BY KAI MARK

This was the last game of the season for this summer hockey league and my linemate passed the puck to me as I skated towards the net.

I took pass and redirected the puck towards the net.

It hit the goalie but it had enough energy to crawl over the goal line for the winner.

After the game, I sat in satisfaction and reflected on my hockey journey.

I prayed a prayer thanking God for the seven blessed years of playing ice hockey.

I knew that may have been my last game I will ever play on Friday nights for things of greater importance now demands my attention.

What was unique about my ice hockey journey was that I did not start playing until I was almost in my mid-40s.

I immigrated to Canada when I was seven years of age and was not introduced to hockey until I was nine.

I have tried many times to put on a pair of skates, but they kept hurting my feet.

Eventually, I gave up trying to play ice hockey and life moved on.

It was not until seven years ago that I decided to try ice hockey again after almost two decades of rarely touching a pair of skates.

I decided to buy a decent pair of skates and I was either going to sink or swim, or in this case, crash or skate.

I got involved in a church league on Friday nights and was voted the most improved player by the guys that first year.

Anything more than just touching the puck a few times a game was an improvement.

After a winter of Friday nights, a new summer league was just in its infancy called the Shinny Hockey League.

I decided to join the league because I figured that if I stopped playing for the summer, I may never start again in the winter.

This summer hockey league seemed a little more serious than the winter league for they ranked all the players because everyone was new to the league.

The top players were given a ranking of six and average players were given a ranking of three or four.

I looked at my ranking posted up on the web and saw that I was the only player with a ranking of one.

I wondered if I did the right thing in joining this league and if I would even keep up with players less than half my age.

The first game of that summer was very memorable to me.

I remember that I could barely keep up with my linemates.

By the time I got to the offensive zone, the play was almost over and I found the puck lying there with the goalie lying there.

I flipped the puck into the gaping net. He scores!

I scored the first goal.

I thought that at least I did not embarrass myself in this league.

A similar play happened again and I score a second goal in the game. I score a third goal, a hat trick, with a few minutes left in the game in a scramble around the net.

We won four to two and I was leading the league in scoring for a short while.

The Leafs could have used me then.

That game was obviously memorable to me over the many other games that I barely touch the puck.

My highlight in the seven years was scoring a goal while playing a fun game at the Air Canada Centre.

Hockey is a wonderful game and even beginners like us can have our moments.

My journey in hockey has taught me about teamwork, standing up for one another, and cheering for one another.

I have experienced the joy of victory and the agony of defeat.

I have experienced a bond with other players, even though they are on other teams.

I can see how deep friendships can spawn from this great Canadian game.

I envy those who had the privilege of playing hockey while growing up.

For those who did not grow up with hockey, it's never too late to learn. Hockey is fun when you just play it as a game; but then, there's golf.

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Kai Mark is a member of the Markham Economist&Sun's Community Links panel.