Pond Hockey in the Mountains - Revistited

-30 C at sunrise in the Himalaya

At 7am, the sun is only just peeking over the snow-capped mountain ridges. Inside, we are warm, sipping hot chocolate and light garlic soup, the breakfast of champions. Outside, it is nearing -30 degrees Celcius with the windchill, and we are heading out there to play hockey. No roof, no heat, just a frozen lake at over 12,000ft.  It's Pond Hockey in the Himalayas.  This is Leh, Ladakh, India, and today is the finals of the Indo-Canadian Cup.

One year ago: I join a group from the Canadian High Commission to play ice hockey in the mountains.  I tried to play when I first moved to Delhi but no info came my way. The next year I was all over it, yet the Canadian team didn't get a bid. I missed out on playing in the game that set the Guinness World Record for highest altitude outdoor hockey game. Last year, I did get to play. We lost in the semi-finals. I had 6 goals and an assist, the most on my team. You can find that post here. It was a fun weekend but this year we wanted to do better.

Thursday: We flew up to Leh a day earlier than last year to acclimate better.  The first 24 hours were spent eating, hydrating and either sleeping or lying down. I watched a bunch of movies and relaxed. Last year we were delayed 3.5 hours on the plane because the smog was so bad. With games starting Saturday morning early, we did not want to risk a delay cutting our time to prepare short. Thankfully, the flight did go out (an hour late) and we got to Leh easily.  Right as we walked into the hotel, legendary hockey player Slava Fetisov was filming a final interview for his project, The Last Game. We got to meet him, and as a Red Wings fan, this was a real honor.

HOF legend Slava Fetisov

Friday: There was an opportunity to get out to an eco-friendly school (no fossil fuels, solar-powered, grown own food) for a visit and have a skate with the children there.  We helped them learn better skating and stopping and played a fun game.  Since it was light hockey, I only wore my skates and gloves.  A kid took a shot and hit me in the shin (which bounced to my other shin). Recovering from that I made a pass, caught my skate in a crack, and fell backwards on my elbow. I decided that was a sign to get off the ice.  About 10 min later my elbow felt wet, and I knew instantly it was blood. I'd split it open pretty good and took some very questionable first aid from a lady at the school.  Stitches were in my future.

That will need stitches

Taking a cab to the hospital, I was escorted by a woman from the hotel. We wandered around this building, trying to find a room, but with no signs, it was impossible. By happenstance, we came upon the doctor's office where he removed the hack-wrapping job, cleaned it, and ordered me for stitches.  We returned to the lobby to register. I was ordered to pay 5 rupees ($0.07 USD), and I pulled out a 500 (about $8 US). They didn't have change and said to forget it. We hunted for room #40 for a while longer and finally came to the surgical theater.  It looked like the move set of "Saw."  Fluid stains and bloody bandages littered the floor. Antiseptic cleansers lay open on tables. The bedsheet on the gurney was a canvas tarp like you would use when painting or cover a boat. It, too, was riddled with dark red stains.  The man said to jump up on the table and lay down. I stared at the filth, shook my head and said "no way."  He looked at me for a moment then down at the bed and back again, trying to make sense of my concern. He seemed to get it and flipped the canvas over, gesturing to hop up. I shrugged, prayed, and sat down, trying to keep as few points of my body in contact with the bed as possible.  They washed me down with iodine and, after verifying I was getting a clean needle, they tried to give me a local anesthetic. The woman opened the suture kit and stuck it through my skin. I tensed with pain. The medication had done nothing (it was probably water, or if I am lucky, saline), and proceeded to knot and aggressively tie four stitches in my arm. I winced each time, fighting the pulls of thread and the prick of skin with no numbing agent. A rough night followed as I had a very swollen arm that ached with pain and made me nearly scream out each time I touched it to the bed. I was uncertain I could still play hockey. It bled all night. I guess you get what you pay for (or don't pay for).

Saturday:  Morning came and I had to cut the wrap off. Circulation helped and I slapped on a large bandage and went to breakfast. We dressed in the hotel (since there are no locker rooms at the pond and it is very cold), and boarded the bus. Like last year, we arrived at the pond in town and started to shovel the snow off the ice. It took 1 hour to remove it and a lot of work at this elevation.

But then game 1 was on. We faced off against Randstad Blue, a mix of good skaters and weaker players.  Jeff had an early shot that was left lying in front of the net and I came in a banged it home for the first goal of the game. The rest went along nicely except for a semi-breakaway I had which ended in me getting cross-checked in the neck. We won 3-0 so I had the game-winning goal.

