Summerside's Smitty: 81-year-old goalie on P.E.I. still has the moves

Summerside's Gerard Smith has made his mark on the P.E.I. sporting world over the decades as a player and coach in hockey and baseball, with an extensive list of accomplishments that includes his 2018 induction into the P.E.I. Sports Hall of Fame. 

At 81, Smitty is still going strong, playing net twice a week in a "somewhat competitive" noon-hour hockey league at Credit Union Place. 

"He's telling us young fellows that age is just a number," said teammate Mike Cameron.  

"His compete level is unbelievable. We don't keep score on the board, but we certainly keep score in our heads, and we're a pretty competitive bunch. 

"A lot of times we will chirp the other team and say, 'That's too bad you can't score on an 81-year-old.'"

Cameron said he's looking forward to seeing Smitty play for years to come. 

"That certainly gives a guy motivation, you know? My career in noon-hour hockey could last another 15 years if I'm going to match up to Smitty," Cameron said.

"It's going to be interesting to see how long it goes. I mean, he's 81. Will he hit the 90 mark? We're waiting to see."

Rick Morrison has been playing in the league with Smitty for eight years. 

"The level that he competes at is much like a teenager. He's up, he's down, he's making the saves — and there's nothing he hates worse than being scored on," he said.

Morrison said it can be tough to find goalies who want to play in the senior leagues. 

"There's not much defence, so chances are you're going to get lots of shots, and some goalies don't appreciate the amount of shots they get," he said. 

Morrison said Smitty puts his decades of experience to good use between the pipes. 

"He cheats a little bit … He'll give you a lot of room on the glove-hand side because he was