Love of competitive ice hockey is the magnet that has drawn the Old Crabs together for many years. The team started as a Fairfield / Westchester spin-off the St. Nick’s Club, the oldest amateur hockey club in the US. The original name of the club was the N.Y. Commuters and was managed by Artie Collins and former professional Chicago Blackhawk player, Eric Nesterenko. The team was primarily made up of professional men who had been outstanding hockey players in college, especially in the ivy leagues.

A year after organizing in 1977, the Commuters formed a travel team and began playing in tournaments in Canada and throughout the Northeast. Seven members of this original team played with the Olde Crabs as we know them today. Some of the original members of the Olde Crabs played for various local teams in Westchester, NY and Fairfield, CT.

Having played with and against each other for many years, the Olde Crabs Over 50 Team was formally organized in 1991, bringing together over twenty skaters to a single team. The Olde Crabs compete in tournaments throughout the U.S. and in Canada. Over the years, the various teams have successfully competed in The World Cup in Seattle as well as tournaments in Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Florida, Minnesota, North Carolina, Tennessee and California. At the Snoopy Senior World Tournament in California, the Crabs won the Gold Medal in the Over 60 Pig Pen Division in 2008 and in the 60A Division in 2024.

Today the Olde Crabs have grown to include fully developed 50+, 60+ and 70+ teams composed of working and retired professionals. The team’s home rink is the Danbury Connecticut Municipal Ice Arena, where from October to April, you can catch the Olde Crabs in intense Sunday afternoon scrimmages, competing against one another at a high level. In addition, throughout the year, the Olde Crabs manage a healthy travel and tournament schedule within the region and beyond. The “Crabbies”, as we are often referred to, take pride in their ability to skate competitively, their love for the game, as well as the comradeship developed over the years. As a team, we are active in reaching out to help those in need. Starting in 2005, proceeds from the Crabs tournament were dedicated to the American Diabetes Association in memory of one of our members. The American Diabetes Association encourages individual fitness and health no matter what the age. In 2008, an additional recipient of our work was the Connecticut Storm. The Storm was formed by a group of parents dedicated to helping children with disabilities learn to socialize and, despite their handicaps, grow into adults through the social and athletic interaction that ice hockey brings. We’re proud to sponsor the organization that provides children with a developmental disability from the age of five through young adults the opportunity to play ice hockey. Go Storm! Throughout the years, the Olde Crabs continue to add to the list of charities who benefit from our fundraising annually.

In 2023, the Crabs added an annual charity golf tournament to its fundraising efforts. The golf tournament is held at Richter Golf Course in Danbury and has been very successful.

Over the years, the Club continues to increase membership, win a tournament now and then, develop a strong fan base, and become a role model for many younger teams. Being an Olde Crab is not a bad thing when it comes to hockey in the NY/CT area. And as Badger Bob said, “It’s a great day for hockey”.