THEY’RE FIRED UP : Blazers and Flames, Two Teams Made Up of Firemen, Meet in Benefit Hockey Series

Firemen from 15 companies in Southern California were milling about the ice when 72-year-old Coach Art Brewster called the hockey practice to order.

Moments later, as Brewster sent them through their drills, bodies went flying across the ice, some the victims of hard body checks.

Obviously, things are heating up at the Iceland Arena in Paramount in preparation for the resumption of a 9-year-old rivalry between the Southern California Blazers and the San Francisco Flames.

This is strictly amateur hockey but the players--firemen, all--take it every bit as seriously as the pros.

“We practice every week and travel to other towns for games,” said Rich Grimm, a three-year veteran of the team. “We’re probably the closest-knit hockey team in Southern California.”

The Blazers, winners of five of the last seven series with their Bay Area counterparts, have won the last two in sudden-death overtime, and they have special incentive this time around.

This year’s best-of-three series, with games Sunday, Monday and Wednesday, all at 7:30 p.m. at the Iceland Arena, is being played in memory of Guy F. Baquet, a Blazer player who died of a heart attack while on duty in December of 1985.

“We’re going to put all our effort into this one,” said team President Mike Bryant. “We owe him this tournament.”

Part of the proceeds will be used to establish education funds for Baquet’s two daughters. The rest will go to the series’ permanent Southern California beneficiary, the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation in Canoga Park. A San Francisco burn foundation is the beneficiary when the series is played in alternate years in the Bay Area.

When the series began in 1971--the firemen played broom ball, rather than hockey, in those days--it raised about $500. This year’s series, thanks in part to corporate sponsors, is expected to raise about $17,000.

Despite the worthy cause, the rivalry is a genuine one and tempers will flare, as usual. After all, this is hockey.

“It gets very physical out there,” said team Capt. Gerry O’Hagan. “You see game faces out on the ice. Everyone hates to lose and we have a few fights every year, but they’re always left on the ice. We’ve never had any problems off the ice.”

Said 12-year team veteran Neal Shupe of the rivalry: “We get small trophies for winning, but this is for bragging rights.”