Loving hockey in Vallarta-Nayarit, Mexico
The NHL Playoffs are into the final round, but here on the Bay of Banderas, the road hockey season will continue until long after the last two NHL teams have taken to the golf course. The die-hards will soldier on into the summer, pausing only for the few rare weeks that we can’t muster two teams for “Road-” Hockey Night in Bucerias.
If I haven’t tipped you off already, there is an inordinate number of Canadians living in Vallarta-Nayarit (More on this later). When fellow Canadian Glenn Newell, owner of YoYo Mo’s Sports Bar in Bucerias, polled his regulars about the idea of getting sticks together for some road hockey, the reply was a unanimous “count me in, eh!” In Glenn’s words:
“In the summer of 2009, I contacted Tom Toole, of Punta Mita and Indiana, and arranged for him to bring us hockey sticks on his return trip to Mexico. He did so, and two dozen sticks, plus 2 goalie sticks, arrived at Yoyo Mo’s in the fall of 2009. We lined the sticks up along the back wall of the garden at Yoyo’s.
And looked at them for two years.
During late summer of 2011, YoYo Mo’s manager Tony decided it was time to start playing hockey. We carried four bricks to the Bucerias town square (our “nets”) and started playing.
After a couple of weeks, John Beaker, former owner of Bucerias Garden, found a guy and put him to work constructing two nets, using pvc pipe and fishing net.
We started playing every Tuesday at the plaza, then added Saturday to the schedule. Late last fall we added Thursday and it continues three days per week, (on the basketball court at the town’s baseball / soccer / basketball complex).”
I’m not quite as rabid a player as some of these guys – my knees are only contracted for one game a week, and I don’t dare push it.
Check out Glenn’s BHL (Bucerias Hockey League) updates on Yoyo Mos’ Facebook page– very entertaining!
Speaking of knees, recent guests here at the Inn, from Seattle and Redondo Beach CA, have pointed out (rather ungraciously, I might add) that I’m not getting any younger. Apparently, I may want to consider physical activities which are more forgiving than road hockey. Outrigger Canoeing was suggested, as it’s easier on the hips and knees, and like road hockey, it has great teamwork and social components. Coincidentally, both sports feature post-game (race) strategy reviews, (beer and BS). Let’s face it, boys, we’re here for the beer.
Stay tuned, but I think Bahia de Banderas would be a great place to initiate the sport in Mexico, where outrigger canoe racing is virtually unheard-of. For a teaser about this sport, go to
Of course, there are many other great things to do here on the Bay – we’ll get to them over time – but until the Stanley Cup Playoffs are over, I have the remote control in a death-grip.
Hasta la Proxima! CB
Chris and Cindy Bouchard semi-semi-retired to the Puerto Vallarta area in 2009. Chris is a area real estate agent (chris@remaxplayalacruz.com ) and Cindy runs their Beachfront Boutique Inn, Villa Amor del Mar. Come play with us!
