{"id":215371,"date":"2026-03-11T20:25:22","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T20:25:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/215371\/"},"modified":"2026-03-11T20:25:22","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T20:25:22","slug":"inside-a-bay-area-hockey-league-where-age-doesnt-stop-the-game-the-mercury-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/215371\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside a Bay Area hockey league where age doesn\u2019t stop the game \u2013 The Mercury News"},"content":{"rendered":"

As players in the San Jose Sharks Masters League streak across the ice, Ed Asato trails behind the play, stick ready.<\/p>\n

At 87, he still skates in the league\u2019s over-60 division.<\/p>\n

Though he isn\u2019t as quick as he was when he first picked up the sport decades ago, his enthusiasm hasn\u2019t faded.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m having fun, and I\u2019m thankful,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Every Monday at midday, teams of older hockey players gather at Sharks Ice in San Jose<\/a> to face off.<\/p>\n

\"EdEd Asato (3), 87, from Sunnyvale, waits on the bench for his rotation during his game in the \u201cOver 60 Division\u201d of the Master\u2019s League at Sharks Ice in San Jose, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Many are fathers. Some are grandfathers.<\/p>\n

They say hockey keeps them physically active, socially connected and in touch with their younger selves. At this stage of life, the game is less about speed or winning and more about staying active while maintaining camaraderie.<\/p>\n

The recreational league draws players<\/a> from around the Bay Area, many of whom first stepped onto the ice as children.<\/p>\n

The hiss of blades gliding over the ice mixed with George Thorogood\u2019s \u201cBad to the Bone\u201d as a home team player chased the puck. Sticks clacked in quick succession as passes moved up the ice. Every so often, a shot sailed wide, the puck banging loudly against the glass behind the net.<\/p>\n

During a shift change, Dean Tait watched from behind the glass, removing his helmet and taking a drink from his water bottle.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy first skating lesson, my dad tied my skates, pushed me onto the rink and closed the door,\u201d said Tait,61, the adult hockey manager at Sharks Ice.<\/p>\n

Tait grew up in Quebec, where hockey is woven deeply into everyday life.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Quebec, there\u2019s an outdoor rink on every block,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019d take our sticks, no helmet, no equipment, and just play.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tait later moved west and eventually to the Bay Area in 2002, where hockey remained part of his routine even while working in tech and raising two young children.<\/p>\n

In 2008, he joined the over-35 division at Sharks Ice. Today, he manages the rink\u2019s adult leagues, which include about 2,500 players,<\/a> 16 referees and 40 scorekeepers. Divisions range from 18 and older to special brackets for players over 35, 50 and 60.<\/p>\n

Like many players in the older divisions, Tait has felt the realities of aging on the ice.<\/p>\n

Games are slower now, he said, and injuries take longer to heal. In 2016, he dislocated his knee and spent six months recovering before returning to play.<\/p>\n

Still, the draw of hockey remains strong.<\/p>\n

\"Mark<\/p>\n

Mark Belinsky (47), from Los Altos, plays in the \u201cOver 60 Division\u201d of the Master\u2019s League at Tech CU Arena in San Jose, Calif., on Monday, March 9, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

\"Mark<\/p>\n

Mark Belinsky (47), from Los Altos, plays in the \u201cOver 60 Division\u201d of the Master\u2019s League at Tech CU Arena in San Jose, Calif., on Monday, March 9, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The \u201cOver 60 Division\u201d of the Master\u2019s League plays hockey at Tech CU Arena in San Jose, Calif., on Monday, March 9, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

\"Ed<\/p>\n

Ed Asato (3), 87, from Sunnyvale, plays in the \u201cOver 60 Division\u201d of the Master\u2019s League at Tech CU Arena in San Jose, Calif., on Monday, March 9, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

\"Dean<\/p>\n

Dean Tait (51), right, adult hockey manager, celebrates a teammates goal in the \u201cOver 60 Division\u201d of the Master\u2019s League at Tech CU Arena in San Jose, Calif., on Monday, March 9, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

\"Mark<\/p>\n

Mark Belinsky (47), from Los Gatos, takes a shot while playing in the \u201cOver 60 Division\u201d of the Master\u2019s League at Tech CU Arena in San Jose, Calif., on Monday, March 9, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 6<\/p>\n

Mark Belinsky (47), from Los Altos, plays in the \u201cOver 60 Division\u201d of the Master\u2019s League at Tech CU Arena in San Jose, Calif., on Monday, March 9, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

Expand<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a drug,\u201d said Mark Belinsky, 69, who has been playing since he was a 10-year-old boy in Chicago. \u201cYou get high when you\u2019re on the ice.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Belinsky, the game still delivers the same rush \u2014 the feeling of gliding across the ice, the satisfaction of a clean shot, the bite of cold air filling his lungs.<\/p>\n

But experience has also taught caution.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf a jumbo-sized guy\u2019s got the puck and I wanna chase him down, I\u2019ve gotta reconsider now because of physics,\u201d he said with a laugh.<\/p>\n

