New Canaan Women's Hockey Team Raises $12,000+

The New Canaan Winter Club's women's ice hockey team, the Mother Puckers, played an exhibition game on Tuesday at the New Canaan Winter Club against their local rivals, the Stamford Stampede.

The game was played under a full moon and comfortable temperatures and, appropriately, ended in a 2-2 tie.

The game was played in memory of Dr. John F. Downing, the local orthopedic surgeon who lost his battle with cancer in September and whose wife Karen plays for the Mother Puckers.

Donations are still being accepted in Dr. Downing's memory to support the Bennett Cancer Center at Stamford Hospital, where he was treated and where he practiced medicine.

The New Canaan Mother Puckers was founded in 1992 by former hockey players who love the game and missed their days on the ice. Most of the founders played in college, when ice hockey for women was still a new phenomenon.

Times have changed, and girls/women's hockey is one of the fastest growing sports in America. In the early days, there were not many women's teams in the Fairfield County area, but before long, plenty of women's teams were formed and now there is plenty of local competition.

The rivalry between the Stamford Stampede and the Mother Puckers is in its second decade. The unanimous decision by both the Mother Puckers and the Stamford Stampedes to honor the memory of Dr. John Downing with this exhibition game was simple.

Dr. Downing was a dedicated "hockey dad" who was beloved by his patients, his colleagues, his friends, his family, and everyone who knew him. His wife played hockey at Colgate University, introduced hockey to their children.

John was a basketball player and hoped the three boys would follow in his footsteps, but hockey became their sport of choice, and all the Downing boys excelled on their school and club teams.

John learned everything he could about the game and became a super fan of the sport. The eldest son, Jack Downing, is currently playing for the Binghamton Senators AHL team, the farm team for the Ottawa Senators.

Hockey has also been a consistent part of the lives of sons Billy and Nick. The family has belonged to the Winter Club for as long as they can remember. Karen continues to share her love of the game, coaching the Southern Connecticut Storm Special Hockey, a team in Bridgeport for developmentally disabled kids.

At Tuesday's event, more than $12,000 was raised in memory and tribute to Dr. Downing through concession sales, T-shirt sales, and donations. FACE OFF FOR HOPE will become an annual event. Please send donations to: Stamford Hospital Foundation, Attn: FACE OFF FOR HOPE, 1351 Washington Blvd, Stamford, CT 06902.

The New Canaan Winter Club is a skating club for area residents who enjoy competitive ice hockey, figure skating and want to partake in these exciting winter activities in a well organized, family oriented setting.

For more information on the Club please feel free to log onto the website at www.ncwinterclub.com.