Barrington High School hockey team alumni pose for a photo after a recent game.
Former Barrington High School hockey players will lace up their skates again on Friday, Nov. 29, and take to the ice for the 25th annual BHS alumni hockey game.
The game serves as one of the key fund-raisers for the Barrington High School Hockey Alumni Committee, raising money that will benefit CSF scholarships. It’s also a great way for former player to reconnect with the game they love and with Eagles who helped build the program over the years.
“The hockey team is really an extended hockey family and the alumni game is special because it’s over the Thanksgiving weekend when a lot of folks come back to town,” said Tim Hall, a former player. “The old-timers turn out to show they still have ‘it’ and the more recent grads show up and most are still playing pretty hard. It’s all in good fun.”
The first “official” alumni game was held in 1989 and played in remembrance of Pat Cannon, a former player whose life was cut tragically short. “Since then we have not missed a year/game,” said Chris Scalia, another former player.
“The games combine some intensity with a lot of fun. It becomes extra competitive when brothers or even father and son(s) compete together or against one another on opposite teams,” Mr. Scalia said, mentioning a few familiar hockey names like Kraunelis, Hall, Clegg, Holland, McCarty and Egge.
“The teams are divided, ‘blue’ (those who graduated on an even year) vs. ‘gold’ (those who graduated on an odd year). The ‘old timers’ just do their best not to hurt themselves…”
Mr. Scalia said it’s great just to see former players taking the ice together at any time, but he has fond memories of alumni games in 1984 and 1987. He added that “It was fun watching Steve Holland play defense with his son Brian and shoot on his son Matt who was in goal for the other team in a game a few years back.”
The Barrington High School Hockey Alumni Committee also holds an annual golf tournament and a “Pasta and Pucks” event in the winter. All proceeds from the events benefit scholarships in the name of Pat Cannon, Lt. Jeffrey Scharver and John Hall. Tim Hall said some of the money is used to pay for busing for current players.
“It is wonderful to see the hockey family each year,” added Mr. Scalia.
John Calitri, Donna Cassanova, Pat Clegg, Devon Egge, Tom and Colette Fay, Tim Hall, Steve Holland, John Kraunelis, Liz Lombardi, Jeff and Jane Marshall, Cheryl McCarty, Jane Nobrega, Chris Scalia, Chris Scharver and Julie Vanier have played key roles in supporting the alumni hockey game and the alumni committee.
BHS alumni hockey game is Nov. 29
The 25th annual Barrington High School alumni hockey game will be played on Friday, Nov. 29 — the day after Thanksgiving — at Cranston Veterans Memorial Ice Rink from 1 to 3 p.m. There is a $25 fee for each skater, and there will be a gathering following the game. For more information, e-mail degge1@cox.net