A fund-raising hockey tournament that at times looked like it would never happen may turn out to be the best ever.
Organizers expect the Hockey Through the Ages alumni tournament to top the more than $50,000 it raised in each of the first two years.
Tournament founder Rob Luther admitted he was blown away by the financial results after the event was postponed repeatedly during the pandemic.
“The tournament was a huge financial success,” Luther said as receipts and expenses were still being calculated Monday. “It is clearly because of the extreme generosity of some families and friends who played in the tournament as well.”
“Maybe because people have been in hiding for two years and we were lucky enough to be the first event out of the gate. Donors to both the live and silent auction were very generous and people buying the items were putting their hands up for the many items they had to choose from.”
Eight teams composed of 13 skaters and one goalie competed over three days. Players each paid $150 to play.
Darian Paiha of Team Paskal tries a wraparound on Team Vandervalk goalie Aaron Reiten. 
Team Vandervalk goalie Aaron Reiten’s crease got crowded in the late stage of Sunday’s championship game. 
Captain Stephen Vandervalk displays the Hockey Through the Ages trophy to his Team Vandervalk teammates on Sunday.
In its first two years the Hockey Through the Ages tournament was limited to people 25 years and older who either played hockey in Fort Macleod or lived in the community.
The first two tournament filled quickly, but when registration was lagging this year organizers amended eligibility to allow players under 25 provided their fathers were also playing.
“For sure was the hardest to fill,” Luther said.
Captains Luther, Scott Norlin, Mike Bourassa, Ben Paskal, Cole Archibald, Gage DeGinnus, Wes Stockton and Stephen Vandervalk drafted the players, attempting to achieve parity.
Teams were divided into two pools and each played three games in round-robin and one in the playoff round.
When the horn sounded for the final time Sunday at the Fort Macleod and District Sports Centre, Team Vandervalk was champion after doubling Team Paskal 6-3.
Team Vandervalk’s Bruce Kostelansky, who received the award for the oldest player in the tournament, said his team had special motivation.
Throughout the weekend the team displayed the sweater of Jady Sharp, who died in 2017 after a battle with cancer.
“Jady played a big role in hockey and golf in Fort Macleod,” Kostelansky said. “We were playing for him.”
When they weren’t on the ice, players gathered in the beer gardens and at a Saturday night dinner at the community hall. bidding on live and silent auction items.
Luther and the other captains were still shaking their heads Monday over the tournament’s financial success.
“The players, players who donate, the people who don’t play and donate are the ones responsible for our success,” Luther stressed. “I think everyone had a good time because they forgot about the issues in the news. Lots of smiles, hugs, and handshakes.”
“Makes me damn proud to be proud of our little Alberta town.”
Proceeds from the tournament will be donated to the emergency room and the palliative care department at Fort Macleod Health Centre; Fort Macleod Library; and the Foothills Center.
“We didn’t have an idea how things were going to go this time with government restrictions and the division that had been created by them,” Luther said. “But having the REP (Restrictions Exemption Program) dropped days before the tournament could not have come at a better time. For an entire weekend it was all smiles and people getting together again with a common goal of supporting four deserving charities.”
