When did you start playing hockey?

- I started playing hockey in 1986 at Valley Ice Arena when they still had chicken wire fencing for the glass areas of today. 


How did you start playing hockey?

- I started playing floor hockey at the Christian academy I went to school at in Portland, and one time we took a field trip to watch the Winterhawks play.. I was hooked. The speed and artistry were amazing, but the physical aspect was what drew me in. Hockey requires you to use so many skills and to protect your own skin or the skin of a mate. Coming from a violent/abusive family, to a foster home - I had a chip on my shoulder early - then I realized that I'm a different player than the Hanson brothers, so I changed my approach towards the game. And I've enjoyed every minute of it. 

How long have you been playing hockey?

- About 5 years now


How exactly did you get your start playing hockey?

- I grew up in Massachusetts and learned to ice skate when I was a kid. We had a rink nearby and we also skated on the frozen cranberry bogs down the street from my house. The cranberry bogs were flooded with water in the winter and made perfect skating rinks for all the neighborhood kids when they froze. Sometimes we'd pass a puck around, but I didn't play organized hockey until I was an adult.

I was living in Montana a few years ago and saw a poster recruiting new players for an adult women's hockey team. I've always liked watching hockey (go Bruins!) and learning to play sounded like fun. It took a few weeks to remember how to skate and learn some basic hockey skills, but I loved playing almost immediately!

How long have you been playing hockey?

- I've been playing for twelve years.


How did you get started playing hockey?

- I've ice staked since I was a toddler on double-bladed skates, but hockey wasn't popular in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (where I grew up) when I was a kid - at least, not for girls. Milwaukee was home to an Olympic speedskating training center, so I got the chance to skate on the same ice as Eric Heiden, Bonnie Blair, and Dan Jansen, but I don't remember ever seeing hockey players until just before I moved away.

I got interested in hockey watching the American women beat Canada to take the first gold medal in women's Olympic hockey in 1998. It looked like so much fun and I was impressed by the athleticism of the skaters. Even though there's no checking in women's hockey, it was a much more physical game that you typically see female athletes play.


What first brought you to The Rink Exchange?

- I really missed skating after I moved to Eugene, and I was looking for something to do in the winter to stay active. I was curious about hockey, but I was a little intimidated about getting started, especially since I'd never played team sports before. Then, I saw a story in the paper about the adult hockey league at the rink, and one of the skaters who was interviewed commented on how much fun the game was and how friendly the teams were to new skaters, even those who were just learning to skate. He said that he was not a great skater, but that he had become something of a commodity in the league because he'd learned to skate backwards. "Well," I thought, "I can skate backwards!" Shortly thereafter, I signed up for the Learn to Play Class at the rink. I was immediately hooked. I signed up for my first season of league, and I've played almost every season since!

How long have you been playing hockey? 

- I have been playing hockey for 22 years.


How did you get your start playing hockey? 

- I started playing street hockey when I got my first set of roller blades on my 6th birthday. A friend down the street had a street hockey stick, so I got one to play with him. That started a neighborhood-wide culture where all the kids started playing street hockey. We would do yard work and other chores around the neighborhood to raise money for nets, equipment, and jerseys. Then, we started playing nearby neighborhoods in street hockey games. At age 9, I joined my first organized league. After my first season, I was asked to come tryout for the league's All-Star team. I made the team, and I haven't stopped playing since!

I grew up in Portland, Oregon. After high school, I came down to Eugene to attend Lane Community College. I then transferred to the University of Oregon and played on the hockey team there. During the offseason, I would play in the local adult league here in Eugene.

How long have you been playing hockey?

- I've been playing hockey for 4 years now.


How did you get started?

- Interesting story for me. I grew up in the Detroit area. There is a rink every mile it seems, and getting any ice time is next to impossible. Growing up, I skated out on a lake with family, but never was any good. I could just barely stand up straight without falling down normally. While I liked to follow the Red Wings, I just never learned how to skate.

Fast forward to four years ago. One of the guys from my office moved out here from the Detroit area and he had been playing hockey for a long time. He told me how the county was going to shut down the rink and a number of people were trying to save it. For some reason ,that struck a chord with me. The only ice rink in a 120 mile radius was being threatened with closure. I thought if all these people (that included YOU, Ken Evans) were going to go to great lengths to save the rink, I would do my part to support it. 

So, I came down to the rink at age 48 and watched a Hockey 101 class in September of 2011. I remember they split it in two groups, and I was watching from behind the glass. One group looked like semi-pros... just flying around on the ice, but a few of the other group looked like beginners, and of various ages. It made me think, "Ya, I can do that!" They are out there, and no one is laughing, everyone is helping everyone else. So, I started the next week, dressed top-to-bottom in borrowed gear. It was exhilarating! I also took Adult Learn to Skate lessons from EFSC (Eugene Figure Skating Club). Best decision I've made in a long time, those lessons are great. Only a few weeks later, the crew I was skating with in the Hockey 101 lessons convinced me to join C-League. No looking back for me since. 

It's unlike anything else I've ever done. I think I was trying to describe it to Flint one day as, for me, playing hockey is like downhill skiing a double black diamond run while playing speed chess. It's not just a physically demanding sport, but an entire mental challenge as well!


What do you do with your time when you're NOT playing hockey?

- Normal stuff... working or travelling for work, computer gaming, spending time with the dog, or fixing the house.


What do you do you love MOST about hockey at The Rink Exchange?

- Seriously, it's the community. I've never met so many outstanding people. While I can look back and wish I had done this as a kid, I wouldn't trade what i have now for anything. Great group of guys and gals! Can't skate? So what?! Get involved, get some lessons, and come have a blast with us!

Oh... and Go Wings!

How long have you been playing hockey?

- I've been playing for one year now... Can't wait to start year two! 


How did you get started?

- I got my start through Bill Hough, a fellow member of our rink community who also happens to be my neighbor. He convinced me to come out to a Hockey 101 class and I had so much fun that I signed up that afternoon for the next season!

How long have you been playing hockey?

- I've been playing hockey for three years now. 


How did you get started at The Rink Exchange?

- I've wanted to play all of my life. At age 30, I decided to get the gear and go to the Hockey 101 class. I did the classes for about 3 months before I moved into the league. I wish I had done it sooner. I was too worried about being able to skate well. I still can't skate well... I was super nervous before and during my first game. I didn't want to let anyone down and I didn't think I'd be able to compete. That changed real quick. Everyone was super nice to me and supportive and made my first game that much easier. I never looked back.