Brad Stephen was 16 years old when he started playing rec hockey in Prince George.
Back then, it was really was men against boy and Stephen was the exception to the rule.
Now 45, the cagey defenceman helped his Visa Truck Rental/Fountain Tire teammates end their season on a high note Saturday at Kin 2, where they defeated Interior Offroad 3-2 to win the Westwood Pub PG Rec Hockey League Masters B championship.
Kevin Illett scored two goals and Dennis Burgart also scored for the masters champs. Budd Wasylyshen and Ryan Arnold each scored for Interior Offroad.
"Winning never gets old," said Stephen. "It was a tight game and a good final. We were up 3-1 and they got one on the power play in the third to tighten it up and we were able to hold on.
"We didn't give them any clear-cut breakaways and our goalie (Jim Costley) played really well and made lots of big saves and our forwards backchecked hard, which is what you get in playoffs."
Visa/Fountain also won the regular season tiitle, finishing with a 27-8-1-1- record.
In his rec hockey career Stephen has won the Rec A championship once, Rec B 11 times and now has two Masters B titles to his credit.
"I've always been part of good teams with quality guys who are lots of fun. It's just worked," said Stephen. "It started when I was 16, playing with Five Season Sports in the '80s in the A division. I was with grown men and I was 150 pounds. I had a lot of friends who were all Hart Highway and Kelly Road kids and they all protected me and looked after me on the ice.
Brad is the son of Jim Stephen, a former Prince George Mohawks defenceman from 1967-72, who died in 1991. For 26 years until 2007, the city celebrated the best of oldtimers hockey in the region with the Jim Stephen Memorial tournament.
Brad Stephen almost quit hockey three years ago when after playing in the Rec B division but changed his mind when his business partner asked him to join the Masters B division. Now he's having way too much fun to pack it in
"Its the camaraderie, if the dressing room isn't fun and guys don't get along too well, it's not much fun coming to the rink," Stephen said. "We barbecue in the parking lot 10 or 12 times a year and sit out there in minus-20 and chat and it's good. They're fun and winning is fun.
"The Rec League has 40-some teams and it gives us old guys a chance to play competitive hockey and it's awesome. They do a good job."
