80+ HOCKEY HALL of FAME/TEMPLE de la RENOMMÉE du HOCKEY 80+ PRESENTED TO ROTARY CLUB OF WEST OTTAWA, JUNE 16, 2015 BARRY WELLAR, BOARD OF DIRECTORS 80+ HOCKEY HALL of FAME/TEMPLE de la RENOMMÉE du HOCKEY 80+ wellarb@uottawa.ca

1. 80+ HOCKEY HALL of FAME/
TEMPLE de la RENOMMÉE du HOCKEY 80+
PRESENTED TO ROTARY CLUB OF WEST OTTAWA
JUNE 16, 2015
BARRY WELLAR, BOARD OF DIRECTORS
80+ HOCKEY HALL of FAME/
TEMPLE de la RENOMMÉE du HOCKEY 80+
wellarb@uottawa.ca

2. [Biographical information originally provide by RCWO Club Member Keenan Wellar.
Speaking notes for this public slide show presentation are provided instead in first person]
THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME TO DISCUSS THE 80+ HOCKEY HALL of
FAME/TEMPLE de la RENOMMÉE du HOCKEY 80+, WHICH WAS INCORPORATED
IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR.
I SEE THAT YOU ARE DAZZLED BY THE HOCKEY SWEATER I AM WEARING. IT IS
EYE-CATCHING, AND BY ALL MEANS TAKE PICTURES, I AM HOPING SOMEONE
WILL RECOGNIZE THE SWEATER AND TELL ME WHERE I GOT IT. SEEMS THE MORE
WE PLAY THE MORE WE FORGET, EXCEPT WHEN IT COMES TO RECALLING HOW
GOOD WE WERE BACK IN THE DAY.
CURRENTLY I PLAY HOCKEY WITH OTTAWA SILVER STREAKS, AND THE 60+
GROUP OF OTTAWA ELDER SKATESMEN, AS WELL AS FOR TOURNAMENT TEAMS.
I AM FORTUNATE TO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN RECREATION HOCKEY ACTIVITIES
FOR MOST OF MY LIFE, AND I AM PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO PLAY. IT
IS A BONUS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE WORK OF THE 80+ HOCKEY HALL of
FAME/TEMPLE de la RENOMMÉE du HOCKEY 80+ BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

3. AS TO HOW I GOT HERE TODAY, A VERY BRIEF ACCOUNT.
I COME FROM THE TOWN OF LATCHFORD, DISTRICT OF TEMISKAMING, IN
NORTHERN ONTARIO, BETWEEN NORTH BAY AND KIRKLAND LAKE: HARDROCK
MINING, FARMING, AND LUMBERING COUNTRY, WITH FASTBALL IN THE SUMMER
AND THEN HOCKEY, LOTS OF HOCKEY, DURING ABOUT 6 MONTHS OF HARD AND
SOMETIMES HARSH WINTER AND TWO MONTHS OF TOUGH SLEDDING.
I CLEARLY RECALL THE DAYS OF PLAYING HOCKEY ON BAY LAKE, THE MONTREAL
RIVER, AND THE LATCHFORD PUBLIC SCHOOL OUTDOOR RINK, AND THEN I HIT
THE BIG TIME WHEN I PLAYED COMPETITIVE HOCKEY IN COBALT, HAILEYBURY,
AND NEW LISKEARD WHERE THEY HAD ARENAS.
FOR A KID FROM LATCHFORD, THAT WAS LUXURY HOCKEY: YOU DID NOT NEED TO
WEAR A PARKA, THREE TOQUES, DOUBLE MITTS, AND THAW OUT YOUR FEET
AFTER GAMES.

4. MY EDUCATION INCLUDED COBALT HIGH SCHOOL, THEN QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY,
AND THEN TO GRADUATE SCHOOL AT NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY IN
EVANSTON, ILLINOIS, OUTSIDE CHICAGO.
I TAUGHT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS FOR 3 YEARS, AND THEN RETURNED TO
CANADA, SPENDING 7 YEARS AT THE MINISTRY OF STATE FOR URBAN AFFAIRS IN
THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA, 26 YEARS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA,
RETIRING IN 2005. I BEGAN MY CONSULTING FIRM IN 2005. .
I HAVE BEEN INVITED TO PREVIOUS ROTARY CLUB MEETINGS, BUT YOUR
MEETINGS ARE ON TUESDAYS, AND I PLAY HOCKEY ON TUESDAYS, AS WELL AS ON
MONDAYS AND FRIDAYS, AND SOMETIMES WEDNESDAYS, SO MY SCHEDULE IS
QUITE TIGHT. I EMPHASIZE THAT I DO NOT PLAY FIVE DAYS A WEEK, THAT WOULD
BE TOO MUCH, EXCEPT IF I GET INVOLVED IN TOURNAMENTS.

5. I AM AVAILABLE TODAY DUE TO SURGERY IN APRIL TO REPAIR SPORTS-RELATED
ROTATOR CUFF PROBLEMS, SO NO SUMMER HOCKEY FOR ME.
TURNS OUT I HAD TENDON, LIGAMENT, AND MUSCLE TEARS, BUILT UP OVER THE
YEARS, AND ALL THE TEARS WERE MADE WORSE BY AN “EXUBERANT” BONE
SPUR THAT HAD TO BE REMOVED. THE SITUATION HURT LIKE HELL MOST DAYS,
BUT, PERHAPS ODDLY, NOT DURING GAMES. SOME CALL IT A MIRACLE. HOCKEY
PLAYERS AT ALL LEVELS AND AGES HAVE SHARED THAT MIRACLE.
THE BAD NEWS IS THAT THE HEALING TAKES 6 MONTHS, AND THE PHYSIO IS NO
PICNIC EITHER. WHO KNEW?
HOWEVER, THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT I WILL BE BACK PLAYING HOCKEY RIGHT
AFTER THANKSGIVING.

