JEFFERSON COUNTY —Turkey, family and football are staples of a traditional Thanksgiving. But thanks to The , hockey might be replacing football for a few people.
The Edge is hosting its sixth-annual Gobbler Classic from Nov. 29-Dec. 1 during which 22 teams in five divisions will compete in a hockey marathon for The Edge Cup, a replica of the NHL’s Stanley Cup.
“It’s awesome. It’s a good weekend to spend with good friends and play hockey,” said Chris Marye, who will lead his team, Beer Pressure, in the silver division.
On this Thanksgiving weekend, teams of 12-13 players put up an entry fee of $600 and play three games, one on Friday and two on Saturday.
The top two teams from each division will play championship games on Sunday. The divisions rank in order as platinum, gold, silver, bronze and copper. Each division has four teams, except for bronze, which has six.
“The first year we struggled to get teams. Now we have to turn teams away,” Pete Friesema, director of hockey operations for the Edge Ice Arena, said.
Friesema said they will start games on both rinks at 3 p.m. Friday and have games until midnight. Contests will continue all day Saturday.
Teams can spend the entire day at the rink and often hang out at the Penalty Box Bar and Grille.
“The social aspect is what we try to capture,” Friesema said. “We want it to be a fun event for the whole weekend, not just the games.”
Marye said that in addition to the tournament’s increasing popularity, he’s seen the skill level increase in the past few years, and he’s also seen it in The Edge’s leagues.
But, like John Tafoya, there are some new folks who are still learning and simply have a passion to play hockey. Tafoya went to Friesema last year looking for a team, and Friesema had him be a captain.
Tafoya said his team, Mobster Lobsters, didn’t fare well in its last tournament, but, really, he’s just excited to play.
“I’m still new. As much ice time for me as possible is great,” Tafoya said.
Most of the players range in age from their early 20s to some in their 40s. Mickey Keenan, of the team Rat Bastards in the bronze division, said that he once skated with a guy who was 68. The 42-year-old Keenan said he definitely feels the effects of the grueling three-day tournament.
“You kind of wish you were a kid again,” Keenan said. “It hurts a lot more on Sunday and Monday than it used to.”
Joe Vaccarelli: 303-954-2396, jvaccarelli@denverpost.com or
