April 2011, Brampton, Ontario
The annual Johnny Goodguy tournament is
Ontario's invitational Coleco 5380 championship. Every April,
just like clockwork, it attracts an eclectic mix of expert
and occasional players. Some battle regularly in leagues,
preparing assiduously for this showcase event, while others
play but once a year, "saving themselves" for
JGG itself.
There is always a high degree of competition,
sportsmanship, and camaraderie. During my five consecutive
appearances here, I have come to know and appreciate the
core community that makes it all happen. And according to
tournament organizer Pete Moulton, I have even made a small
dent in his big mountain of accumulated stats.
But this year, 2011, something really special
took place. A new piece of table hockey history was fashioned.
The tournament is named after John Beedham, and appropriately
so. He's a quintessential good guy. He's also a two-time
former champion here, in 1975 and again in 1980. Last year,
in 2010, John made an incredible run, reaching the finals
before running out of gas against a youthful Matt Walma.
But this year, John's son Sean prevailed as tournament champion,
powering his way past Dave Kraehling (a 3-time JGG champ)
in the finals.
John Beedham in 1975 and 1980; now Sean
Beedham in 2011. The Beedhams are the first family to boast
a father-son dynasty at the JGG, and that's quite an accomplishment.
They can take great pride in this, and set a worthy example
for other families to emulate. More about that later. For
the blow-by-blow account, and the associated sub-plots,
let's pick up the action in the quarterfinals.
John and Sean Beedham, Goodguys Sr
& Jr: the first father-son dynasty at JGG
photo Sid Kloosterman
Number 1 seed and eventual
champion Sean Beedham seized the torch in person, defeating
his father in their best-of-three quarterfinal matchup.
Number 2 seed Dave Kraehling
dismissed the determined Flying Dutchman, Sid Kloosterman,
in a tough three-game quarterfinal series.
Number 3 seed Rob McKeown
was upset by yours truly, in straight games. (My real ordeal
had been against young Chris Reardon from Buffalo, in the
previous round, which went to game-3 overtime.)
Number 4 seed and defending
champion Matt Walma also went down, to a young man who had
impressed everyone in Ajax, namely Brian O'Hagan, in a thrilling
game-3 overtime. O'Hagan scored a picture-perfect series
winner.
In the semis, Sean overpowered Bryan's finesse,
blasting the puck with telling accuracy, while Dave Kraehling
got past me in three games. I managed to snatch 3rd place
from a somewhat stunned O'Hagan, still reeling from his
loss to Beedham.
In the finals, Sean ramped it up against
Dave, taking no chances. This was his year, and he could
feel it. Kraehling had also been stretched to the limit
in each of his three previous series, against Bill Garrett,
Sid Kloosterman, and yours truly. That had to exact a toll.
Of the two finalists on this day, Sean was the younger and
fresher. He defeated Dave 3 games to 1 and in the process
-- along with his proud dad -- stepped into table hockey
history.
I chatted at length with Johnny
Goodguy Sr. He's in his late fifties now, a time of life
I understand all too well. We both wished we had met up
in 1980, when we were in our primes. That would have been
a battle for the ages. I thanked John for being such an
inspiration in 2010, when he made the finals. He was my
role model for this year's event. Pete Moulton was also
very gracious. At age 59, I don't get nearly as much I used
to (Canadian table hockey hardware, that is :-) Most of
the hardware made in Canada, stays in Canada. So Pete, please
make my day: am I the oldest guy to take a plaque out of
Brampton? (I'll settle for any kind of record :-) In any
case it was a real thrill sharing the podium with Sean and
Dave.
Pete Moulton, organizer of the Annual
JGG
photo
Sid Kloosterman
Johnny Goodguy and I shared quite a few
thoughts, and we came up with a plan for the future. Two
plans, actually. A and B. Plan A is to institute a "seniors"
division, for players 60 and over. There are several seniors
on the circuit already, and within a few years that number
will be big enough for a special playoff among us "old
timers." Call it The Johnny Geritolguy :-)
Plan B is to find a way for father-son teams
to compete. There are quite a few father-son pairs in Canadian
and US table hockey alike. It would be great to bring them
together for a team competition, somewhat like team tennis.
