A pickup hockey league in Essex County has reached the half century mark and the founding members are excited to celebrate.

The “Friday Knights” have been on the ice since 1969, originally playing out of the old St. Clair Beach Arena on Manning Road.

The league moved to Belle River before finding its current home at Tecumseh Arena.

More than 150 players have been a Knight throughout the years, and the league is holding a reunion on May 4 at the Clubhouse Bar and Grill in Tecumseh.

“When you start something like that with a group of guys you don't think about 50 years ahead but it just happened,” says Ray Robinet, one of the original members. “Guys have kids playing and they just continued, picked it up.”

Robinet tells CTV Windsor he is glad the league has continued for so long.

“That's the best legacy you can have when something keeps going when you're not around anymore and some of us haven't been around for a long time,” admits Robinet. “It’s good.”

Members are currently planning a trip to play in Las Vegas, Nevada.

They have already taken their game on the road to different places in the United States such as Columbus, Nashville, Tampa Bay and an outdoor rink in Cleveland, Ohio.