What do you do on Christmas Day after the presents have been opened, the stockings unstuffed and holiday hugs exchanged? Do you gather around the TV to throw on a movie Santa left in your stocking? Do you enjoy a leisurely coffee while you work on preparing the big feast for later? Or maybe you try on the new clothes you received as presents.  

In Dwight, one village-wide tradition focuses on Canada’s national pastime. Because in Dwight for the last 40 years or so, a good ole’ fashioned game of road hockey is what’s on the agenda for Christmas Day.

Donning a mixture of still-store-bought-stiff jeans, freshly knit socks and favourite hats and gloves that have seen decades of hockey action, men, women and kids of all ages head out to Dwight Beach Road. And the game always starts at 11 a.m.

“It’s a great way to break the new clothes in,” laughs Dwight resident Debbie Bradley.

Bradley’s husband Steve has participated in the informal hockey game his entire life. A Dwight boy through and through, Steve has never missed a game.

“I think we started playing hockey on Christmas Day when I was about 12 or 13,” says Steve. “There were maybe 10 of us out that first year and it grew from there.”

Last year somewhere between 25 and 30 players showed up, and in the 40 years the game has run it’s never had a lack of players.

Debbie, quick to admit she doesn’t play, is the team’s official photographer.

“I’ve been taking a group picture every year since 1977,” she says. “It’s a great area tradition, and our kids Dustin and Stefanie also take part.”

“A few of the boys have moved away, and some have passed on,” says Steve. “But there’s still a few of us diehards left, like myself and Mike Lawrence.”

Lawrence grew up in the area and was previously the owner of Lawrence’s General Store, now Dwight Market. He has played Christmas Day hockey for years, as did his father Roger. Rumour has it they used to play net and used an apple bushel basket as a glove. These days, Lawrence’s own son Matthew plays as well.

“It’s nice to see the younger kids taking it up,” says Steve. “It’s a real mix of players out there.

Ask Steve what the rules are and his reply is instantaneous: “Rules? There are no rules.”

Which means there most definitely is body checking. And perhaps the occasional slash. And maybe, just maybe, someone might get dunked into a snowbank.

“But we always make sure not to crash into the little ones,” Steve laughs. “So maybe that is a bit of a rule.”

In true road hockey fashion, everyone who shows up stick in hand gets to play. All the sticks are thrown into a pile and then sorted. Whatever net your stick lands by, that’s your team. Yes, there are nets. No, there’s no puck.

“We play with a tennis ball,” says Steve.

Good weather and cleared roadways aren’t always in the cards.

“I remember one year it was near 30 below - our drinks were definitely frosty white,” he says. “And then I also remember days when you could see the green grass of the roadway, though we haven’t had many winters like that in awhile.”

The game is usually played right by Dwight Beach, on the road.

“Some years if the township hadn’t been out to plow yet, we’d plow it ourselves,” he recalls. “I guess we’re just big kids who like to play hockey.”

Half the time the score gets lost in the shuffle.

“Some years there have been high scores, but most years we forget and usually just say next goal wins,” says Steve.

And the event sees a strong cottager/seasonal resident turnout as well, such as Doug Birchard and his family.

“Steve Bradley told us about it,” said Doug from his Mississauga home. “I know it started out years ago with all the Dwight boys; all the guys who grew up in the area. Now it’s more widespread. Friends and family show up to play and the event has become such a tradition for people.”

The Birchard family owns a cottage on Foxpoint Road where they often spend Christmas.

“We’ve been coming here for about 30 years,” said Birchard. “I started playing Christmas Day hockey about 15 or 16 years ago. The little ones — well, they’re 23 and 20 now — started about the same time.”

By little ones Birchard means his daughters Courtney and Shanna. Courtney currently plays on the Under-22 Team Canada hockey team and received a full scholarship to the University of New Hampshire.

“My wife Kathy has been out to the Dwight game once or twice,” Birchard recalls. “But she doesn’t often play. She’s usually cooking the turkey at home and prefers us out of the way. Mind you, her and some of the other wives come out to check up on us, steal from our cooler and then leave.”

Birchard remembers years with 40 people out playing. And some years the players have had to take the game to parking lots close by. But no matter if played on Dwight Beach Road or in the community centre lot, road hockey always happens.

“It starts around 10 a.m. and goes to about 2 p.m. Some years it’s gone on to 3 or 4 p.m. when it was a close game. No matter what time we finish, we’re always starving for Christmas turkey,” says Birchard.

And the best part: no one really remembers who won. Because there’s never a losing team when one plays hockey at Christmas.