Barristers Cup International Hockey Tournament

It is that time of year again. I will be playing in the Barristers Cup International Hockey Tournament this Saturday, April 25th. Teams are organized by the Hennepin County, Ramsey County, Duluth, and Thunder Bay, Ontario Bar Associations. I will be playing goaltender for the Ramsey County team. As many of you may recall, this event was hosted last year in Thunder Bay. This year's Tournament is hosted by the Hennepin County team and will be held at the Maple Grove Community Center, at 12591 Weaver Lake Road, Maple Grove, MN 55369. Directions are here.

My team will be taking the ice at 10:00 am to take on the Thunder Bay team in a battle for the "Cane" which is awarded each year to the winner of the game between these two aged and decrepit teams. Since neither team will accept "ringers" the average age of the players has steadily increased (especially after it was decided that my 7 year-old son was not to be included in the computations). The winner of our first game will play at either 1:00 pm for Third Place or at 2:30 pm for the Championship and the Cup (you can probably guess which game we will be playing in...).

Many of you have asked about last year's Tournament, which I had announced but had not further commented on. There are very good reasons for that. First, a charter bus full of attorneys and Judges traveling together -- even across international boundaries -- can result in spontaneous bouts of delirium (chemically induced and otherwise). Second, we improbably failed to win either of our games. I lay the blame squarely on the shoulders of our team leader and combative defenseman, Judge Michael "Deke" DeCourcy, who seemed to be unable to prevent the opposition from approaching within 100 yards of the goaltenders, thus ensuring a goal would be scored. Coach/Judge Michael Fetsch was also ineffectual in his attempts to rally/revive the team. I would comment on the other members of the team but am concerned that immunity from defamation may not apply outside of the judiciary.

I am not going to guarantee a win this year but I can state that our team will be better rested (since there will be no bus travel and no pre-game "socials"). If you are interested in seeing some old guys play hockey and represent your and other bar associations, then this is an event from you. In addition, I will be playing in both games this year since our team's other goalie cannot attend. Because of my double-duty I may not be able to spend time conversing with you between games. However, please don't take this personally since I will likely be hooked up with an oxygen mask and receiving Red Bull intravenously.


What: Barristers Cup International Hockey Tournament
When: Saturday April 25, 2009, 10:00 am - 3:45 pm
Where: Maple Grove Community Center, 12591 Weaver Lake Road, Maple Grove, MN