Halifax senior hockey player logs 4,000 hockey games

When Mike Fougere retired from the Halifax Dockyard 17 years ago, he began filling his time with hockey and kept track of the games he played.

Mike Fougere does not have his driver’s license. He takes a cab everywhere, even when he goes to the rink, which is sometimes daily.

When Fougere retired from the Halifax Dockyard 17 years ago, he began filling his time with hockey and kept track of the games he played.

“I wrote them down and I put them in the calendar,” said Fougere, who is now 67 years old and has reached a milestone for number of games played.

“Tonight is 4,000,” he said earlier this week at Centennial Arena in Hallifax.

His personal record for games in one year is a staggering 305.

“I love the challenge, and it keeps me in shape,” said Fougere, who added playing hockey is also good for his mental health, and he enjoys playing alongside his friends.

At age 67, with thousands of games under his belt, he knows what makes him a good goalie.

“I’m competitive, and I don’t give up on the puck,” said Fougere. “That’s what they say.”

Fougere’s said his wife supports his never-ending hockey schedule which keeps getting busier.

“Once on Monday, then I play two times in a row on Tuesday, and then the summer league at the Halifax Civic Arena, then two shinny games on Thursday and then a game on Friday,” he said.

It is a source of amazement for his teammates.

“It’s unbelievable how much of an inspiration Mike is, just showing up in the rink four or five times a week to play hockey,” said his teammate, Matt Jardine. “I hope at Mike’s age I’ll be the same way.”

Fougere wants to keep playing if his body holds up and would like to play another 25 years, which would take him into his 90’s. Fougere thinks it is possible, and he hopes other seniors follow his example to always stay active.

“All you got to do is move,” said Fougere. “I walk every day and keep moving. People my age need to find something they like to do.”

In Mike Fougere’s case, he likes playing hockey, four thousand times over a 17-year period.