Snoopy’s senior tournament ready to hit the ice

Hockey players from throughout North America are converging on Santa Rosa this week for the 40th annual Snoopy’s Senior World Hockey Tournament, which begins Friday night.

Sixty-eight teams will play 102 games over nine days at Snoopy’s Home Ice, the Redwood Empire Ice Arena on West Steele Lane.

Players, ranging from the youngest in the 40-year-old divisions to over 70, play in 17 divisions separated by age and competitive levels. Some former National Hockey League players and coaches will play, as well as several players who competed in college, in addition to the recreational players who just play for fun and exercise.

Many players have competed in the tournament for years, even decades, and visit Sonoma County as part of a vacation each year.

Others – like those who turned 40 this year and just became eligible – have “waited their whole lives to be able to play here,” joked tournament director Mike Kovanis.

Puck drop for game 1, between the Sonoma County Winos and Joker’s Wild, is at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Games are free to attend.

You can reach Lori A. Carter at 521-5470 or lori.carter@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @loriacarter.