THS_004_Interview with Rick Benej, Part 1 of 5

Season 2, Episode 1 – Interview with Rick Benej

Episode run time 30 minutes

This episode pays homage to Rick Benej, founder and manfacturer of the “Benej” table hockey game. It is part one of five parts (1 of 5 parts).

The other four parts of the interview will be spread over the 2022-23 ice and table hockey season.

After close to 40 years, Rick has retired. As he wrote on the main page of his website, www.TableHockey.com, “If any company is interested in my design, making wonderful games, please contact me.” —Rick @ TableHockey (dot) com .

Podcast Notes for Kick Off of Season 2, Episode 1 (THS_004)

Notes from the Introduction

Eight years have elapsed since the last episode of the Table Hockey Show.

Thank You’s:

• John Fayolle, SoHo Table Hockey LLC, Manhattan
• Carlo Bossio, Quebec
• Patrick Cote, Quebec
• Jeremy Davis, Connecticut
• Shawn Smith, Maryland
• Anthony & Kristin Peake, Michigan
• Ron Marsik, Illinois,
• Reggie Stefaniszcyn, Edmonton, Alberta
• Ajit Sarma, Anaheim, California
• Sukhdev Raj, India

And, the communities and members of the:

• Sports Events and Tourism Association (USA) 
• Sport Tourism Canada

The World Table Hockey Association is the Events Rights Holder in the USA and Canada.

Value

The Table Hockey Show’s goal this season, 2022-23, is to provide you, our listeners, with value.

How so?

Collectors & Preservation

If you collect table hockey or ice hockey items…whether jerseys, books, posters, et cetera we will provide you with information and/or experts who can explain how to preserve those items. For example, how to stabilize paper.

Collectors & Investing

What should you consider when collecting or investing in table or ice hockey items? Is it autographed? Is is a reproduction of an autograph? Is it a jersey or item you had signed by, for example, an NHL player? Or is it an item an NHL player wore during a game? Was it autographed? What is the quality of the autograph? All of this factors into the price and future potential value of the item.

Interviews – for this season

• Rick Benej, Creator and Manufacturer of what is affectionately known as the “Benej” Table Hockey Game. www.TableHockey.com
• Jeremy Davis, SuperChexx “Bubble” Hockey Champion over many years. 
  • Most recently, Champ of the Washington Capitals’ Bubble Hockey Tournament this past Spring 2022, brainchild of Lee Seiler, Hilton Hotel — “Hotel of the Washington Capitals” Downtown Washington DC. Read more at WTHA.com
• Edgars Caics, Stiga’s International Champion. Read more at WTHA.com
• Carlo Bossio, custom Coleco and now SoHo Classic Champion over many years. Read more at WTHA.com
• Olga Dolonina, influential and an ambassador of the sport in the Ukraine. Read more at WTHA.com

Over the course of this season, we will have guests including players, collectors, event organizers, manufacturer’s and craftsmen. Or, in some cases, we may not interview but focus the show on such people as Stan Fischler.

Stan Fischler

A multi-TV Emmy winner, last fall inducted into the US Hockey Hall of Fame (where I was present), writer of 100+ books on ice hockey, known by everyone who knows ice hoc