Evelyn Mills, A Hockey Fan for 75 Years!

By Mailyn Vredegoor

What does a 93-year-old lady do for entertainment in the wintertime? If you are Evelyn Mills of Oyen, Alberta, and you have a love of hockey that she does, then it would be spending time at the local and surrounding hockey rinks.

Evelyn has been involved in hockey for the better part of 75 years. When she married in 1949, her husband Bill played and coached hockey. Hockey Night in Canada always had to be watched on the old black and white TV on a Saturday Night. It was a family affair.

L-R: Dominic Jones (Hanna), Evelyn Mills, Royce Jones (Hanna) and Sadie Rude (Oyen). PHOTO SUBMITTED

Bill and Evelyn had four boys in their family, and they all played minor hockey in the small town of Oyen. Times were different back in the 60s, 70s, and 80s, but the level of involvement was and still is what Evelyn liked and loved about the sport. Many games were watched in the cold, old rink in Oyen when the four boys played the sport. If it wasn't the boys playing hockey, it was time to go to the rink and watch the Senior Men's Hockey. It was such a social event back then.

Down through the years, Evelyn has watched her grandsons play the game. The most notable of these was the grandsons from Athabasca. Evelyn attended all of the Provincials that the three boys took part in, and it was one of the many highlights of her hockey watching. Billy and Sylvia Mills' three boys played in a total of 16 provincials throughout their different careers, and of those 16 tournaments, the Athabasca Winter Hawks took home an unprecedented 13 Gold and/or Silver Medals. Rory Mills, the youngest (now of Drumheller,) went to seven provincials and got a medal at each one. Not many towns can boast of such great success at Provincials. Most teams only hope to make it to provincials, let alone medal at so many. This was all in the 80s and 90s. This was all happening as Evelyn was in the stands, cheering her boys on! Her knowledge of the game and her competitive side really comes out when she is watching a game. Success at Provincials didn't stop with the grandsons. Great Grandsons Peyton and Owen Alix also won medals with the Winter Hawks. The latest was just this past March in the hometown of Athabasca, and yep, you guessed it, their number one fan was there.

Now, almost 75 years later, Evelyn still ventures to the Oyen rink to watch the game of hockey. Now, it is the next generations' time to hit the ice as Evelyn watches her great-grandchildren play the sport. Evelyn has 41 great-grandchildren, and probably a third of them play hockey; she has a wide range of games to watch. From U7 (Mites) to U18 (Midgets) and even the Oyen Senior Eagles Team, she has a kid on the team!

One of the many special things about having so many on your roster is that over the last two or three years, most of the great-grandkids played in the same league (Oyen, Hanna, Drumheller, Castor) or at least would make a trip to Oyen for an exhibition game. That means that they play each other in Evelyn's home arena.   

One must remember that nowadays the, girls are heavily involved in the sport of hockey. No different in the Mills Family. Granddaughter Chelsea Mills played very strong hockey in her hometown of Chestermere in the 90s. Today, Evelyn still has granddaughters playing hockey. Sadie Rude and Zaylynn Finkbeiner played each other in the Oyen Arena just a couple of weeks ago, and of course, Evelyn was there.

Some of the future draft stars on the Mills Team are still to be determined, as the next generation of great, great grandkids will undoubtedly join the team. And as the present lineup plays the sport, you can be sure that if the Good Lord willing, Evelyn will be in her spot in the Arena watching her team.

At the Oyen Arena, Evelyn has a certain spot in the lobby where she watches all the games. This has been her spot for many years, and people just know that if Evelyn is at the game, that is where she sits.

So, if you happen to go for a visit with Evelyn at the Oyen Lodge and she is not rocking in her rocking chair, you know where to find her. If she is not at the Arena, she could be watching the Oilers or the Flames on TV, so you might be able to watch a game with her.

As Evelyn turns 93 this Sunday, there will be no time to celebrate if there is a hockey game playing. But if 75 years taught Evelyn anything, hockey is the celebration! Happy Birthday to a great hockey fan!!! Go, Mills Team!