Back L-R: Lyle Eggie, Chris Hart, Ryan Cooke, John Pasternak, Hilbert Nerbas, Dale Anderson,Blair Mosiondz, Rodney Redhead, Jay Barkman, Cam Hart, Henry Barkowski, Tyrell Koehn, Jax Penner
Middle: Roman Koehn, David Thiessen, Drew Penner, Rob Nesbitt, Faron Genaille, Tim Grazier, Colin Baldwin,
Front: Brian Laforce, Chris Penner, Faron Cook, Jarrett Gingras, Chris Thompson, Brad Stewart, Don Formo

On Wednesday, April 10, 2024 the Noon Hour Hockey played the annual Kennedy Cup game. The cup is more affectionately called the Bubba Cup. It was made by Garry Kennedy and its base is a section of a log salvaged from the Harley House. Although noon hour hockey was started several years prior by Gary and his brother Brian, the first Bubba cup game was played in1984.

Noon hour hockey runs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays beginning after Labour Day and generally running til the end of April or until the ice is out for the season. The average attendance is around 18 skaters with two goalies. Age of players range from teenage to seventy-five. Occasionally there are drop ins and there would have been around 35 – 40 participants throughout the season. There were even a few fellows from Kansas who dropped in for a few outings as well as the occasional youngster during school breaks. There was a nice complement of young men from the local Mennonite community that injected a substantial energy to increase the tempo of the games and join in on the fun and fellowship.

There was an all time high of 27 participants in the 40th anniversary edition which was won by Team White. The guys enjoyed the traditional potluck lunch after the game with the usual jovial banter and camaraderie. Strangely there were a few unusual dead silence moments, as if something was missing. And there was. It was the first cup without Duke. One of the guys offered a tribute and the guys who knew him miss him dearly. Garry was a tough and rugged player in his day. Some of that never really left him as he aged, but was executed in a more playful manner. One of the guys affectionately said” I miss his stick in my ribs”, something most of the guys had experienced and miss.

The 40th Anniversary was a fitting tribute to the founder, a wonderful and remarkable man. Most hockey leagues flourish and fold after awhile. The Kennedy brothers, Duke and Buckie, had the vision to create something enduring that provided for fun and fellowship for hundreds guys over the years.