There was some great hockey action at the Drumheller Memorial Arena last Tuesday, September 6, as the Drumheller Avalanche Senior team was embroiled in an international hockey match.
The Chiemgau Oldies were in Drumheller for a one-night appearance. This is an oldtimer team from Inzell, Germany. The team has been playing for over 34 years together, and it is not uncommon for them to participate in international play. In fact, the team is familiar with Drumheller, and at one time faced off against the Drumheller Fire Department.
Rudi Kreiner is a member of the Oldies. “2006 was the last time our team was here. We did a tour then from Calgary to Vancouver, but Drumheller is famous, so they came,” said Kreiner. “We tried to do this trip last year, but COVID screwed it all up. So when we restarted it in January to try for this year, a bunch of guys jumped ship, so we had to get a few extra guys. We have two from Berlin who we have met at tournaments and two guys from Saltzberg. and a guy from Nuernberg.”
Kreiner grew up in Canada but went to Germany to play as a young man, and has been there since.
The Chiemgau Oldies has been around since 1988 and have done many Canadian tours, including through Ontario. On this trek, they started in Calgary and toured through Southern Alberta and the Crowsnest Pass. They eventually made it to Golden B.C., where they played their first game of the tour. In fact, the team from Golden has travelled to Europe twice to play.
From there, they went to Jasper and played in Hinton and then Whitecourt. The last three nights, they were in Edmonton to play the Vintage Club.
While in Drumheller, they headed to the Royal Tyrrell Museum and also on a canoeing trip. In total, they played 6 games in 14 days and wound up their trip in the valley.
On Tuesday night they played the Avalanche in the Fall Classic Benefit Game and offered free admission and a silver collection for the Drumheller Salvation Army Foodbank. In all, they collected $570.
Kriener said international play among senior teams is very popular. The Inzell Oldies often hosts clubs from all over the world, and travel companies even arrange such excursions.
Josef Binder is the Captain of the team and said the reason they wanted to play here was, “For the German hockey players it is a dream to play hockey in the motherland of hockey.”
As far as the score goes, the Oldies won 6-3, but the experience for the players was more valuable than winning.

The Dragons have been busy this week in the heart of preseason exhibition play.
On Wednesday, September 7, the Dragons were in Brooks to take on the Bandits. Brooks didn’t waste any time and scored 40 seconds in. Adam Raesler answered back eight minutes later on the powerplay, but Brooks led 2-1 after one.
Brooks added another early in the second, but Hayden Prosofsky added one to bring it closer and Kai Matthew tied it up unassisted. That lasted about 15 seconds before the Bandits scored again, leading 4-3 after two.
The Dragons and Bandits traded goals through the third period with Prosofsky adding his second and Will Christian adding another. Two unanswered goals down the homestretch sealed the Dragons’ fate as the Bandits went on to an 8-5 win. The Dragons outshot Brooks 38-33.
On Friday, September 9 the Dragons were back on home ice to take on the Calgary Canucks. Calgary led after the first period with a lone goal, but Coy Pighin tied it up in the second. In the third period, the Dragons went on a tear with thee goals coming from Jacob Goudreau, Ty Daneault and Caden Heins, as the Dragons went on to a 4-1 win.
The next night the two teams were once again face to face, this time in Calgary. This time Ryan Duguay took the lead for the Dragons after one with a short-handed goal. Calgary tied it up after two. In the third period, Vann Yuhas put the Dragons up 2-1 but Calgary tied it back up to force overtime. Tanner Dawkins scored his second of his exhibition season just 17 seconds into the first overtime for a 3-2 win over Calgary.
On Sunday, September 11, the Dragons were in Olds to play the Grizzlys. Previously the Dragons shut out the Grizzlys in the first game of the exhibition season, and Olds didn’t forget. Raesler took the lead for the Dragons 3:01 into the game, but Olds tied it up. Raesler scored his second as the Dragons went ahead 2-1 after one. Olds caught fire in the second adding three goals, and one more in the third and went on to a 5-2 win.
The Regular Season begins for the Dragons this Friday, September 16, as they head to Canmore. Their home opener is Saturday, September 17 against the Brooks Bandits.