Enjoying the 'sacred experience' of pond hockey

MEREDITH — With 275 teams, 2,200 participants, 10,000 spectators, 26 hockey rinks and 500 games to think about, Scott Crowder already was plenty busy in organizing the ninth annual New England Pond Hockey Classic. Then his job got even more complicated.

He and his workers were busy on Thursday, clearing rinks covered with snow that began falling overnight. More snow was expected Saturday night and Sunday.

The games began Friday on Meredith Bay and they conclude with the championship Sunday afternoon. There is no charge to attend.

With live music, food and even a skate-in beer garden, the event has grown into a yearly happening that is a shot in the arm to the local economy at an off-peak time of year.

“This tournament breathes a little life into the town and brings people into the area,” said Crowder, founder of the event. “It's a good thing. Local businesses and people who live here enjoy it.”

Restaurants, bars and businesses offering overnight accommodations benefit from the tournament.

“Hotels, house rentals, a lot of different lodging establishments are full,” he said. “Having people in their beds is great.”

Busy weekend

When they're not on the ice, the hockey players and fans keep local establishments busy during a time of year that is typically lean.

The Looney Bin, a bar in The Weirs section of Laconia, will be slammed all weekend, said owner Michelle Tyo.

"It’s incredible, it’s huge," Tyo said about the tournament. "We sponsor our own team, they’re always here, they bring their friends... Everybody stops in when they’re in town. Even for lunch, we’re mobbed."

|he Bob House and Reel 'N Tavern, a couple of towns away in Moultonborough, will also see a boost during the hockey tournament.

"Weekends, especially Saturday, late afternoon, we definitely see an increase," said Megan Mills, owner. She'll see extra business during both the hockey tournamant and, next weekend, the Greater Meredith Rotary Ice Fishing Derby. "We staff extra on these weekends... Pond hockey and fishing derby are great for us in the winter time."

Good ice 

One key ingredient for the tournament is a lake covered by thick ice, as is the case this year, although snow is a factor.|

“Playing hockey outdoors, we are at the mercy of the elements,” Crowder said.|

Sunday is the playoff round, when 3 to 5 inches of snow are predicted.

“The teams will just have to contend with that,” Crowder said.

In a way, being at the mercy of the elements is what pond hockey is all about.

“Pond hockey was how the game was originally played before it went to climate-controlled rinks,” Crowder said. “It is very different, with a more unstructured, free-flowing style of play than what you get with traditional indoor hockey.”

Writing in the tournament guide, Crowder elaborated on outdoor hockey.

“Born from the cold winters and frozen ponds of the north, taking the game outside pays homage to this past time and offers hockey players a sacred experience that is not easily replicated,” he stated.

The rinks are smaller than those used in indoor hockey. The goals are much smaller, too, featuring two 1-foot openings. There is no goalkeeper. Players do not wear full hockey gear. The teams play four-on-four. No checking is allowed.

Crowder established the Pond Hockey Classic in the fall of 2009 when he was fresh out of the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, with a degree in sports management and marketing.

“After four years of playing collegiate hockey, the sport had almost lost its luster,” he said. “The grind of the playing at that level and the commitment it takes to compete wore away at my passion for the game. However, one thing remained: the lure of skating outdoors.”

Crowder is the son of former Boston Bruin and college hockey coach Bruce Crowder. Growing up, he skated during the winter and spent summers enjoying Lake Winnipesaukee.

Crowder said the majority of the teams playing come from New England, so interest in the Super Bowl will be high. The last game concludes early Sunday afternoon, giving people time to get home or find a television to watch the New England Patriots play the Philadelphia Eagles at 6:30 p.m.