Expanded Canadian National Pond Hockey Championship opens January 26, 2007. Largest event of its kind in the country draws 1,200 players and even more spectators to Muskoka.
HUNTSVILLE, ON., January 15, 2007 - Deerhurst Resort Sports Director Mark O’Dell never let his pond hockey hopes melt in this uncommonly warm Ontario winter. “You’ve got to work hard, be patient and count on Mother Nature to come through with the freeze. We did, and now we’ve got over seven inches of ice.”
Thanks to the recent cold snap and some late-into-the-night teamwork, that ice will be hot under the onslaught of 200 flying feet when the pucks drop on 24 pond hockey rinks at 12:45 p.m. on January 26, opening the Source for Sports Canadian National Pond Hockey Championships at Deerhurst Resort.
For a while this winter, it looked like a canoe paddle would be far better than skates for an event on Muskoka's Sunset Bay. “Weather is a huge factor,” confirms O’Dell. “Ask anyone who plans outdoor events, especially in Canada, they’ll tell you it’s a lot of pressure. You always need a back-up.”
Even though they’ve achieved the minimum ice depth goal and won’t have to put their contingency plan of constructing ponds on the Deerhurst airstrip into play, the resort’s ice-making crew remains hard at work.
“We’ll stay out here every day, scraping and sweeping the surface, then watering at night,” says Deerhurst Assistant Chief Engineer Onil Plante. “We’re gaining about a solid quarter-inch a day which is great for the quality and durability of the ice.”
The level of enthusiasm for this two-year-old event also floors them. “It takes a lot of volunteers to make these championships happen,” notes O’Dell. “Many groups, like the Huntsville Fire Department, were on side to help us if we had to make alternate ice. And we’re counting on tons of support in running and coming out to watch the games, as well as hosting all the players.”
Backed by popular demand, organizers have boosted the event to two consecutive weekends this year. The January 26-28 Open Championships have long been sold-out with 32 women’s (doubled from 16 in 2006) and 104 men’s teams. The February 2-4 Masters competition will draw at least another 96 teams of seasoned skaters age 35 and older, netting a total of over 1,200 players.
It’s an event that’s definitely snowballed,” says Drive Marketing’s Neil Lumsden, executive director for the tournament. “We’ve got the conditions we need to build on last year’s success and provide an even bigger and better championships.”
On the ice, the game is four-on-four, with each team allowed one sub. A rink-side official stands outside the snow-banked ponds tracking the score during a pair of 15-minute periods. Measuring 75 by 150 feet (23 by 46 meters), or roughly two-thirds the size of a regulation rink, the ponds are crowded and the action close-up.
There are no goalies, slap shots or body checking in pond hockey. Instead it’s a largely uninterrupted match of speed and stick handling with quick wrist shots made on the fly. Goals and turnover come fast and football-like scores of 18-12 are largely the norm.
This year, teams with catchy names like A Few Good Hacks, Choo-Choo Bonewagon and Mighty Whale will come from as far away as Japan, California, Texas and British Columbia and as close as the host resort itself, which is fielding two teams, the Deerhurst Danglers and the Deerhurst Divas.
A few players are drawn by the limelight of a wooden first-place trophy that’s housed in the Hockey Hall of Fame right down the aisle from Canada’s holy grail, the Stanley Cup.
But for most it’s all about having fun, getting some fresh air and temporarily turning back the clock to simpler, childhood times. “In this country kids dream of playing hockey with the greats. And there’s a little bit of a kid in all of us,” says Deerhurst General Manager Joseph Klein.
“These Pond Hockey Championships and the community effort behind them capture the close-knit, outdoor kind of lifestyle of Muskoka,” notes Klein. Instead of just gathering around the TV set, family, friends and all kinds of people with a passion for hockey can come out and watch live pond games.
“Call it a pilgrimage, a party, a celebration of many things Canadian. We’ve got great hockey, snowmobiling, music, a sense of humour, plus jerseys, toques and beer of course,” says Klein. “And we’re really looking forward to seeing everyone out here together again at our frozen pond.”
PRE-GAME: Get the latest news and schedules at the event’s official site canadapondhockey.ca
PLAY TIME: Non-hockey fans can chill out with Deerhurst's 800 acres of sleigh rides, Hummer tours and dogsledding as well as downhill at neighbouring Hidden Valley Highlands Ski Area.
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(High resolution images available on request.)
ICE BOX Deerhurst Resort’s Rick Dingman sprays water onto Huntsville’s Sunset Bay Saturday in preparation for the Canadian National Pond Hockey Championships, which will be staged on 24 outdoor rinks at the resort starting January 26. Dingman and other Deerhurst engineering staff have been working late into the night on the massive hockey venue where over 1,200 international players are expected.
Deerhurst Resort is home to one of Muskoka’s earliest historic lodges, superstar Shania Twain’s recording discovery and the region’s first modern, 36-hole golf course development. Located on Peninsula Lake just east of the idyllic town of Huntsville, the resort is only 30-minutes from Algonquin Provincial Park and about two hours and two turns north of Toronto. Discover more or book your next getaway at www.deerhurstresort.com or 1-800-461-4393.
If you would like to obtain more information or reproduction quality photographs, please contact:
Anne White
Director Public Relations
T 416.566.9297
F 416.883.8975
awhite@deerhurstresort.com
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