their own destiny with solid play in the second day of competition.
On Nov. 13, the Pontiac lads kicked things off on the right foot with a dominant 7-0 victory over host team Bracebridge. In their final game, the Old Timers eviscerated North Bay Ramada by a score of 5-2.
All in all, the Old Timers came home with a third-place finish, Latreille said.
Since the Old Timers were missing a few of their original players, they didn’t have enough bodies to suit up for the tournament. So, to ensure that the Old Timers could participate, a few guys from different parts of the Valley pitched in to give them a hand, Latreille said.
For Latreille, one of the best parts of the experience was meeting new people while playing hockey and bonding with them.
“Everybody had a great time,” he said. “There were a couple guys from Renfrew, one from Almonte, one from Petawawa… it’s nice to meet and get to know some new people.”
Latreille explained that there hadn’t been an Old Timers team in the Pontiac for many years before this one was established two years ago.
Back in April, the team played in its first tournament in North Bay, Ont., Latreille said.
He elaborated that each of the Old Timers’ jerseys bear a mustache on the left side of the chest, commemorating the team’s biggest inspiration – Freddy Desabrais who passed away two years ago at 72 years-old.
“Freddy was pretty much the reason that it all got started,” he said. “He had been talking about us doing this for a good while.”
After the tournament, players and organizers gathered for a banquet dinner at the Quality Inn in Bracebridge to finish things off in style.
Along with all sorts of food, drink and comedy for all who attended, Latreille stepped on the main stage with the Old Timers’ biggest supporter Reg Carkner and teammate Jeff Presley to entertain the crowd with a set of classic tunes.
