One recent morning, Mike Duggan and his hockey buddies were donning their gear when, as often happens, their conversation turned to the topic of joint replacement surgeries.
Duggan, 74, the proud owner of an artificial hip, marveled at the large number of titanium body parts in the locker room. He nodded toward Mitch Boriskin, who was putting on a pair of skates along the opposite wall.
“I don’t think you have an original part,” Duggan said.
Boriskin, 70, smiled. “Two fake knees, a spinal cord stimulator, 25 surgeries,” he began, as if reciting from a score.
“And a lobotomy,” Duggan interjected, as laughter rippled through the room.
All that titanium, at least, was being put to good use. Their team, Oregon Old Growth, joined dozens of others from across North America to compete this month at the Snoopy Senior Hockey Tournament in Santa Rosa, Calif., about 60 miles north of San Francisco.