yes , I`m an even older player , 62.... BUT when I played we had a 56 yr old playing with us, v.p. for Shell here in houston, granted he wasnt the fastest , but I give him credit for just tying the skates on! Also on my team we had a couple of retired pro players ,the Danish Jan and Paul Popeil , and "Heinze" formerly from LA Kings.... I used to change next to Heinze , and the last thing he would do after changing ,he`d take his teeth out and put them in his bag!
"Keep your stick on the ice!" I like that...one of my few "damages" I really got was from someone putting a stick thru my upper lip! Not very nice! (But I scored on that shot! = worth it!) luckily my dentist who also was our referee had his medical bag with him and his nurse as his date... he got me stiched up on the ice ,he didnt want to take the time to get off the ice ,he wanted to stich me while I was still numb... he told his nurse to sit on her knees, then to me, "put you head in her lap, look into those beautiful eyes, and you wont even know I`m stiching you up" and he was right! next day was BAD though...couldnt laugh w/o holding my mouth ,it streched = hurt...so everyone was telling me jokes!!!
(But I scored on that shot! = worth it!) luckily my dentist who also was our referee had his medical bag with him and his nurse as his date... he got me stiched up on the ice ,he didnt want to take the time to get off the ice ,he wanted to stich me while I was still numb... he told his nurse to sit on her knees, then to me, "put you head in her lap, look into those beautiful eyes, and you wont even know I`m stiching you up" and he was right! 
