New England Pond Hockey Classic canceled for first time in 13 years

MEREDITH— For the first time in its 13 year history, the New England Pond Hockey Classic was canceled due to bad weather. The tournament of 260 teams was set to kick off last Friday, but poor weather conditions forced organizers to cancel the games that very morning. Despite the cancellation, players didn’t express any ill will towards organizers. Instead they put smiles on their faces, and cracked open a few beers and enjoyed each other's company, hoping for better conditions on Saturday. 

But better conditions never came. The ice was deemed “unplayable” in a  statement made on the Classic’s official website the following day. 

“What we have experienced over the last two days, is nothing we have seen before,” the statement read. “Warm temperatures, rain, sleet, and snow with falling temperatures have combined to make conditions on the lake unplayable and unsafe.”

According to the statement, as crews removed snow and slush from the rinks, the resulting piles caused cracks in the ice, allowing even more water to reach the surface. The organizers deemed the ice unsafe for their workers and machinery, and when the slush froze, the surface was deemed unplayable. 

The tournament’s complete cancellation was posted on the Classic’s Facebook page on Saturday. The feedback from the public was highly supportive, with commenters acknowledging the organization's efforts, and the acceptance of mother nature throwing a major curve ball. 

The Classic’s founder and organizer, Scott Crowder, could not be reached for comment by press time. 

Although the tournament was canceled, food and drink from The Common Man and the Labatt Blue Zone were still available throughout Saturday. 

“I didn’t know what to expect that morning,” said Kory Brunell, district operations manager for The Common Man's Lakes Region specialty restaurants. “At 10 a.m. the players' families and teams all came out. By noon time, the parking lot was completely full and it turned out to be an absolute huge success.”

Brunell added that The Common Man looked forward to working with the Classic next year. 

“We enjoy being involved with the Classic and working with Scott and we look forward to future success,” Brunell said.