Tom Gasiorowski, the "Godfather of Ohio Hockey," played center at Ohio from 1961 to 1965. He is grateful for the connections Ohio Hockey has given him, even 57 years later.
"The camaraderie and fellowship amongst the group is irreplaceable, just completely unique," Gasiorowski said.
Several original players gathered at the Ohio University Inn on Saturday to reunite and reflect on their time at Ohio. As they sat around tables drinking and laughing, they joked about how they just couldn't seem to leave each other alone.
"Especially from my era, most of the 60s, we communicate and we have these (reunions) every once in a while," Dennis Corbin, a defenseman from 1963-68 said. "We always say it's the last one but it never ends."
Corbin was seated next to Bing Earls, a member of the second Ohio Hockey team ever to hit the ice. Earls, along with many of the other members of the 1959-60 team, was recruited out of Michigan, where hockey is one of the most prominent sports. After graduating, the group lost touch for nearly 20 years, but they found their way back to each other and now talk almost weekly.
Not every collegiate hockey team has that kind of unbreakable bond.
"I have a friend who played at Michigan State in the same era as us … and he's seen his teammates one time in 60 years," Earls said.
Many OU alumni remember playing hockey so fondly because they always had fun. The former players could still pull some of their best memories from even the high-stakes games. Gaisorowski recounted how scoring an overtime goal against Port Huron Michigan, the Bobcats arch-rival at the time, was beyond awesome.
Although the memories the players made on the ice were incredible, the ones made off of it were just as special. When asked what he misses the most about Ohio University hockey, Gasiorowski responded with "the girlfriend I had my junior year."
Elmer Gates, a defenseman from the very first Bobcat Hockey team, "probably dated my great grandmother," according to one teammate he was surrounded by.
Earls recounted how he met his wife through the program in a more wholesome fashion.
"My wife Jane, she was part of the original group," Earls said. "She worked at the arena and played all of the music. Now we've been married for 57 years."
Being back in Athens was one of the most exciting parts of the weekend for the Ohio Hockey Alumni. No matter how long ago they were, the memories they made here still hold special places in their hearts.
“I have memories here that I still carry. As old as I am, I carry them with me forever.”-Elmer Gates
All the alumni agreed that you should enjoy your time here while it lasts. They've lived a lot of "four years," but the best four years are spent in Athens.