Wilmot Township is celebrating 70 years of local hockey.
The New Hamburg Firebirds were looking back at seven decades of history during their game Saturday night.
"We started in 1953, and New Hamburg was going through a rough time," said Bryan Pfaff, organizer of the Firebirds Booster Club. "We had lost our arena, it had burnt down, it took three years to rebuild it, and we were back on the ice. For the first time we had an arena that had artificial ice in it. This team has been on the ice every year since then.
The Firebirds invited former players and coaches as well as fans to mark the occasion at the Wilmot Recreation Complex in Baden.
"We've had many reunions, but this is our 70th, and we're really pleased to have so many people back to enjoy it," said Pfaff.
The group hosted an on-ice celebration before the Firebirds faced off against the Paris Mounties.
The team also unveiled its new 70th anniversary jerseys at the Saturday event.
