October 23-25, 2015 saw 30 hockey teams and 450 hockey players descend upon Danbury, Connecticut for the 11th Annual Olde Crabs Senior International Old Timer Hockey Tournament with competition in 50+, 60+, 70+ men’s and 40+ women’s age groups. The tournament raised $15,000 dollars to be divided among local charities, and the competition was fierce.
The Olde Crabs Hockey Club was founded in 1991 by a group of 50+ guys who found themselves warming the bench for younger players and got tired of chasing fit skinny youngsters around the frozen tundra. These days, the Olde Crabs play every Sunday starting at 1:50 PM from mid-September through the end of March at the Danbury Arena.
During the season, there is often a significant travel schedule to tournaments in Canada; Bethlehem, PA; Tampa, FL; Providence, RI; and Baltimore, MD; winding up in July at the Grand Daddy of all Old Timer Tournaments: the Snoopy World Tournament in Santa Rosa, California, founded by the Minnesota-born, hockey-loving cartoonist Charles Schultz.
Pictured from left to right Ben Shaw Founding Member Olde Crabs, Wendee Nussle Ann's Place, AnthonyZeolla CEO Anns Place, Ron Faanes Olde Crab Founding member
The “Crabbies,” as we are often referred to, take pride in their ability to skate competitively, their love for the game, as well as the comradeship developed over the years. As a team, we are active in reaching out to help those in need.
The Olde Crabs hockey tourney is the only one in the USA that fields 50s, 60s, and 70s men’s divisions, as well asover 40+ women’s teams, and annually brings nearly 600 players and their families to Danbury for the weekend. The tournament provides a nice boost to the local economy, while also raising money for charity.
Those who come to Danbury to play feel that hockey is the greatest sport ever invented and this Olde Crabs Tournament and Danbury provided a fabulous weekend to enjoy “ A Great Day For Hockey.” The Olde Crabs are not resting and their laurels and are now actively recruiting 50+ and 60+ players, and can be contacted through their Web site OLDECRAB.org.