Thanksgiving Game is at Downers Grove at 8:30 AM            

The game was much slower that the game just a week earlier, when the Granatos were flying all over the ice.  12 year old Nick the Prick was the only one flying around.  T&A was a close second in speeding around the ice, and he was rewarded with a first period goal when he beat the Anvil with a one timer from Rich Storm. He also got a break away goal that was set up by V-Man.  Beak tried to hook him, but he slipped away.  Harvey scored the first goal when he surprised Tweedy with a wicked back hand early in the first.  TO celebrated his anniversary with a beautiful goal that started with a break out pass by Beak to the Bookie, who took it wide and fired a pass to TO who crashed the net and banged it home.  Great goal tending by the Anvil and Tweedy kept the game at 2-2 after 2.  V-Man got an assist from T&A,  to make it 3-2, but Beak flipped a pass from TZ over Tweedy's stacked pads.  That was the first Incest Goal in over a year.  That term was first coined in Green Bay, when Brinks scored on his son Rob.  Mini Wheezer fired a pass in front of the net, and Tumblin Terry demonstrated great hand eye coordination, when he batted the pass out of the air and scored on his own goalie to put the Reds up 4-3.  That looked like it was going to hold up to be the game winner, but Nick the prick scored to tie it with an assist from V-Man.  It seemed like a meaningless tie was in the book, but then it happened.  With 10 seconds left in the game, TZ spotted Beak at the back door on the right side of the net, so he fired a hard pass that Terry picked off and deflected to the left side of the net where Tweedy had just evacuated as he slid over to prevent another goal by his Dad.  The winning goal just beat the final buzzer, to give The Anvil and the Reds a thrilling 5-4 win.  They also picked up a 3-0 Meaningful Shut out.  This is what makes Duffers Hockey special.  Instead of slamming his stick and swearing at Terry, 

Tweedy was rolling on the ice in laughter!  Guys from

both teams were on the ice all laughing hysterically.  It is a good thing that the game was over, because we were in no condition to play.

Happy Thanksgiving

I give Thanks! Here is my 6th Annual Thank You Letter.
6 years ago, when I came home from Peoria, after 24 hours of nonstop fun with old friends, young friends and new friends, I realized how lucky I was to be playing hockey at the age of 64.782 with great guys every week! I wrote a Thank You letter that made it to the Anvil's Coffee Table.  Mr. and Mrs. Anvil shed a tear or two. I'm sort of sorry about that, but I was born with that make a goalie cry gene, so here is my 6th annual thank you letter to all of the people that I have been blessed with, because of my involvement with hockey. (If you are doing the math, this should be my 7th Thank You letter, but I forgot to say thanks in 2007) I'm Sorry. If I was thankful then, imagine how thankful I am this year as I am still playing as I approach my 71st birthday. I give Thanks for My good health, that has allowed me to play over 30 fun filled hockey games last year without any pain and without any pills.  (Although a post game beer helps a lot, Thanks to Brinks and his assistant, Mini Wheezer.) I don't even hurt on Saturday mornings. My titanium hips are holding up well and there have been no recalls on the 5 and 6 years old hips that I have.  Hockey is a wonderful game. I won't repeat many of the things that I gave thanks for in the past, even though I am still thankful for all of them. You can read them on line by clicking the links below. I just want to thank Mike Presecky for another fun filled road trip to Nashville. It was special, since both of my sons were able to join us on this trip.  The last trip that all 3 of us were together was in 1998, when we played in the San Jose Shark Tank.  I give Thanks to Cammi Granato, for making us proud as she was inducted into the Hall of Fame.  I want to thank Tony for inviting us to play in Pittsburgh this year.  You can't beat a long bus ride filled with beer and Duffers. I'm really thankful for Donny Granato for playing at 30% speed when he joins us.  (Unless his team is down 3 goals)  It was great to see 8 Father-son Duffers last Thanksgiving.  I am happy to be retired after 39 years and it is great to hear kind words from former students who managed to find me out in Cyber Space. 

 I'll be brief again this year. Thanks to Dan, Tommy and the Wags team.  I have so much fun watching those guys grow old. Thank You God for letting most of us grow old with relatively good health! 

Links to past Thank You Messages.
First Thank You Message 2004

2nd Thank You Message 2005

3rd Thank You Message 2006 

4th Thank You Message 2008

5th Thank You Message 2009