Back on Meredith Bay, pond hockey tournament attracts thousands of fans, players

MEREDITH — Hockey isn’t just a sport, it's a lifestyle for many who grew up playing, and continued into adulthood.

Thousands made their way to Meredith Bay for the 17th New England Pond Hockey Classic last weekend, many who played together in their youth, and reignited that fire in a quest for the coveted Lake Winnipehockey's Cup.

“It was an awesome weekend,” said Scott Crowder, a Meredith resident and founder and commissioner of the annual tournament. “To think about the amount of people who came out to enjoy the event, the game, the whole spectacle, is amazing.”

About 2,200 participants on 265 teams competed on 26 rinks set up on Lake Winnipesaukee Friday morning for pool play, through Sunday afternoon’s championship games. Spectators attend the event for free, so it can be hard to measure turnout, but Crowder said at its peak Saturday, there must have been between 6,000 and 8,000 people.

Dan Teixeira is a member of ICE HOLES, the team who won the Men’s Open bracket for the second year in a row.

The ICE HOLES are friends from Boston's North Shore, towns like Saugus, Wakefield and Revere. They play in men’s leagues together, and look forward to classic year after year. Not only is it a weekend getaway with buddies to play hockey, but they also have a history of winning.

“We’ve been doing this since 2010, and won five times now,” Teixeira said Sunday. “We’re feeling really good about it. It was a lot of fun, and a lot of hard work, to get the win. But this is always fun. We love it every year.”

The skillsets and ages vary per team and division, but by the time Sunday semifinals and championship games hit, there was some fierce competition.

“It definitely gets a little chippy here and there, but it is all fun out here,” said Thomas Milne, who plays for Tony C’s Hockey Club, made up of eight friends from the Boston area.

Milne and two of his teammates, Jack Jay and Sean Savage, were taking a breather and watching some semifinals games before they took the ice. This was the third year the team competed, in the 21+ Shinny Division.

Shinny refers to any variation of pick-up hockey, including the pond or street varieties.

“We won it our first year, two years ago, lost in the semis last year, and we’ve got the semis today,” Jay said. “We grew up with rinks in the backyard at home, so this is awesome.”

Savage said players keep coming back, mainly to spend time together to play hockey like the good old days. Some were teammates in high school, but others grew up playing together on backyard rinks.

“We don’t play too much anymore, so it’s fun to get out here and have a good weekend with the boys,” Savage said.

Team Mini Winni is comprised of a group of friends from New England, who knew each other from their college days at Keene State College.

The Mini Winni players have plenty of ice experience. Lucas Poulin said they grew up playing on high school teams, and many went on to play together in college and men’s leagues.

Despite losing in the finals of the 21+ Shinny bracket, Mini Winni had a solid tournament. Poulin said the team went 4-0 and won their pool, and it was a tough road to the finals.

“One of them was a team that won it last year, and the other was the other team in the championship.”

Poulin said the tournament is a fun chance to not only play the game they love, but see old friends, and have something to look forward to in the doldrums of winter.

“It breaks up the monotony of winter,” Poulin said. “This is a great event. It’s put together really well.”

It was a party atmosphere Sunday, with music pumping from the stage as well as from pop-up tents and bob houses lined up adjacent to the rinks. There was also the Coors Light Chill Zone and tournament village, where players and spectators alike could crack a cold one, grab some food, and relax.

In between games, many players and their friends retreated to bonfires to warm up, or check out their competition.

“The vibe out there was really top notch,” Crowder said. “When you have days with high teens, low wind, and bluebird skies, it really makes for a special time.”

Kate and Andrew Stevens have only lived in the Laconia for a few years, heard about the tournament, and had to see what it was all about.

“We wanted to come and check it out, get the experience, and see what it’s all about, and maybe participate myself next year,” Stevens said. “It’s been a few years, so I’ve got to get back into shape.”

Kate said it was impressive, and a classic example of what New England winter is all about.

“We love winter and are enjoying all things winter,” she said. “We were down at the ice runway yesterday in Alton, and we’ll be getting on the slopes soon. I’m not a hockey player, but I love watching it, and being at events like this.”

Fletcher Fowler was with his 5-year-old son Knox, and his uncle Doug McBride, watching the championship between ICE HOLES and Dogs III on Rink 1. The Fowlers are from Portsmouth, and he said they are fortunate McBride lives on Lake Waukewan, only a stone’s throw away.

“This is quintessential New Hampshire,” McBride said.

In the past, the Fowlers and McBride have watched the tournament on Waukewan, and this was the first event they saw on Meredith Bay. Fowler is originally from Arizona, where temperatures could never allow for pond hockey. Visiting McBridge for the tournament has become something to look forward to each winter.

“It’s becoming a ritual,” Fowler said.

For a breakdown of all tournament results, visit pondhockeyclassic.com/2026-nephc-schedule-results.