Tired Alberta hockey players look for energy as they chase a world record

They're not even halfway to their goal of playing 262 hours of ice hockey, and the players are feeling it at the Chestermere, Alta., hockey arena.

Mitchell McAllister is a first-time marathoner and wears the number 61 jersey.

“Honestly, you can't prepare to get hit by a bus,” he said. “It's such an amazing experience and unfortunately you just don't prepare, you don't know (what's going on with your body).”

McAllister says that, like all players, his feet hurt the most. Over five days of the 11-day game, he and the other players are always happy to see people come to watch.

“I'll tell you what drives us is seeing the fans,” he said. “Seeing the community here and seeing the kids come here really fills the tank.”

McAllister celebrated his 30th birthday on May 7, and his mother, Lisa, came early to see him and celebrate.

“When he came out we were here at seven in the morning and then that night we brought steak and potatoes and he deserved it,” she said. “We make it a point to come every day to see it and bring a poster and a lot of people have turned up so it's been good.”

HOT TUBE IN CURLING AREA

Alex Halat organized and played in all the marathon games, including the first in 2012, which raised $1,200,000 for the Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation, and set a Guinness World Record by playing 246 hours of hockey.

Halat remembers the challenges he faced on the ice during the break.

“We slept in the curling rink and it has a big hot tub,” he said.

“The first year, everybody got bronchitis,” he said, “so we decided to open the doors, so we opened the doors without thinking that all the mice and stinky things would come in – so we thought, 'We'll put it.' the plywood under the doors!”

“Next thing (you know),” he says, “we're sleeping in a room with bats.”

44 players are attempting to set the world record for the longest ice hockey game at Chestermere.

According to Khalat, this is the first year two women have registered to compete in the marathon.

“It's amazing,” he said. “We've been trying to do that for the last couple of years and it's great to have the girls playing now, and I would see the boys playing as a morale booster.”

OVERFLOW OF FUNDS

Players will use the world record attempt as a fundraiser that will raise millions of dollars for the Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation.

“The money raised from the Hockey Marathon will be used specifically for the Children's Cancer Group and will be used for some of our programs, including research and clinical trials,” said Liz Ballendin, the foundation's vice president of development. “This event not only raised the spirits of the community, the children and families battling cancer, but also raised awareness of the work we do.”

Ballendin has been in each of the record-setting events in 2012, 2014, 2022 and now 2024, and he's excited to see the fund benefit.

“They always say we'll never do it again, and then they come back and do it again,” he said. “They're amazing, they should be wearing capes, not hockey gear, and we're so happy they're doing this for kids and families in our corner, it's amazing.”

Becca Morrison is one of more than 2,000 volunteers who help make the 11-day event run smoothly. He works as a “bench liaison,” making sure players are hydrated and fed during the second part of four shifts.

“I run back and forth, bringing the guys food, drinks, water,” he said. “If we have to book medical appointments for massages, chiro, physical therapy, whatever, it's a lot of fun.”

Leslie Plumlee is the event director, responsible for everything off the ice. He must act quickly when a volunteer is forced to cancel a shift and make a public plea.

“We found that social media was better than what we posted on our website,” he said. “So when the seat was filled, we were able to say hey, thank you very much, we filled the seat.”

Plumlee also focuses on having fun during their time on the ice, where players can struggle physically and mentally.

“What people don't realize is that after three and a half days they start to lose a little bit of testosterone and we have to take good care of their mental health,” he said. “If anyone can afford to come (to the rink), whether they're cheerleaders or dance troops, any kind of entertainment (is appreciated).”

It tries to fulfill some of the player's requests as much as possible.

“A guy is asking for crazy goats, he's interesting to us,” he laughs. “I'm not bringing crazy goats.”

The hockey marathon started on April 5th and will be played until the 16th at Chestermere Leisure Center and spectators are always welcome.

“It's a great way to reach the community, not just the Chestermere community,” he said. “But the surrounding communities, including Calgary, are involved in something much bigger than us.”

Learn more about the marathon at: www.hockeymarathon.com

Go here to watch the live stream.