the team. Playing in front of family and winning the gold was a real thrill. The final stick salute was special.” said Andrea Weber. Zak Griffith broke her foot in the spring. She was only cleared 3 days before the tournament. She played with real pain but never complained. “It was both joy and relief when we won. Pure joy of course, but thank god it was over.” Marianne Vergeer didn’t take up hockey until she was in her 30s. She had to learn to skate backward. “We were having fun. We looked intimidating to other teams because we practiced “no time, no space” for a year. Many thanks go to all those that helped – the coaches and the friends (younger women or the men from Huff and Puff) we practiced against.” One of those coaches is Nina Gadzig, the team’s skills coach. She has a long history of teaching Londoners how to skate. “This team is my inspiration and my goal. I want to keep playing at the same stage. Players put in the extra work. Skills practice, the extra skating. The depth showed.” The next Canada Senior Games will take place in Winnipeg in 2026. The Golden Girls will be back at it to defend their title.
Golden Girls: LONDON 60+ Women’s Team wins National Ice Hockey Championship by Jane Roy
On August 29, 2024, London’s Women’s 60+ hockey team be- came the National Champions at the Canada +55 Games. This year, the games took place in Quebec City and featured over 3000 athletes from across Canada who competed in over 20 events. London’s Team Chaos reached the finals without having surrendered
Byron residents Marianne Vergeer, Andrea Weber, Connie Freel, Zak Griffith and Nina Gadzig. Photo by Kate Freel.
a goal, besting teams from BC, Alberta, and the East Coast. The gold medal game, against rivals from Mississauga, was won in a 1-0 shoot-out. The team is made up of women from the London area. They are all 60 years of age or older and share a passion for playing hockey at any age. Five members of the team call Byron home. “Being a mother and grandmother and still playing hockey at 60 is a wonderful life – I want to keep playing until I’m 99!” said Connie Freel, who started playing in grade 7. Many family and friends traveled to Quebec City to cheer the team on. “I loved playing with the team and I loved being with
London’s Senior Women’s Hockey Team. Photo by Grace Flaherty.
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