Ben Shaw and Gregg Hutchings (in red) at the Play for a Purpose Marathon earlier this month. Hutchings is one of Ben’s teammates on Tuesday/Thursday mornings and also skated on teams with Ben’s son. Hutchings was captain of both the Ridgefield High School and University of Connecticut hockey teams and is in the UConn Athletic Hall of Fame.
Ridgefielder Ben Shaw may be retired from his career as a superintendent of recreation but he is plenty active with his numerous part-time jobs and his participation in higher level athletics at age 75 and a half.
The American Association for Retired Persons — or AARP — National Magazine will feature an article on Ben Shaw in the June/July 2015 edition.
The article will focus on Shaw’s career in ice hockey and his ability to skate in tournaments and skate several times a week with people who are still in their 30s.
“It is so much fun to still be skating with my son’s teammates, some of whom I even coached at Harvey School,” explained Shaw.
Unlike the skaters today who started when they were in preschool, Shaw did not start playing hockey seriously until he made the Mamaroneck, N.Y., High School team. “I did a lot of pond skating in Larchmont and because I was a strong football player and loved to hit, I was asked to become a defenseman on the high school hockey team.”
From high school, Shaw went on to play at Hillsdale College in Michigan and then returned to this area to play with the Katonah Chiefs, the Bedford Bears, the NYC Apples, St. Nicisk’s team, and finally the Olde Crabs out of the Danbury Ice Arena. The Olde Crabs has 50-plus, 60-plus, and 70-plus teams. Shaw is the oldest player in the 70-plus division and still plays with the travel team and in tournaments.
To keep fit, Shaw also skates Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 6:30 a.m. at the Ridgefield Ice Arena. “When people ask why I get up at my age at 5 a.m. in the morning it is because I skate with the best guys on the planet,” said Shaw. “These youngsters keep me going. They say that if I am still going, they most certainly can’t hang up their skates. If it was not for the support of these guys I probably not be skating.”
Earlier in May, Shaw took part in the 72-hour Play for a Purpose Ice Hockey Marathon at the Ridgefield Ice Arena. During the 72 hours, players were scheduled for 18 hours of ice time with their teams. “I found that at my age the whole 18 hours was a little too much, but I did put in 10 hours of skating. I was the oldest skater, and the youngest was 15,” Shaw said.
To keep in shape for hockey season, Shaw works out all year. He spends a lot of time at the Ridgefield Recreation Center in the wellness center. In the summer he splits his time between biking and rowing. In the winter he skis along with skating. In spite of a bad back, arthritis and a hip replacement, Shaw works through the pain to keep up a healthy, active lifestyle.
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