League News

Bear: Where were you born?

Todd: Newport NH

Bear: Where do you live now?

Todd: Fremont NH

Bear: Team and position?

Todd: Gray – Center/Defense

Bear: How long have you been playing in the co-ed league?

Todd: 2 yrs.

Bear: Why play hockey? Why not play some other sport, or no sport at all?

Todd: My mother and father encouraged me to try all sports when I was young. Hockey stuck

Bear: What is the best thing or event that has happened to you while playing?

Todd: It started when my parents encouraged me to play hockey. The continued encouragement and support right up until they passed has gotten me to where I am today in the game. I think about and thank them every time I lace up my skates.

Bear: What is the worst thing or event that has happened to you while playing?

Todd: Shattered my right kneecap twice 10 years apart only have half of it left. Severely tore my groin last year. Broke my pelvis in three places and was not able playing on the high school team.

Bear: Lordy. How did you break your pelvis?

Todd: Bad decision at 16. Drinking, cars, and big pine trees are not a good combination. I was a passenger in the rear seat of a four door. The rear passenger door took full impact of the tree at 80 mph.

Bear: If you were lacing up your skates one day and the Hockey Genie appeared to give you 3 hockey-related wishes, what would they be?

Todd: To be able to play hockey with my two grandsons who are now 2 and 4. Unlimited ice time. Improved stick handling.

Bear: Do you ever dream about playing hockey?

Todd: Yes

Bear: Hero-oriented Stanley Cup winning goal type? Disaster, nightmarish, falling down type?

Todd: once in a while I will remember something about playing hockey.

Bear: Do you learn anything from watching televised hockey?

Todd: yes. The importance of playing and staying in your lane. Unfortunately, I don’t always remember it when I am on the ice

Bear: Where do you work? What kinds of things do you do?

Todd: Continental Biomass Industry, a division of Terex Corporation. I run the weld shop where we build heavy equipment/wood chippers.

Bear: Where did you learn to weld?

Todd: Freshman in high school shop class

Bear: Do you get tweaky at all about your gear? Any pregame (mental or otherwise) ritual?

Todd: Not tweaky, no ritual.

Bear: A year or so ago I recall you wearing just the helmet, no face mask. To me you had a Bronco Nagurski vibe. Why’d you give it up?

Todd: In just a short time I started taking multiple pucks to the cheek and sticks to the face and decided it was time.

Bear: How long do you estimate you will play hockey?

Todd: As long as my body will allow me to mentally and physically.

Bear: Anything starting to go yet?

Todd: If something was starting to go I wouldn’t tell you. You would be able to use it against me while we were playing.

Bear: Do you think you would ever get surgery to fix some bodily part just to keep playing hockey longer?

Todd: yes


Bear: If hockey were a vegetable, what vegetable would it be?  Explain your answer.

Todd: Chili Peppers – They get you fired up make you sweat just like hockey.

Bear: If you could magically attain one skill from a specific NHL player, who is that player and what is the skill?

Todd: Stick handling. There are so many great ones it is hard say.

Bear: When did you start skating on ice?  When did you start playing hockey?

Todd: I started skating and playing at 8 years old 


Bear: If you could change one thing about the coed league, what would it be?

Todd: It needs to be more coed. Right now as we all know it is very light on the female side.

Bear: There’s some good talent at Chix what we’ve played with. Why don’t they come over the Coed league?

Bear: I have asked the same question to the girls. Some don’t think they are good enough and some don’t like the attitude of some of the male players.


Bear: Name a second thing.

Todd: No more 10:00 pm games

Bear: During games, do you like to talk to players from the opposing team? Do you have any particular psychological tactic in doing so?

Todd: Yes, no tactic just want to say hi to my friends.

Bear: When is the last time you washed your equipment?

Todd: It gets washed whenever it rains out between games. I just put it on the close line and let mother nature take care of it. 


Bear: Would you be in favor of the Arena piping in crowd noise during games?

Todd: Sure

Bear: What’s your go-to move in a shootout? 

Todd: Why? So you can tell your goalie what to expect? I will study a goalie and find what I think is his or her weakness and use that to my advantage.

Bear: So, like, just as an example, just between us, what would your move be against the Purple team’s goalie Todd Hollway?

Todd: Side to side deek or lifted shot blocker side. No chance on the glove side or 5 hole.

Did Todd put you up to this? Lol.


Bear: What do you wish it was?

Todd: I wish I were able to pull off some of the trick shots that I have seen the pros do.

Bear: What’s the Gray team like? You were sort of thrown together?

Todd: The gray team is a great bunch of players. Yes, we were thrown together. We take whatever the rink gives us and make it work. Everyone is competitive and wants to win but win or lose it was all about getting to do something we enjoy as a team against other great teams/friends.

Bear: Ever wanted to play goalie?

Todd: No

Bear: How do you think playing hockey effects your life? Please use a story to illustrate your answer.

Todd: In the beginning it was all about learning team work and respecting each other. As I got older I realized it was a great way to pull my head out of the daily rat race. When you are on the ice you cannot think about anything else but the game or you will get hurt. My head is in the game 100%. When I returned from Afghanistan I was not in a good place mentally. Hockey was the only thing that made me feel good for the short time I was on the ice. It was and still is great therapy.

Bear: Can you tell me more about your experiences in Afghanistan?

Todd: Always under attack, gun fire, mortars, rockets. Death and destruction everywhere. Friend of mine shot and killed, young man died in my arms while I was trying to save him. Saw aftermath of suicide bomber ect,ect.

Bear: We are now in the second 2 week pause because of Covid exposure, but the first time somebody in our league tested positive. Does this risk alter your thoughts about playing?

Todd: No. I need my therapy/ice time to feel good. Personally I am willing to take the risk. I follow the rules and hope for the best.

Bear: Do you think hockey is more or less important now in our Covid world?

Todd: More important. It gives the hockey players a way to stay in shape mentally and physically. It is a great way to exercise and socialize during these times.

Bear: Favorite hockey movie? Are there any good hockey movies?

Todd: Slap Shot!

Bear: Why the jersey number 00?

Todd: It’s the number I’ve had since the beginning. My coach gave it to me because someone else had 0.

Bear: Tastes great or less filling?

Todd: Tastes great. Great is positive and we all need to be positive!