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February 2009
Affordable North: 3rd Annual U.P. Pond Hockey Championship

Affordable North: 3rd Annual U.P. Pond Hockey Championship

See 103 teams play hockey on St. Ignace's Moran Bay.

Feb 17, 2009

Head to St. Ignace this weekend to see 103 teams vie for the title of pond hockey champion. The sport celebrates a return to hockey’s roots, where 4-man teams (no goalie) play outdoors on 14 rinks on Moran Bay. No checking is allowed, and the puck must stay on the ice, so "it's much more of a passing game, more finesse," says tournament coordinator Mark Sposito. The 24-30 inches of ice on the bay assures safety and good play. (Volunteers groom the rinks with a Zamboni.)

And the price is right: free.

The only event with a ticket price is Friday night’s game between an alumni Red Wings team and last year’s pond hockey champion and runner-up teams. Tickets are $10 each, limited number available and going fast for the indoor game. Call 800-338-6660.

Pond hockey is seeing a resurgence across the Upper Midwest, Sposito says. Minneapolis started a pond hockey championship three years ago and this year had to cut off registration at 248 teams; Eagle River, Wisconsin, signed up 160 teams this year. And St. Ignace registration doubled from the 50 signed up in 2008.