Westmount and Cape Ann hockey players renew old acquaintances

That first exchange saw Westmount teams head down to the Cape Ann area, which is comprised of small towns Gloucester and Rockport, Mass., to play a series of exhibition games. Later that season, the favour was repaid, as Cape Anne visited Westmount and explored Montreal.

It continued as such for the next 16 years, with the associations meeting annually or bi-annually in an effort to celebrate hockey as well as provide adolescents with the chance to experience life outside of their communities. In this spirit, most players bunked with host families during their stay away from home, often billeting with players they would line up against on the ice.

Deegan, now director of Westmount’s Sports & Recreation Department, credits Sal Grasso as the driving force behind the exchange. By all accounts, Grasso was a remarkable man. Reaching the level of master coach for youth hockey leagues, he was recognized as an accomplished painter and was a member of the Rockport Art Association. Not only was he able to pursue both these hobbies voraciously in his spare time, he was also a full-time employee of Catania-Spagna Corp. of Ayer, a manufacturer of cooking oil.

After Grasso was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s Disease in 1995, the exchange was renamed the Sal Grasso Friendship Tournament in honour of his dedication to youth hockey in Cape Ann. Sadly, he passed away in 2006 at the age of 60, leaving behind two siblings and two grown children, as well as a legacy as a great promoter of minor hockey in the United States.

After the 2003 exchange, there had not been any interaction between the two youth hockey programs until last season, when Westmount Sports Coordinator Steve Robaire arranged to bring the Atom A team he coached down to Massachusetts for a weekend of sports and activities. All went well, opening the door for the upcoming trip to Cape Ann.

This year will mark the 17th edition of the exchange. Westmount will be sending eight teams, ranging from Novice- to Midget-aged players, down from Feb. 29 through March 2. Each team will compete in two games against a corresponding team from Cape Ann.

The plan is to have some Cape Ann squads come to Westmount next season, cementing the return of the friendly exchange that ended four years ago, but still lives on in the minds of many members of the community who lived the experience themselves.