Hockey day in America – Regina style

Members of the HMCS Regina and NRU Asterix’s crews play a game of ball hockey during some down time during Operation Projecton on Naval Base Guam in Guam, United States Of America during Operation Projecton on March 7. Photo by Corporal Stuart Evans, Borden Imaging Services

Lt(N)  Mike Harris, HMCS Regina ~

Tropical heat and a backdrop of palm trees was not enough to keep hockey out of the minds of Naval Replenishment Unit (NRU) Asterix and HMCS Regina crews.

With nets set up on the jetty, where the ships were tied up at Naval Base Guam, a couple games of ball hockey broke out – all part of physical training and crew cohesion

Watching the game was reminiscent of kids playing ball hockey on the street, except they didn’t have to pause and drag the nets to the side as there were no cars driving by.

“We should do events like this more often. Lots of people came out, everyone loved it and it’s good for the ship as a whole,” said AB Mailloux. “It was super hot but that didn’t stop people from playing.”

Two games were played, with the first game being Team Deck Department from the two ships against Team Mixed Departments. It was a close game in the first half, but the diversity of the Mixed Departments led to a final score of 6-2. 

Due to the incredible heat and fierce competition, an intermission in the shade had to be instated before the next game. 

In a post-game discussion, SLt Charlebois, with his in-depth knowledge on the subject, believed the day of the game was “hotter than Tatooine and slightly muggier.”

With all the players rested and hydrated, personnel picked up their sticks and shot balls around, which, in road/jetty hockey rules, means it was time to start the next game. 

The outcome of the first game convinced everyone the teams should be switched up. Classic to a road/jetty hockey draft, everyone threw one shoe into a pile in the middle of the court. The mound of untied, peculiar-smelling footwear was then divided in half.

With shoes back on, team strategies were crafted in quiet, closed huddles.

Team Jerseys and Team Plain Shirts had a much closer game, possibly proving the effectiveness of the time-honoured and tested method of the road/jetty hockey draft.  In the end, the final score was 2-1 for Team Plain Shirts.

Ball hockey on the jetty was a great way to have the two ships’ companies bond with a little Canuck flare. The cohesion between the two, strengthened through this event, will prove irreplaceable as Regina and Asterix sail onward toward their roles in Operations Projection and Artemis.