Imagine fathers versus fathers, sons versus sons, and father-son
pairs facing off in doubles. Call it The Johnny Goodguy
Sr. and Jr.
As the Beedhams showed, the apple doesn't
fall far from the tree. The 38th JGG was certainly fruitful
for them, and also for the future of Ontario table hockey,
which seems assured in the hands of talented young players
like Sean Beedham, Matt Walma, and Bryan O'Hagan. At 27,
Sean is entering his table hockey prime, which can endure
well into his thirties and even forties. Gino Bossio, Sam
Anoussis, and Dany Leclerc have all won HSTQ tournaments
in their late forties. Dave Kraehling won JGG in his late
forties too.
But after 50, something starts waning. I
have discussed this at length with both John Beedham and
Dany Leclerc, and we share the same experience. In our fifties,
we still have the will, the heart, and the hands to win.
But somehow we cannot sustain the necessary intensity for
as long as required, or for that matter step it up and elevate
our play when the chips are down, like we did when we were
winning championships thirty years ago. This is exactly
what Carlo Bossio currently does so amazingly well in Quebec
-- steps it up and crushes the opposition -- and exactly
what Sean Beedham did in Brampton on this day.
A case in point: my seesaw game against
Sean in the opening round-robin. I really enjoy playing
creative scorers like Carlo and Sean, because their offenses
are wide open, and that creates scoring opportunities for
the opponent too. Against me, Sean jumped out to a 2-0 lead
in the first minute. Then I settled down and chipped away,
and got ahead 4-2 with a minute and change to play. In the
old days, and with these small nets, that was generally
lights out. But Sean remained very cool -- as he did all
day long -- unperturbed and undeceived by the score. When
it's your day, the score is almost irrelevant, because you
know you will find a way. Sean's way was to score 3 goals
in the last minute and win 5-4, three perfect shots slammed
through a mere puck-width of space. Champions are not only
great front-runners; they must also be able to come from
behind.
We old-timers recall with some nostalgia
the days when we were able to play like that. Now our intensity
comes and goes; here for a while, then suddenly gone for
a nap. That's why we're fond of saying "The older we
get, the better we used to be" :-) Ain't it the truth?
Brian O'Hagan, on the other hand, is still
a teenager, and nowhere near his table hockey peak. His
skill, tenacity, and ability to improve paid big dividends
at his first major tournament (Ajax) in January 2011. He
won the B trophy and impressed everyone with his fine play.
Now three months later, in Brampton, he eliminated defending
champion Matt Walma (no mean feat) and made the final four.
Bravissimo, Brian!
Bryan O'Hagan (right) makes final
four, continues to improve and impress
photo Sid Kloosterman
Brian credits his experience in Ajax, against
top Quebecers, as the main source of his improvement. And
he is wise to do so. Oscar Wilde famously remarked that
"Youth is wasted on the young," but this is completely
untrue in Brian's case. The more he plays the top players
from Quebec and Ontario alike, the sooner he will pose a
threat to Sean Beedham. And another scary thing about O'Hagan
is: I think there are two of him. Either he has a twin brother
or I am seeing double.
A few years back, when Sean was on the cusp
of beating his dad, he used to blast the puck relentlessly
toward, and frequently into, the net. But this year I saw
a major refinement. Sean still rockets the puck as hard
and fast as ever (reminding us old-timers of Frank Mahovlich's
slapshot), but now with increasingly pinpoint accuracy.
He is able to blast it into an opening not much wider than
the puck itself. And this is JGG, which employs the smaller
nets. I'd like to see Sean play on the HSTQ table, whose
nets are a puck-width wider. He'd score that many more goals.
It would be interesting to see Sean -- the 2011 Ontario
Coleco champion, now representing the Beedham dynasty --
face off against the top players from Quebec. I for one
hope it happens soon.
Meanwhile, JGG 2011 was good to the good
guys, one and all. See you again in 2012!
Ontario
Table Hockey Association
