Hall Of Fame

Aaron Kisselbach

Another "Orginal Six" member, and probably the most infamous of all TSHA players. The stories that could be told about Aaron are too numerous to go into here, but he's probably most famous for two incidents: One was giving Kyoko a head injury that we thought might be life threatening, if not career ending. It wasn't intentional, but the way this guy played, those sorts of things happened. The other fame inducing incident was when he came with one girlfriend to the park, and then his other girlfriend showed up to demand some money he owed her, which resulted in a screaming match that was comfortable for nobody. What was noteworthy about this incident was that neither woman was his wife at the time.

Dead Guy

The only two requirements for being TSHA Hall of Fame is that you make an impression on our group, and that you retire. So one day we come to play and discover a smashed up motorcycle, an outline of a body, and a big splotches of blood everywhere. That sure made and impression, and the guy is clearly retired. So into the TSHA Hall of Fame, never really known, but never to be forgotten.

George McCray

With his trademark Boston Bruins jersey, George could most often be found behind the play yelling coaching advice such as "The man's stick must be lifted!". He was instrumental in making sure that people showed up for games and that all the equipment was there. George was a founding member of the TSHA and we regret he couldn't stay longer to watch it grow. We know he regrets having to leave this town...

Kyoko Masuda

In her two years of playing with us, Kyoko recovered from a vicious injury early in her playing career to become the top scoring Japanese female in TSHA history. When it came time to pick teams, Kyoko was the only female who would be chosen on equal terms with the rest of the guys. She could be relied upon to pick up the pass deep in the slot and find the back of the net. She also brought a suitable Japanese element to the game, shouting "Gomen ne!" when she missed a pass, and "Iya na yatsu!" when checked.

Nanako Onadera

Often found in front of the net catching pucks with her teeth and regretting it, Nanako was an "Original Six" member of the TSHA. More than that, she, along with George, was responsible for keeping the TSHA alive by bringing the equipment, calling people to see if they would come, and getting the word out about our group. We're eternally grateful for her efforts, and it's no stretch to say that the TSHA would not have survived as long as it has without her. Thanks, Nanako!

Peter Kurze

No one could eat a saba miso teishoku like Peter. In fact, no one would want to eat saba miso. But Peter would order not one, but two whole teishokus, with omori rice, and both fascinate and horrify us with the way he would eat every item one at a time: first all the rice, then all the fish, then all the pickles...

Despite working for a German bank and being suspicously German in his relentless pursuit of victory on the "ice", Peter actually comes from Rhode Island and is a laid back dude with an easy attitude. Must be the Yoga that keeps him calm.

Sawdust Brothers

"The Sawdust Brothers" (1997)

There were these two dudes from Vancouver Island who could really play some hockey. They had to be split up into different teams or they would just dominate. But that's not what gets them into the TSHA Hall of Fame:

They were only in Tokyo on short term contracts doing some carpentry and construction work (thus "Sawdust Brothers"), and so they would come and go from Tokyo as their visas required. One time, they were returning to Tokyo, and their plane landed on Sunday afternoon. They came straight from Narita airport, with their luggage, down to the park to play some hockey! That's dedication to the sport, and that earns them a spot in the Hall of Fame!

Skills

One day, in the earliest days of the TSHA, this Japanese guy showed up to play. We hadn't really seen any Japanese guys play without roller blades before, so we were a little skeptical that he could keep up. But as soon as he got control of the puck, we were all amazed to see he had wicked stick handling. George yelled "Hey! He's got skills!". And, largely because no one could ever remember his real name, the monicker stuck. Skills opened up the way for future Japanese guys to come play with us, though none since have ever really matched his stoic dedication to the game.

The Splinter

It was the nastiest thing we'd ever seen in the TSHA. On a cold day in March 2004, Marek, the guy from the Czech Republic, got a splinter in his shin. But this wasn't just some tiny little sliver that you can't hardly see. It was a four centimetre shard of plastic from someone's hockey blade that had somehow pierced into Marek's shin. And it was long enough to come out the other side! Before it was even pulled out, we knew it was Hall Of Fame material, so we had the camera ready for a photo, before the blood was even dry.

Tony Costos

Weighing in at no more than fifty kilos, and most of it in the form of pure kinetic energy, Tony is the TSHA's all time scoring and assists leader. He had unbeatable speed, and impressive stick handling. Usually games would be determined by Tony's determination to win, and it wasn't often that he wasn't determined.

Off ice, his take on life was distinctive, notably for his appreciation of the finer things in life, like the cheerleaders at baseball games in the Dominican Republic.

In a way, he was like a smaller, faster, politically incorrect Gretzky.