6. AS SOME OF YOU MAY RECALL, RECREATION HOCKEY IN THE FORM OF
SHINNY STARTS AT ABOUT AGE 4 OR 5 OR SO. AND, AS WE ARE NOW
LEARNING, RECREATION HOCKEY CAN GO ON FOR ANOTHER 40, 50, 60,
70 AND EVEN 80 YEARS, WITH THE SAME OR EVEN GREATER FUN
FACTOR THAN WHEN WE WERE KIDS.
AND I HAVE EVIDENCE IN THAT REGARD.
THANKS TO MY SON KEENAN, A ROTARY CLUB MEMBER AS GOOD
FORTUNE WOULD HAVE IT, WE CAN PRESENT A BRIEF VIDEO
INCLUDING SOME PHOTOS AT THE END TO ILLUSTRATE A BIT OF THE
EVOLUTION OF THE 80+ HOCKEY HALL of FAME/TEMPLE de la
RENOMMÉE du HOCKEY 80+.

7. CTV National News at 11 and CTV Ottawa News at 6 – February 23, 2013
More news coverage in French and English
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5M86yezB5Wg

8. THE VIDEO IS AN EXCELLENT BACKDROP FOR A BRIEF COMMENT ON OUR
ORGANIZATION’S IMMEDIATE AND NEAR-FUTURE PLANS.
THERE WILL BE 75+ AND 80+ GAMES AND AN INDUCTION CEREMONY
AGAIN THIS YEAR FOR THE 80+HOCKEY HALL of FAME/TEMPLE de la
RENOMMÉE du HOCKEY 80+ EVENT ON NOVEMBER 1, IN OTTAWA.
AN 80+ TEAM FROM MONTREAL WILL AGAIN BE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE.
AS CAN BE SEEN FROM THE VIDEO, THERE IS QUITE A RIVALRY HERE
BETWEEN MONTREAL AND OTTAWA, WHICH COMES AS NO SURPRISE TO
THOSE WHO PLAY HOCKEY, OR WHO WATCHED THE CANADIENS AND THE
SENATORS GOING AT IT DURING THE STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS
IN SHORT, CONTRARY TO THE STATEMENT OF THE CTV NEWS REPORTER,
AND TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A
NON-COMPETITIVE HOCKEY GAME AT ANY AGE, PLACE, OR
CIRCUMSTANCE.

9. BUT THE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT IN THE 80+ GAME ALL THE PLAYERS HAD FUN.
THEY CLEARLY ENJOYED THE OPPORTUNITY TO ONCE AGAIN TRY TO DEKE OR GO
“TOP SHELF” AGAINST GOALIES WHO WOULD HAVE NONE OF IT.
ALSO IN 2015 WE ARE LOOKING AT ADDING TO THE MIX BY HAVING A
MINI-TOURNAMENT IF ARRANGEMENTSD CAN BE MADE.
WE HAVE WORD ABOUT THINGS HAPPENING IN PLACES SUCH AS LONDON,
PETERBOROUGH, AND KINGSTON, AS WELL AS DIFFERENT PARTS OF QUEBEC AND
ALBERTA, AND ELSEWHERE, SO A SMALL EXPANSION OF OUR ACTIVITIES IS UNDER
CONSIDERATION.
THERE WILL BE ANOTHER SET OF GAMES AND AN INDUCTION CEREMONY AND,
RESOURCES PERMITTING, WE WILL TRY TO EXPAND A BIT MORE, MAYBE UP TO
SIX TEAMS IN MULTIPLE GAMES IN SEVERAL TOURNAMENTS, IN PREPARATION
FOR 2017 AND CANADA’S 150th BIRTHDAY.
WE ARE LOOKING AT HOSTING A NATIONAL EVENT. THIS WOULD BE A GREAT
OPPORTUNITY TO PROMOTE THE 80+ HOCKEY HALL of FAME/TEMPLE de la
RENOMMÉE du HOCKEY 80+, AND TO INDUCT A NUMBER OF 80+ PLAYERS FROM
ACROSS CANADA IN A SUPER CEREMONY.

10. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD ARE MEETING WITH MUNICIPAL COUNCILLORS IN
OTTAWA AND GATINEAU, AS WELL AS WITH TOURISM OFFICIALS AND BUSINESS
PEOPLE TO ASK FOR FUNDS AND IN-KIND ASSISTANCE.
KEENAN HAS ALREADY MADE A REQUEST TO YOUR COMMUNITY SERVICE FUND
ON BEHALF OF THE 80+ HOCKEY HALL of FAME/TEMPLE de la RENOMMÉE du
HOCKEY 80+, AND OUR BOARD VERY MUCH APPRECIATES HIS TAKING THE LEAD
ON THIS INITIATIVE.
I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT EVERY CONTRIBUTION HELPS, WHETHER DIRECT
FINANCIAL OR IN-KIND. FURTHER, EVERY CONTRIBUTION IS APPRECIATED BY EACH
80+ HOCKEY PLAYER.
AS RED GREEN LIKES TO SAY, “KEEP YOUR STICK ON THE ICE” AND AS HOCKEY
PLAYERS HAVE SAID SINCE FOREVER “KEEP YOUR HEAD UP”.
THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO THE ROTARY CLUB OF OTTAWA WEST IS VERY
MUCH APPRECIATED, AND I HOPE THAT YOU ENJOYED THE VIDEO.
OTTAWA, ONTARIO
JUNE 16, 2015