Port Huron 70+ men's hockey team mixes fun with winning national title on Florida trip

Port Huron has a very rich hockey history.

Dozens of skaters from the area have played professionally. McMorran Arena is home to the Silver Stick finals. The Detroit Red Wings' minor-league affiliate was even based here in the 1970s.

Now the city can add another accolade to that heritage.

The Port Huron Iron Workers 70+ hockey team won the 2022 USA Hockey Men's Adult National Championship in Wesley Chapel, Florida, in April. The Iron Workers finished 4-0 in the tournament and beat the Florida Ellenton Leafs 3-2 in the final.

"We actually had a 3-0 lead," forward John Bacheller said. "And (the Leafs) got two goals towards the end of the game. We had to hold on for the win."

Held annually, the tournament is one of 12 sponsored by USA Hockey for men ages 30-80. The Iron Workers compete in the 70+ division. Other local players included Brian Crankshaw, Jim Fraser, Ron Hembroff, Tom Mills, George Noble and Jack Thomas.

"It's nice at our age to still be able to play," Hembroff said. "And to have fun doing it."

The team was formed in the mid-2000s by Fred Marr, who was the fourth general vice president of Iron Workers International. After Marr died in 2016, his friends decided to keep the club's nickname.

"Fred was a local guy," Bacheller said. "He was from Marine City and played with us at Glacier Point (Ice Complex) and McMorran through the years."

The Iron Workers still play at Glacier Point and compete in various tournaments across the country. They sent three different teams to the national championships in Florida this year. But only the 70+ crew came home with a trophy.

"We have a pretty strong team, given our age," said Crankshaw, who is the goalie. "Most of our guys have played either junior college or some level of pro hockey. We have a pretty cohesive group."

Win or lose, the annual 1,200-mile trip isn't just for hockey. The Iron Workers have turned it into quite an experience.

"Every year we have a tailgate party out in the parking lot down there," Hembroff said. "We had about 75 to 80 people (this year) with food and refreshments. It was pretty cool. Wives, girlfriends and friends were there, too."

"It's more than just four games," Crankshaw said. "It's a week of fun. We played a little golf and do a little bit of everything."

And they got to do it all together. 

"We just all get along," Crankshaw said. "We'll go to dinners together when we're out on tournaments. We'll hang out together when we can. It's just a real good group of nice people."

Contact Brenden Welper at bwelper@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrendenWelper.