By 2009, the Cowboys were no longer the same team. After so many year of boasting active players from the original team, Doug Collins was the sole remaining skater from the 1979 team and it was clear that his years, if not games were numbered. Cowboy II was holding up the fort for the youth, but if was becoming questionable as to whether the Original team would be able to hold out long enough for the kids to join them. Things just were not the same for the team, and while things always change, there was something missing in the room. The heart had gone out of the team.

In earlier years, efforts were made to form a new squad of older players with hopes of bringing some players out of retirement to join the Richmond Old Timers league, but the application had been denied. But finally, at a very critical time, the ROTHC agreed to allow the Cowboys to join for the 2009-2010 season.

Old blood breathed new life into the Cowboys in a way that is difficult to explain. Many retired players did return, including some that not been in a Cowboy inform for as much as 25 years, such as Bill May, Dave May and Terry Dennis. There were new old players as well that never officially played for the Cowboys, but Cowboys all the same, such as Rick May, Ed Whitby, and Stacey Meada, to name a few. Erick Neilson stood between the posts for the first time in league play for the Old Boys and all recent Cowboy retirees suited up once again.

Having the old cowboys back did something for the overall Cowboys operation. Just having these guys back in the building seemed to inspire the original team and it become clear that the Cowboys were going to be around for a long time to come.