Pond Hockey

[Easy Drifter]

The world's largest pond hockey tournament is taking place in Huntsville, On. this weekend.
Played outdoors on a frozen lake it is a little different from regular hockey. Body checking is not allowed. There is no goalie and the nets are only 6 inches high so no raised shots. It is growing in popularity by leaps and bounds. There are tournaments all winter long everywhere in Canada.
This weekend there are more than 2,000 players! Teams are of all ages and of both sexes with many mixed teams. For many towns and cities that are very tourist oriented it is a great way to bring money in during what is normally a very slow time of year.
Even the NHL is having outdoor games.
Many Cdn. kids still learn to skate and play hockey on backyard rinks or frozen lakes and ponds.
If you look at the rosters of major league teams you will find very few players come from major cities.

[A.F.F.]

:up:

I wish we would have something similar.

[DonJippo]

Damn and all we have is this http://www.suopotkupallo.fi/index.php?c_la=en :dozey:

[Easy Drifter]

Pond Hockey has really taken off in the last 4 or 5 years. More and more winter carnivals held near a lake are having tournaments.
This one in Huntsville is held at Deerhurst Resort. There are 290 teams.
It packs the local hotels and resorts and the restuarants and bars are also packed in what is usually a fairly dead time.

A Tim Hortons Coffee shop commercial has the Pittsburgh Penguins bus breaking down and super star Sidney Crosby getting off and joining a pond hockey game. Kids are awestruck. As he gets back on the bus a dad comes up with a tray of Hortons coffee and says 'Did I miss anything?'
For those who do not know Tim Horton was a star defenceman for the Toronto Maple Leafs (when they did win the Stanley Cup) and Buffalo Sabres. He started the chain which is by far the largest in Canada.

[A.F.F.]

That's very clever idea. Where everybody wins :up:

[A.F.F.]

We have a similar tournament annually every summer with soccer in Helsinki.

Hesa cup: http://www.helsinkicup.fi/Default.aspx?tabid=346&skinsrc=/portals/5/skins/HC/HC_EN brings thousands of kids from every corner of the planet, both boys and girls to play soccer. All the hostels, motels and schools are packed up with no vacancy.

I don't know why there can't be a tournament for pond hockey too, if not international, then national.

[schmenke]

Damn and all we have is this http://www.suopotkupallo.fi/index.php?c_la=en :dozey:

Why are all the fun sports are in Finland :p :

[Easy Drifter]

The Tounament in Huntsville takes place on 2 successive weekends. The teams are true amatuers and pay their own way, with maybe some help from sponsors in their own communities. There are teams from most of Canada plus some from the US.
One Cdn. team has a recent immigrant from England who can barely skate, but it got him on TV. It is really just for fun.
Losing the puck in a snowbank is common.
There are many more tournaments held across Canada of varying sizes. Some only have a 6 or 7 teams. There are quite a few US teams who do come up.
It, so far, seems to be a mostly Eastern Cdn. thing. There may be tournaments in Western Canada but I have not heard of any.
A mild spell can make a mess of things. Last year the Huntsville tournament had problems getting all the games in with water on the ice for many games.
The Orillia one had to be cancelled because of unsafe ice.
This year the major worry was frostbite with -30c temps with the windchill.
Spectators are largely families and friends of the players.

[Easy Drifter]

Most of the players here are adults of every size, age and condition. There are mixed teams of male and female and some all female teams.
As I said it is just for fun and bragging rights.

[Jag_Warrior]

I know almost nothing about hockey, but I've got to ask: has anyone ever left the ice with fewer players than they started with?

Because I grew up on a farm, when I hear the words "pond" and "ice", I instantly get nervous.

[Easy Drifter]

There have been no accidents I am aware as far as going into the water.
More than a few bruises and aches and pains, some self inficted in the evening.
There are medical staff on hand and probably ice rescue teams.
However the organizers will check the ice conditions by boring holes to see ice thickness to ensure it is thick enough.
As mentioned last year's event at the Orillia Winter Carnival was cancelled because of ice conditions on Lake Couchicing.
Ice can never be 100% safe but the organizers are careful. The areas picked have little currrent so conditions stay pretty stable.
Snow can be a problem so organizers will try and keep the area where the games are to be played clear of heavy snow in the weeks before the event. Some snow is needed as that marks out the playing surface.

[A.F.F.]

Because I grew up on a farm, when I hear the words "pond" and "ice", I instantly get nervous.


Did you ever hear Vanilla Ice's Ice Ice Baby on radio? That would have made you twice as nervous :D

[A.F.F.]

At Easy Drifter. Are all those tournaments on ponds? None of them are in outside rinks? Or is the idea to hold them on natural ice?

[Mark in Oshawa]

These tourneys are always on lakes and when you see pictures of the "rinks" set up they are all plowed with snowploughs and cover acres. You can have 25 or 50 separate playing areas all separated by snowbanks.

Jag...as for feeling nervous...believe me we are nothing on that ice. If you watch Ice Road Truckers on Discovery, you realize the massive weight ice can take. Thousands of people could be out on that lake and the ice wouldn't even move.

These tourneys are all popping up but the first really big one was down in Plaster Rock New Brunswick and it was the first big one...the WORLD Championship as they claimed when it started. Not sure where this will end up but it is all designed to be for fun mainly and usually for charity. It is the roots of hockey to be played outside on natural ice which for anyone who has skated outdoors knows it is a different feeling. The ice is crisper and it feels easier to skate on.

[Easy Drifter]

More on lakes than ponds. I do not know how many rinks there are at Huntsville but with over 200 teams? It is played on the Lake of Bays.
Some of the smaller tournaments might be on large ponds but none are on proper outdoor rinks.
They often flood the area where the games are played to smooth the ice and thicken it. Munincipal Works or the Fire Dept. often help. Lake ice is rarely smooth naturally.
There are lots of outdoor rinks especially in small towns but even the large cities have them. Toronto has quite a few and the reflective pool in front of City Hall is turned into a skating rink in winter. No Hockey on it.
Some of the outdoor rinks (not many) have ice making equipment but most are natural.
Almost every small town has backyard rinks built by enthusiastic parents. Some are reasonably large and often host neighborhood games and skating parties with the neighbors helping. Large backyards are common outside the cities.

[Daniel]

Why are all the fun sports are in Finland :p :

To add to the list of fun sports in Finland :)
http://www.savonlinnafestivals.com/en_index.htm

[Easy Drifter]

Google Pond Hockey and go the World Championships from Plaster Rock NB.
Then go to teams and see where they are from and their names.
Brazil, Bermuda, Cario, Eygpt, Beverley Hills and so on. Some of the names are pretty funny.
From all over NA. including the Cdn. Northwest Territories and Fla. and Calif. and everywhere in between.

[Easy Drifter]

World Championship games are on this weekend in New Brunswick!