プレイ時間、3時間37分の死闘
 
3月12日に行われたノルウェーのアイスホッケーリーグで、ストーハマル・ドラゴンズ 対 スパルタ・ウォリアーズのプレーオフを観戦していた観客たちは、ある意味払ったお金の元がとれたといえるでしょう。

というのも、ローカル時間12日の午後6時に試合が開始し、インターバルを含めると翌日13日の午前2時32分まで続いたのです。

8回のオーバータイムにもつれた末、試合開始から休憩を含めて約8時間が経過し、最終的にストーハマル・ドラゴンズがスパルタ・ウォリアーズを打ち負かすまで、プレイ時間が217分14秒(3時間37分)に及んだのです。こうして、「史上最長のプロアイスホッケー試合時間(Longest professional ice hockey match)」のギネス世界記録に認定されることになりました。
 
一般的なアイスホッケーの試合は、ピリオドと呼ばれる20分単位のゲームを計3回行い、勝負を決めます。つまり、延長戦にならない限りは1時間のプレイ時間(ピリオドの間に休憩が15分ずつあり)が普通です。そう考えると、長い!ですよね。
 
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アイスホッケーの試合としては、80年ぶりの試合最長記録
 
9ピリオドに入ってからわずか数分で、ストーハマル・ドラゴンズのヨアキム・ジェンセンが相手側ゴールキーパーのスティックをかわして決勝点をたたき込み、勝利を収めました。
 
今回の試合は、「1チームが勝利した」という結果だけで終わりにせず、80年前に達成された試合最長記録を破ったということで両チームを称えるに値します。
 
アイスホッケーにおける過去の最長試合記録は1936年のスタンレーカップで、6回のオーバータイムにもつれた末にデトロイト・レッドウイングズが1-0でモントリオール・マルーンズに勝利した試合になります。

今回、長時間にわたった試合でヘトヘトになった両チームですが、実は翌月曜日にも試合があったそうです。お疲れ様でした!
 
New Component
 
The absolute definition of a veteran player of the sport, Mark does his best each time, playing alongside teammates that are on average 50 years younger than he is, against competitors who are eager to win. 
 
As an avid player, Mark has had a long journey with ice hockey, having first been introduced to the sport in 1932, when he was just ten years old. 
 
“Our family had moved to an area where there was an ice rink, which gave me the chance to be involved,” he recalls, “At first it was just playing hockey without skates. Back then you were lucky if your family could afford to buy you a hockey stick, let alone skates.” 
 
Fortunately, Mark was granted that luck. 
 
After winning a pair of racing skates called “tin horns”, he taught himself the balance and stability needed for wearing hockey skates, picking up the rules of the game from local kids who would come together and just play. 
 
While Mark, who stands out on the rink thanks to his trademark handlebar moustache, still has the ability to keep up with the 30, 40, 50, and 60 year olds, that doesn’t mean it’s effortless. 
 
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To keep in shape for the physical demands of ice hockey, he disciplines himself to do push-ups, weight lifting, and stretching throughout the week. On the days when he’s not on the ice, he’ll walk a few miles. 
 
He also sticks to a routine of eating eggs, sausage, and toast with peanut butter and jelly each morning, followed by chicken with vegetables for dinner. 
 
 
So far, this sequence of habits seems to be working, as Mark has held the world record title for Oldest ice hockey player since he turned 87. 
 
Over the last 32 years, he’s participated in tournaments in numerous cities, including Toronto, Canada, Blaine, Minnesota, Reno and Las Vegas Nevada, and his favourite: Santa Rosa, California. 
 
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As well as the memorable games he’s played and scored in, Mark’s ice hockey journey has unsurprisingly served up some unforgettable adventures along the way.  
 
Arguably the pinnacle moment came when he was offered the chance to try out for the professional NHL team, the Minnesota Wild, who happen to be Sertich’s favourite team.  
Archive local news report from 1998 featuring Mark at the age of 77
 
“The Wild were headed to Duluth, from St. Pail Minnesota to have a practice scrimmage, and had heard about a 90 year old fellow still playing and wondered if he wanted to ‘try out’ for the team. I got on the ice with a couple of their players, and did some passing and shooting drills, taking some shots at the goalie and actually getting a couple of goals – I think he took it easy on me though.” 
 
 
Mark jokes it didn’t work out with the NHL team because of salary disagreements, but whole heartedly, he was just happy to get close to the players and connect with the team who he hopes make it to the Stanley Cup this season. 
 
Having started playing the sport in Minnesota, ice hockey has taken him to various states, namely Santa Rosa, California, where he played alongside teammate and famous Charlie Brown comic book artist, Charles “Sparky” Schulz. 
 
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“When I first went out to play in Santa Rosa, it was on a team that played against Charles’ ‘Diamond Icers”. A year or two later there was an opening on his team, and I was fortunate enough to be picked as a replacement. That lead me play several years on the same line as Sparky, which I considered quite an honour.” 
 
The pair bonded over their upbringing in Minnesota, and their service in Armoured Divisions during World War II. 
 
It seems like the friendship turned out to be a special one. Mark has an autographed, custom comic strip from the late Sparky himself. 
 
Oldest Ice Hockey Player
 
Today, Mark still plays, living up to the incredible record he set decades ago, and impressing many players who dare to join him for a casual game on the ice. 
 
Nonetheless, Mark can’t imagine doing anything different with his time, even at 95. 
 
“I don’t take any medication for pain, and hopefully never will. The easiest thing is just getting out there on the ice and playing.”  
 
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