Saskatchewan family celebrates holidays with street hockey game for 53 years
The Tradition of the Hochelaga Cup: A Family Christmas Day Street Hockey Game
For over five decades, the Lentzos family has celebrated Christmas Day in a unique and Canadian way – with a street hockey game known as the Hochelaga Cup. What started as a small game on Hochelaga Street in Moose Jaw has now become a cherished tradition that has been passed down through generations.
According to Stephen Lentzos, one of the founders of the tradition, “Four or five of us were playing in Moose Jaw on Hochelaga Street and that expanded over the years as we got more cousins and more friends. And next thing you know, it became something that became a family tradition for 53 years.”
What makes the Hochelaga Cup so special is not just the game itself, but the values it represents for the Lentzos family and their friends. Pano Kourles shared, “I think sports are something that’s kind of tied our family into Canadian culture. A lot of my grandparents and great aunts and uncles are immigrants from Greece. And so, sports are something that connected us all to Canada.”
Despite the weather conditions, the family and their friends play every year, with a Boxing Day game being added in recent years. The dedication to the tradition is evident in the hours spent clearing snow to create a playing surface. “A couple snow blowers, a few ice chippers and then some shovels if we’re lucky. So it was a three-hour affair this year, and it kind of depends on how the weather is leading up to it,” explained Kourles.
While the game is a time for fun and camaraderie, there’s also a competitive edge to it. Lentzos mentioned, “As much as we do this for fun and just get some fresh air, and get some camaraderie going, there’s also, you know, bragging rights. And that’s really important to us too.”
As the tradition has evolved over the years, with more family members and friends joining in, the younger generation has taken up the mantle of keeping the Hochelaga Cup alive. Lentzos expressed his joy in seeing the kids and grandkids embrace the tradition, saying, “The thing that I love about it is the younger generation has caught on to it. I mean, it could have just fizzled, but I think the fact that they caught on to it made us inspired and kept us going, and now they’re the ones that are driving the whole thing.”
This year’s game-winning goal was scored by 14-year-old Dimitri Tsoulos, highlighting the passing of the torch to the next generation of hockey players. Tsoulos shared his excitement, “It’s something we can do, something that everybody enjoys. So it’s really nice to put that work into something that’s meaningful to people.”
With each passing year, the Hochelaga Cup continues to be a beloved tradition for the Lentzos family and their friends. As Peter Fourlas reflected, “It’s exciting. You know, after 53 years and I was just sitting there thinking, if this is a 100-year tradition, that’s pretty wild in the grand scheme of things.”