His teammates chuckled nearby.<\/p>\n

Bob Gianni, 70, who has been playing since he was 8, said he now spends more time strategizing to avoid getting hurt. He\u2019s already had a hip replacement and credits his ability to keep playing to \u201cgood doctors.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAt our age, you gotta keep moving,\u201d Gianni said.<\/p>\n

\"BobBob Gianni (78), right, from Los Gatos, plays in the \u201cOver 60 Division\u201d of the Master\u2019s League at Tech CU Arena in San Jose, Calif., on Monday, March 9, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Asato lives by that principle as well.<\/p>\n

The shortest player on the team, he is often dwarfed by younger, faster skaters. When the puck comes near him, a more agile player usually reaches it first.<\/p>\n

Still, Asato follows the play, determined.<\/p>\n

Before each game, he mentally runs through his rules: recognize the situation, make a decision, execute.<\/p>\n

\"Ed<\/p>\n

Ed Asato (3), 87, from Sunnyvale, puts on his jersey in the locker room before playing in the \u201cOver 60 Division\u201d of the Master\u2019s League at Sharks Ice in San Jose, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

\"Ed<\/p>\n

Ed Asato (3), 87, from Sunnyvale, stretches before playing in the \u201cOver 60 Division\u201d of the Master\u2019s League at Sharks Ice in San Jose, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

\"Peter<\/p>\n

Peter Fediay, left, from Santa Cruz, chats with Ed Asato (3), 87, from Sunnyvale, during their game in the \u201cOver 60 Division\u201d of the Master\u2019s League at Sharks Ice in San Jose, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

\"Ed<\/p>\n

Ed Asato (3), 87, from Sunnyvale, waits on the bench for his rotation during his game in the \u201cOver 60 Division\u201d of the Master\u2019s League at Sharks Ice in San Jose, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

\"Ed<\/p>\n

Ed Asato (3), 87, from Sunnyvale, keeps an eye on the puck during their game in the \u201cOver 60 Division\u201d of the Master\u2019s League at Sharks Ice in San Jose, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

\"Ed<\/p>\n

Ed Asato (3), left, 87, from Sunnyvale, celebrates his goal with Scott Shepard (5), from Fremont, in the \u201cOver 60 Division\u201d of the Master\u2019s League at Sharks Ice in San Jose, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

\"Ed<\/p>\n

Ed Asato (3), left, 87, from Sunnyvale, chats with Ted Tsuchiya (58), from Pleasanton, after their game in the \u201cOver 60 Division\u201d of the Master\u2019s League at Sharks Ice in San Jose, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

\"Ed<\/p>\n

Ed Asato (3), left, 87, from Sunnyvale, defends against another player in the \u201cOver 60 Division\u201d of the Master\u2019s League at Sharks Ice in San Jose, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

\"Ed<\/p>\n

Ed Asato (3), 87, from Sunnyvale, heads to the ice to play in the \u201cOver 60 Division\u201d of the Master\u2019s League at Sharks Ice in San Jose, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

\"Ed<\/p>\n

Ed Asato (3), 87, from Sunnyvale, waits on the bench for his rotation during his game in the \u201cOver 60 Division\u201d of the Master\u2019s League at Sharks Ice in San Jose, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

\"Ed<\/p>\n

Ed Asato (3), 87, from Sunnyvale, plays in the \u201cOver 60 Division\u201d of the Master\u2019s League at Tech CU Arena in San Jose, Calif., on Monday, March 9, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

\"Ed<\/p>\n

Ed Asato (3), 87, from Sunnyvale, heads off the ice after playing in the \u201cOver 60 Division\u201d of the Master\u2019s League at Tech CU Arena in San Jose, Calif., on Monday, March 9, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

\"Ed<\/p>\n

Ed Asato (3), 87, from Sunnyvale, carries his equipment out of the rink after his game in the \u201cOver 60 Division\u201d of the Master\u2019s League at Sharks Ice in San Jose, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 13<\/p>\n

Ed Asato (3), 87, from Sunnyvale, puts on his jersey in the locker room before playing in the \u201cOver 60 Division\u201d of the Master\u2019s League at Sharks Ice in San Jose, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

Expand<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cBut when I get on the ice, I forget everything,\u201d said Asato, who picked up the sport at 59.<\/p>\n

What keeps him playing at nearly 90, he said, is the community, the mental focus the game requires and the occasional small victory along the way.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t touch the puck much anymore,\u201d he said. \u201cBut once every couple of years I\u2019ll score a goal.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As players in the San Jose Sharks Masters League streak across the ice, Ed Asato trails behind the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":215372,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[381,98751,4629,98750,88,90,89,98,98749,386,127],"class_list":["post-215371","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-jose","tag-aging","tag-healthy-aging","tag-ice-hockey","tag-older-hockey-players","tag-san-jose","tag-san-jose-headlines","tag-san-jose-news","tag-san-jose-sharks","tag-senior-hockey","tag-seniors","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215371","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=215371"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215371\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/215372"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=215371"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=215371"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=215371"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}