When you think of Whistler, you probably envision skiing, snowboarding and mountain biking. It may be one of the few Canadian towns where hockey does not reign supreme and actually takes a backseat to other sports. However, a subcultural shift may be afoot—and not just due to the emergence of successful professionals like Garrett Milan of the Athens Rock Lobsters.
"Hockey, from the youth perspective, has gained a ton of popularity," opines Jordan Glasser, a local beer league player and CrossFit gym owner. "I don't know the numbers, but I certainly could feel it in this town. So many of my friends' kids play hockey, so many girls and boys. As much as skiing is the epicentre and mountain biking is the epicentre, hockey has really gained popularity."
A similar trend can be found on the adult recreational scene as lots of folks are involved with the Whistler Sportsmans Hockey Association (WSHA). Glasser and his Gibbons Raiders climbed the mountain earlier this month to win a Division 1 trophy.
The Dubh Linn Gate Marmots were a tough opponent, pushing the Raiders in a hotly-contested best-of-five series that went the distance, but Glasser's squad emerged victorious with an overall postseason record of 5-2.
"I think that was the most fun finals I've ever played in," Glasser said. "The teams in general have great respect for each other. The players do respect each other. Violence can happen in team sports, especially in the playoffs when no one likes to lose, but a big shout out to the league. It takes a lot of people to make it happen.
"We all know it's beer league, yet … truth be told, winning is a great feeling. There's something a little bit special when you do it with teammates. I'm near 50. There's a player of ours who's cracked the age 50 milestone, a bunch over 40, but also a bunch in their early 20s. We're a good mix of guys that play well for each other ... and I play now against some of my friends' kids."
'You look up to standing room only'
The aforementioned mix of guys receive a good mix of fan support from seasonal employees and longtime residents alike. Meadow Park Sports Centre's (MPSC) compact bleachers allow people to sit just a few metres away from the ice, which Glasser calls an "incredible" experience for those who haven't been exposed to hockey before.
"The whole year there's been fans out," he recalled. "The Whistler Blackcomb staff brought in a lot of their younger seasonal staff. I'm sure we all heard about the incident that caused [a short ban] on fans attending games, but to be honest that wasn't the norm. Everyone was usually well-behaved.
"It's crazy to think: you're near 50, you're playing a team sport and you look up to standing room only. It's an awesome feeling. You certainly try just a little bit harder."
Glasser played hockey in his youth and was a dedicated beer-leaguer during the early 2000s, when the Raiders were known as the Mongolie Grillers. He retired in 2010 as life got busy and ice times got pushed later and later (11:45 p.m. puck drops weren't unheard of)—but felt an itch to lace up the skates again last year.
That itch originated in part from Glasser's desire for community. Whistler is loaded with options for individual athletes and adrenaline junkies, but he missed the team environment of hockey and asked the Raiders if they could use one more warm body. Fortunately they had room, and Glasser switched from defence to left wing.
"The players have gotten a hell of a lot better in the last 15 years. There's no chance I could hang with any of the young kids while trying to skate backwards," he admitted. "They've got a ton of skill. A lot of these guys were semi-pro, there's talent and it's exciting to watch, [even if it's not] the NHL."
In any case, Glasser notched 14 goals and 34 points in 24 matches—enough for fourth-best on his team.
"It was reassuring that after 12 to 15 years off, I could jump back in and play without missing much of a fitness beat—it was actually the mind that was pretty slow," said Glasser. "Fitness diversity is key for longevity … and that is certainly part of my core philosophy. As adults, don't stop playing sports. I can't wait for another fun season."
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