For 18 years, every Sunday for an hour, a group of women and non-binary people in St. John’s have stepped onto the ice to prove to themselves that they can play hockey and have fun. Their stories are the focus of a new documentary.

A weekly game designed for beginners catches the attention of filmmaker in St. John’s

Arlette Lazarenko · CBC News

· Posted: Jan 27, 2024 4:30 AM EST | Last Updated: 10 hours ago

Liz Ohle created a Sunday hockey game for women and non-binary individuals who are complete beginners. She says she hopes to inspire people to try the game and have fun with little emphasis on performance. (Sarah Blackmore/CBC)On Sundays at the St. Bon’s Forum in St. John’s, the scoreboard is used only for its clock.

In this weekly hockey game for women, the scores don’t matter, says Liz Ohle, the creator of the Sunday games.

“It’s much more about, ‘Did I play as well as I wanted this week? Did I play better than last week?'” Ohle said. “‘Did I make a new friend today?'”

It’s not only beginner-friendly, Ohle says — it’s made for beginners: no judgment or drive for competition, just a safe place for women and non-binary people to enjoy the game with each other and discover what they’re capable of achieving.

“Whenever anybody scores a goal, everybody cheers from both sides. It’s just an accomplishment and we all recognize it,” Ohle said, before adding with a smile, “Well, except the goalies.”

But even the goalies cheer on the players who make a good move, she said.

WATCH | Liz Ohle describes the hockey game that inspired The Golden League documentary:

A little older, a little slower — and a long wait-list: why this pickup hockey game is so popular“Liz’s Sunday Game” is the unofficial title lovingly given to this weekly hockey game made for seniors, women, gender-diverse folks and newcomers.

In nearly 18 years of weekly games, this unofficial women’s league, informally known as Liz’s Sunday Game, has attracted women of all ages and backgrounds, as well as the attention of a filmmaker.

Filmmaker Vaida Nairn, who’d recently moved to Newfoundland from Scotland, was on the hunt for a good story when she met Ohle.

“I soon realized that this hockey game, it’s not just a hockey game — it is so much more.”

Not long after, she and a small crew began filming the games and the stories of the women who showed up to play.

A free screening of the film, The Golden League, is scheduled for Saturday at Memorial University’s Bruneau Centre.

“What intrigues me about this group of people so much,” Nairn said, “is that as a woman, when I was growing up and once you start getting slightly older, you start hearing people saying, ‘You’re too old to do this, you’re too old to do that.’

“And when I saw this group, I realized age is definitely not a defining factor in anyone’s life.”

Vaida Nairn, a filmmaker who has made a documentary about the Sunday hockey game, says the stories and the spirit of the people on the ice inspired her. (Sarah Blackmore/CBC)At the arena, women glide down the ice, dressed in full hockey gear.

In the middle of the game, one woman falls to her knees. The rest of the players quickly form a circle around the crouching woman and help her to her feet and regain her balance. When she does, they cheer.

Later in the game, one person scores. Over the applause she says, “That was a really slow goal,” to laughter from her fellow competitors, one of whom points out, “It still went in, that’s all that matters.”

Ohle, who began skating in her mid-40s, aims to inspire people to participate in the game, have fun and prove to themselves they can do it.

“I make a lot of accommodations for people that have chronic illness, people as they age, people that are recovering from injuries that that feel OK and feel safe both physically and emotionally to be here. I myself am 71 and hope to be playing for a number of years more.”

Eva Gautsche joined the Sunday game following in the footsteps of her mother, who died two and a half years ago from cancer. Her mother used to love coming to the Sunday game and she, in turn, honours her by playing as well. (Sarah Blackmore/CBC)For some, the weekly hockey game is more than a pastime.

Eva Gautsche sits on the bench, waiting for the buzzer to ring and the game to start. She started playing a little over a year ago in the Sunday hockey games, in honour of a former participant who was very dear to her: her mother, who played for years and “absolutely loved it.”

“She had never been skater or fan of hockey but ended up playing with these ladies, and unfortunately I lost her to cancer in two and a half years ago,” said Gautsche. ‘After that, Liz got in contact with me, actually, and sort of invited me to come play with the girls, and I fell in love with it.”

During a break in play, Mary Russell explains that she’s been playing with the group since its inception, in 2006. Years ago, she suffered from a motorcycle accident that kept her off the ice for over a year.

“Liz told me that there will always be a place for me here. It’s so amazing to me.”

Two other women, a mother and daughter, skate together — but there was a time they couldn’t.

Kim Daley’s story of perseverance — a journey through cancer treatments until she could finally return to the rink — is another story in the documentary.

Mother Kim Daley, right, and daughter Hannah are playing together on Sundays again, after Kim had to stop for a while for cancer treatment. (Sarah Blackmore/CBC)”Between the treatments, the chemo, the radiation and just not feeling well, there was no way I could play,” Daley said. “So to me, it’s a success to be able to come back on the ice.”

“It’s definitely a little nerve-racking,” said her daughter, Hannah Daley. “But I love having her here. It feels so good to have her here. It doesn’t feel the same without her.”

Off the ice, Nairn watches the subjects of her documentary play. She says she found inspiration in their stories.

“Expect to see lots of beautiful, touching moments of them interacting with each other on the bench, lots of laughter and supportive shouts,” Nairn said.

“After every game I feel uplifted, inspired and I just feel awesome.”

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Arlette Lazarenko is a journalist working in St. John’s. She is a graduate of the College of the North Atlantic journalism program. Story tips welcomed by email: arlette.lazarenko@cbc.ca

With files from Sarah Blackmore