At 5 feet 8 and 165 pounds, Takeuchi is not your typical brawny hockey player. He played roller hockey for two years, before gliding onto the ice.

"Ice hockey is more fast-paced and exciting," he said. "I love the physical aspect of it."

After fine-tuning his hockey skills in the Hawai'i Youth Hockey Program, Takeuchi attended a hockey camp in Alberta, Canada.

A scout from the Banff Hockey Academy invited Takeuchi to enroll in their boarding program. With the support of his mother, Takeuchi moved to Canada alone, and continued his hockey training at the academy. He also enrolled in an Alberta high school, from which he graduated in 2001.

Takeuchi earned a spot on a Junior B Level team, which is just below the semi-professional level, and was sponsored to play for teams in Canada and New York.

He decided to return to Hawai'i and is now a sophomore at the University of Hawai'i majoring in kinesiology. He continues to play in the A League of Hawai'i Adult Hockey League.

Takeuchi's introduction to the sport can be traced to the efforts of John Beck, 48, the general manager of the Ice Palace in Salt Lake.

"We started hockey in Hawai'i 21 years ago," Beck said. "There were 80 players divided into seven teams at the time. Now we have about 125 players in two adult leagues."

The A League is for players with advanced skills, and the B League leans to the recreational level.

The Hawai'i Adult Hockey League is organizing the Third Annual Hawai'i Ice Hockey Challenge, Nov. 14.

Former NHL players, including Ian Turnbull (Toronto Maple Leafs), Bill Ranford (a two-time Stanley Cup goalie with the Edmonton Oilers), Murray Craven (Philadelphia Flyers), Reed Larson (Detroit Red Wings) and Ken Linseman (Boston Bruins) are scheduled to attend. Also scheduled are celebrities Alan Thicke (from the TV show "Growing Pains") and Michael Ontkean ("North Shore") in a benefit for the Hawai'i Youth Hockey Program.

The event will feature a morning clinic for kids and adults. The premier event will be a contest between NHL Alumni/Celebrity All Stars and the Hawaiian Airlines Jets.

While it hasn't been decided which team he will play on, Takeuchi is excited to add to his hockey memories by playing with former NHL players.

Although the Hawai'i Hockey Challenge was intended to benefit youth hockey in Hawai'i, its reach extended in drawing adults into the game like Takeuchi, Milton Medeiros and Martin Hsia.

Medeiros, 48, of Kailua has been playing ice hockey for four years.

"My son and daughter were into roller hockey, so eventually we decided to look into ice hockey," he said. "My son has been playing ice hockey for a while, so the coach (Kenneth Perel) wanted the parents to become more involved with the youth team. So, I started to play in the adult league instead."

First, Medeiros had to learn to skate. He now plays in the B League for The Ladies & the Tramps.

Hockey requires stamina, quick reflexes, and excellent hand-eye coordination. A player must be attentive in not losing track of the hard rubber puck flying about the rink.

Medeiros, who operates his own home repair business, said his secret to staying in hockey shape is his job.

"My construction work keeps me in shape, and I also play volleyball, as well as practice hockey twice a week," he said.

Hsia, 47, a Honolulu attorney who has played hockey for 33 years, explains that hockey provides him with, "terrific exercise, lots of fun, and the thrill of scoring."

Hsia was born in London, but "grew up in Connecticut and played recreational hockey in high school and intramural in college."

To complement his training, Hsia tries to fit tennis into his fitness routine twice a week.

Perel, 35, has been involved in hockey for 32 years. The New Jersey native played for his team at Union College.

Perel's primary role now is mostly as a coach for youths and adults.

"I am generally on the ice nearly 20 hours per week coaching," said the business developer for Oceanit.

Tom Gorence, 47, a former NHL player with Philadelphia and Edmonton, is one of the Challenge's organizers.

"We're also excited about continuing the promotion of ice hockey in Hawai'i," he said. "We want to see this event continue to build with the hope that other charities can benefit down the road."

The event is sponsored by Hawaiian Airlines and the Hawai'i Prince Hotel and Golf Club Waikiki.

Larry Payne, 33, who grew up in Calgary, Canada, and is now a pilot with Hawaiian Airlines, is team captain for The Jets.

Payne has played hockey since an early age in Calgary.

"When it's 40-below zero and ice everywhere, hockey just seemed like the logical thing to do," he said.

Nonetheless, Payne played collegiate hockey in the desert for Arizona State University.

Over the years, Payne has absorbed his share of punishment on the ice, but still professes a love for the sport.

"I've had my nose broken, jaw broken, black eyes, and stitches," he said, "but I think every guy would agree when you finally retire, the thing you miss the most is the camaraderie."