Slurpie Line (#s 7-7-11)

Game 2: After a half an hour off, we returned to the ice (after sweeping and shoveling of course) to face the Scouts, a military team-based high in the mountains of Ladakh.  Their oxygen capacity and physical fitness greatly outmatched ours, and it showed. Red was all over us every second of the game on that small ice surface. Our line never even registered a shot on goal. We would get the puck and three red jerseys were there, chipping and breaking up the play. We were outgunned from the start and suffered a 1-0 loss.

Exhausted trying to get something done

A frustrated Slurpie (7-11) line

I deflect a shot between my legs that goes wide of the net, the
closest we come to a shot on goal.

Game 3: We finished the morning playing the Randstad White team who also had a mix of players, though we expected them to be tougher. Their fast defenseman tried to carry the puck out and I went at him, chipped it away and went in. With him hanging on me I was able to beat him to it and slide it far side past the goalie for a 1-0 lead. I later had an assist on Jeff's goal.  We won 2-0 and again I had the game-winner plus an assist.

Charity Game:  A bus ride down to a river took us to a charity event. First, we hopped on a pond to play against the Indo-Tibetan Police Team.  Exhausted from our games, we expected defeat from these faster guys.  Right off the opening face-off I came at a guy just like Game 3 earlier in the day and picked him. I chased the puck to the corner, peeled back, kicked it ahead, and slid it to Jeff for a one-timer. It was about the last good play we had. It is in the video below. We were exhausted. We finished the game and helped pushed disabled athletes on sleds in a charity game. It was fun and felt good but soon the wind and the fatigue of the day caught up and we needed to be done.

Sunday: We rose early to bitter cold and prepared for the final games. The semis and finals were hosted on the "big rink", a purpose-built venue with seating and boards. As the #2 seed, we had to play #3 which was a rematch with the Randstad Blue team. We had a chance early on when Jeff and I went to the net. He opted not to pass and put a backhander over the net. They played us tight to a scoreless tie at the half.  On the first shift of the 2nd half, we struck. Ricky (D) picked off the puck and slides it to his other D-man, Sylvain, who taps it to Jeff. He sends it ahead to me and as I cross the line I pull a drop pass where Mike takes it and fires it home. Nothing like a goal where everyone touches the puck. 1-0.  That goal is below.

A few moments later Scott scores on line 2 and we are up a couple of goals. I missed a one-timer but then we get a break. Jeff wins a face off and Mike sends it down ice; meanwhile, I am racing up the left-wing and break into the zone. It is snowing and sunny but I am able to discern that one of the people breaking to the net is our guy. I hit Ricky, who jumped up from defense on the play, and he slams it home (see below).

In the final moments, I pick off their defensemen and might have been in alone but I am tripped and draw a penalty (below). At the horn, I have 2 assists, and we win the semi-final 3-1.

Finals: We have one last game and it is a rematch of the Scouts who just killed the White team 6-1. They are the home team, trained at altitude and have the fans. But we have big ice. No more of that small pond where they are all over us. No, now we have boards we can use and open ice to pass on. This is the hockey we grew up with. We are ready.

Face off with the Slurpie Line

Jeff and Justin - 7's

A little through the legs dangle

The pace is fast but it is apparent we have room to work. At about the 5-minute mark, I break for the net and Jeff sees me coming. It is a perfect pass for a one-timer, but I miss. Luckily it hits me in the foot and goes in (see below). We take what we can get. 1-0.

Moments later, our winger on the 2nd line plain outworks their defense and scores a lovely goal. We are up 2-0.  We have a solid lead at the half, but our team is worried. I try to give a speech, reminding them that this ice is different and that these guys are more tired than we think. I get laughs but I am serious - they lack the jump.  My guys don't look convinced but I know what is happening.  The Scouts up the pressure significantly in the 2nd half. They get to the puck first and want it more. However, they just don't seem to get quality chances and their shots come from bad angles or are deflected.  I see the puck go to their end at the end of a long shift and I bust ass to get there in time to pull a waster on the goalie.  The bench yells as it looks like it goes in, but the refs are far off and can't tell so it is called a no goal.  A shift later we ice the puck and the time runs out. 2-0 victory, and my 3rd game-winning goal in 5 games.

Delhi Sacred Bulls - 2020 Indo-Canadian Cup Champions

Champions