But not before a great deal of exercise, period.

Ridley, far and away the most accomplished hockey player at the senior AAA national championships last week, said he wouldn't have been able to compete if not for three months of hard work leading up.

But after he emerged victorious with the host Powell River Regals, he said he could close another chapter in his hockey career in a satisfying way.

"I think I'm totally retired now," he said after scoring twice in Powell River's 7-1 win over the Whitby Dunlops in the championship game. "It's been a lot of hard work and it's really paid off for me here. It's been a lot of fun, a great experience."

Ridley, who will turn 43 in July, never did officially retire from the NHL when a back injury forced him out nine years ago. In fact, he hadn't played anything more than recreational hockey since 1997, when he suited up for just four games with the Manitoba Moose of the International Hockey League.

Not, that is, until about three months ago, when friends Misko Antisin and Randall Smisko convinced him to join them on the Regals.

"I worked really hard for three months to get back to this level," Ridley said. "It's good hockey. Just because you played in the NHL awhile ago doesn't mean you can come in and dominate. I had to work very hard to do what I did out here."

Ridley moved from Winnipeg, where he was born, to Kelowna, B.C., two years ago with wife Christine and their three children. So, with the Allan Cup being held nearby and the competitive juices still flowing, he decided to give it one more try.

"Obviously as a professional hockey player, a Stanley Cup is number one," he said. "I tried for 12 years to win it and never had the chance. I never thought I would ever have an opportunity like this."

Ridley, who was signed as a free agent by the New York Rangers in 1985, had a productive NHL career with 758 points in 866 games. He was an all-star in 1988-89, when he had 41 goals and 89 points with the Washington Capitals.

In four games at the Allan Cup tournament, Ridley scored four goals and added an assist.