Leaving it all on the table

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This article was published 27/03/2015 (4053 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There were highs and lows as competitors squared off in a round robin tournament, then through a gruelling single-elimination round to the final. But in the end, only one challenger remained to hoist the cup.

On March 22, the Winnipeg Table Hockey League (WTHL) held its fourth annual Challenge Cup at the Club Regent Casino. The tournament, featuring competitors from across Winnipeg, was held as a  friendly, fun-filled charity event, benefitting CancerCare Manitoba.

“We had a blast,” Sal Capizzi, president of the WTHL, said following the round robin tourney, which raised over $1,100 for CancerCare.

Founded in 1989, the WTHL is “comprised of table hockey players and enthusiasts residing in Winnipeg.” Capizzi, his older brother Tony, cousins Mike and Antonio Capizzi, and their childhood pals Brian Clement and Zachary Mesman were the “Original Six” members of the league. After playing against each other for so long, they finally started keeping score and tracking stats in an “official” capacity in 1989.

“When we were young this was our game,” Capizzi, 48, explained. “Video games were only just starting, so we got into the table hockey.”

Word soon spread by way of other friends and acquaintances to the 24 players involved in the league today.

“When the internet came up, it helped other table hockey leagues connect,” Capizzi said. “That really helped the game.”

Today, there are organized table hockey leagues across Canada, the U.S., and Europe, many of whom are members of the International Table Hockey Federation. While it is encouraging to connect online with other table hockey enthusiasts — to source tables and parts, connect for tournaments, and generally share a love of the game — Capizzi admits it gets a little lonely out here in the heart of the continent.

“We’re kind of stuck here in Winnipeg in the middle,” Capizzi said, explaining that the closest competing league is in Edmonton.

While most games are played on Capizzi’s custom Carleco table—manufactured in Quebec by Carlo Bossio to recreate the classic look and play of the classic Coleco tables of the 1970s and ‘80s, yet hold up to extensive wear and tear over the years—there really is no “standard” table for WTHL action.

“What makes our league different, we like to use all different games. Other leagues have one standard, or one or two. I find the problem (with that) is that one guy dominates at that game,” Capizzi said.

“Some players like bubble hockey, some like Coleco,” he continued. “I have games ranging from 1954 through to 2000s. All 24 guys make the playoffs but it’s single game elimination. The lower seeded guys pick the game they play on. This year, there were some upsets, which makes it more exciting.”

Most WTHL games are played in the winter, an excuse for the guys to get together, to “help beat the winter blues.” He and his brother even held a “Winter Classic” on Jan. 1, playing a tilt to coincide with the NHL’s Blackhawks and Capitals outdoor game.

“During the intermission, we went out and played a game outside at -26!” Capizzi recalled with a chuckle.

Throughout the year, Capizzi hosts many of the games himself at his Canterbury Park home.
“We don’t play for money. Whoever wins gets bragging rights till the next season,” Capizzi said. “We’re here for a good time.”

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