Meet 'The Commish' of the Glovertown Oldtimers: 80-year-old Don Sparkes still laces his skates twice a week

Melissa Tobin · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 13, 2025 4:30 AM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

Hockey players crossed Newfoundland volition archer you the Glovertown Arena is 1 of the coldest rinks around. 

But it isn't slowing down Don Sparkes and his buddies from gathering doubly a week during hockey season. 

Every Tuesday and Thursday, Sparkes and the remainder of the Glovertown Oldtimers play the 9 p.m. game — the past of the night. 

At 80 years old, Sparkes says he's fortunate to beryllium playing astatine all.

Sparkes is 1 of the Oldtimers's archetypal members, and co-founded the squad successful 2000, the aforesaid twelvemonth the arena opened successful town. 

He started playing hockey arsenic a boy, ripping up the frozen bays, earlier moving connected to rec league successful adulthood. When the caller arena opened, he was 55.

The Oldtimers started arsenic a fistful of guys astatine first. But arsenic players got older, they wanted a friendlier crippled — less rough-and-tumble, much camaraderie on the bench. Now, determination are up to 2 twelve players each game.

"I deliberation we got ... 10 on the broadside each night. And that's perfect," said Sparkes. 

"The clump we got present now, existent gentlemen."

Sparkes credits his bully wellness with these play hockey rituals, but it's not conscionable astir the exercise.

Goalie Kevin Noseworthy says he loves playing with Sparkes, who the guys telephone "The Commish," short for commissioner. 

"He makes each the decisions. Just similar [NHL commissioner Gary] Bettman. He organizes the social, brings the cards for Pass the Ace. Everything we do. He keeps america each alive."

Noseworthy said helium puts him to enactment successful the net, too. 

"I deliberation what amazes maine astir Don is adjacent astatine his property now, helium gets arsenic excited astir a goal, I think, arsenic [Washington Capitals captain] Alex Ovechkin does," said Noseworthy.

The excitement started disconnected earlier this season, with Sparkes adding much points to his record. 

"Two minutes connected the ice, scored the archetypal goal. So that was beauteous good. I was blessed then," recalls Sparkes. 

Kevin Blackmore, who is known arsenic Buddy Wasisname successful the euphony world, is besides a faithful subordinate of the team, and says he's inspired by Sparkes's vigor connected the ice.

"It's benignant of singular that astatine the property of 80, he's truthful fit.  And we figured the mode he's going, he's astir apt bully til 90, right?" said Blackmore. 

And portion astir members of the squad are implicit 50, there's 1 subordinate that Sparkes and the unit invited arsenic an Oldtimers, though he's obscurity adjacent their age. 

Goalie Henry Poole started playing with the squad erstwhile helium was successful Grade 10. He's the lone paid subordinate of the league, with Sparkes collecting toonies and loonies from the others aft each crippled to springiness to Poole, who's present a elder — the precocious schoolhouse kind.

"I deliberation it mightiness person been successful Grade 11, they bought maine a hockey instrumentality for Christmas," Poole says.

Poole says contempt the property gap, he's forged infallible friendships with his teammates.

This year's last crippled of the play volition beryllium Poole's last for a while, arsenic he's acceptable to graduate, but cipher expects The Commish to retire.

In fact, he's getting yet different work underway: readying the end-of-season party.

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