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was politely and tactfully turned down. "Can you imagine if we showed up with Igor Larionov?" Ford laughed. "We'd be run out of town on a rail. Plus, we have a core group of guys that we love to play with." As one would imagine, carving out time to hit the rink can be a challenge for any busy person, but especially for one occupy- ing a top position with one of Detroit's Big Three automotive companies. But for every adult player making the annual pilgrimage to northern Wisconsin, it's all hockey, all the time once they set foot in Eagle River. "I can't think about Ford Motor Company or the Detroit Lions when I'm out here. If I do I'm in a snow bank pretty quickly," said Ford, who is also vice chairman of the NFL franchise. "I CAN'T THINK ABOUT FORD MOTOR COMPANY OR THE DETROIT LIONS WHEN I'M OUT HERE. IF I DO I'M IN A SNOW BANK PRETTY QUICKLY." — BILL FORD, AUTOMOBILE EXECUTIVE, NFL FRANCHISE OWNER AND POND HOCKEY ENTHUSIAST particularly when it's somebody that you care about," Ford said of his son, Will, a sophomore forward at Princeton. "He's a lot better than I ever was, but I Far from the pressures of the boardroom, the laid back setting away from the ice and the competitive atmosphere on it offers Ford the opportunity to step back in time to when he grew up playing shinny hockey on Lake St. Clair in the suburbs of Detroit. After playing hockey from Squirts through high school, Ford put the sport aside as he pursued an education at Princeton University (where he played rugby) before embarking on the family business. It wasn't until years later that the great grandson of Henry Ford redis- covered his passion for the game. "I love the game and I love to play the game, but I also love to watch the game, wouldn't tell him that. I have a blast watch- ing him play." Here in Eagle River, Ford enjoys the freedom to be just another passionate soul looking to rediscover his hockey roots. Not that he hides his company pride; the team's jerseys are emblazoned with a large Ford emblem. He's also more than willing to talk about trucks, the Lions and especially about hockey. As long as it doesn't get in the way of the puck dropping. "I've signed everything from snowmobiles to engine blocks on people's cars, but it's all good," Ford said. Over the years, Ford and his friends have continued their practice of winning as they have met all challenges while advancing in age divisions. Still, as word continues to bring more competitive teams to the tourna- ment, it gets harder to leave the pond with the championship hardware. Whether it's leading the family business and his beloved home state back into pros- perity or winning a pond hockey game, it's the competitive drive that keeps Ford on top of his game. "There are a lot of Ford fans here and a lot of people drive F-150s. There are a few Lions fans, too. People are great. They all just want to come up and tell me about the first Mustang they ever owned, and that's very cool. I love that." "My teammates and I were talking about how crazy is it that at age 50 something that we're all getting butterflies in our stomachs about playing. That says something about how much we enjoy it," he said. "Obviously the whole world doesn't care what we do up here, but we do. It does take your mind off of work, and I come back from this incredibly refreshed and can't wait to sign up for next year. "And as long as my body holds out, I'll keep doing this." N USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM APRIL/MAY.2012 21