Guelph-Eramosa resident Stewart Cockshutt, 87, was recently inducted into the 80+ Hockey Hall of Fame.
“The [hall] is a non-profit organization that nationally recognizes active, recreational hockey players 80 years of age and over,” explained Guelph-Eramosa Mayor Chris White at the Jan. 16 council meeting, where he presented Cockshutt with a certificate of achievement.
Cockshutt has lived in Guelph-Eramosa for more than 20 years. He has been playing hockey since he was five years old, but says it hasn’t always been easy.
“I’ve been smashed into the boards many times,” he told White with a laugh. “It doesn’t hurt after a couple of years.”
Currently Cockshutt plays two hockey games a week as well as tournaments. Prior to that he played for 37 years with the Burlington Old Timers Hockey Club.
“On behalf of council I would like to congratulate you on this outstanding achievement,” White said.
Cockshutt said he comes by his good health naturally.
“I have three sisters and myself,” he said. “I have one older and two younger. The older one is 88, the youngest one is 81, the next one’s 84 and I’m 87.
“So I think my parents must have left us pretty good genes.”
The 80+ Hockey Hall of Fame has a number of goals, according to its website:
– increase participation in adult recreational hockey;
– recognize players over 80 in Canada;
– create a registry for Canadian players over 60;
– support and promote health and safety initiatives for adult hockey players; and
– support those who are inducted into the hall of fame as role models and ambassadors for adult recreational hockey in Canada.
