B.C. athletes join attempt for ‘World’s Longest Hockey Game’
Posted February 4, 2021 5:36 pm.
Last Updated February 4, 2021 7:07 pm.
EDMONTON (NEWS 1130) – Imagine playing hockey for 11 days straight. A group of athletes are going to give it a shot at an outdoor rink near Edmonton to break a Guinness World Record.
West Kelowna’s Troy Schaab is among the B.C. group heading to Alberta for the seventh edition of the “World’s Longest Game.”
Two teams of 20 will try playing for about 252 hours in frigid conditions, working in shifts of about five hours.
“I think the wind chill is supposed to get to -56 [degress Celsius] on Sunday. That’s the rumour going around. It’s not really going to be a cakewalk, but we’re looking forward to it,” he says.
World's LONGEST Hockey Game
252 hours (more than 10 days!) to set the Guinness World Record. Starts today at an outdoor rink in #SherwoodPark, Alberta. pic.twitter.com/UruwgmmjAQ
— Tim James (@TimJamesPlus) February 4, 2021
By the time all the gear is off, and players have grabbed a bite to eat and wind down, Schaab says they have about an hour or two to sleep.
“It’s just trying to get through Point A to Point B without the frostbite and the blisters. That’s the biggest part of the game.”
How do you play hockey for 10+ days?
“Usually our stints are about 5-6 hours long before we can go have a sleep for a few hours and then get back on the ice.” – Troy Schaab from #WestKelowna, one of 40 players involved. pic.twitter.com/GaXzYarhDq
— Tim James (@_TimJames) February 4, 2021
Spectators aren’t allowed this year due to the pandemic, but supports can drive by and honk their horn.
While Schaab admits he’s a little nervous about the cold, it’s all for a good cause since donations from the World’s Longest Hockey Game are going toward cancer research.
“There’s a Guinness World Record attached to this but at the end of the day, we don’t care about that. We’re here to beat cancer.”
