It was cold on the ice Saturday, and Scott Crowder was thrilled.
“This is as good as it can get,” he said. “Fifteen, 20 degrees, light winds and bluebird sky.”
Twenty-six ice hockey rinks popped up on Lake Winnipesaukee this weekend, as hundreds of players descended on the town of Meredith for the 17th annual New England Pond Hockey Classic.
Crowder, the tournament’s commissioner, says he started it to celebrate hockey as it was originally played: outdoors, on frozen ponds. But over the past 17 years he’s been reminded why most hockey is played indoors these days.
Weather is unpredictable. And winters have been getting warmer. Some years, the tournament has had to move to smaller ponds because Winnipesaukee didn’t have enough ice.
“We've experienced it. I think you kind of see winters not stay as cold consistently,” he said.
Crowder says players have come together to organize for climate change awareness through a group called Save Pond Hockey. Even though most hockey is played indoors now, he says the experience of being outside is worth preserving.
“For me, it's the draw of the game. The ability to kind of come out here, toss your skates on, and play the game under a bluebird sky out here in the elements is really what it's all about,” he said.
In 17 more years, Crowder said he’s hoping New Hampshire winters will still deliver enough solid ice for the games.
Emily Fluke and her team, the “StamVegas Cuties” out of Stamford, Connecticut and Boston, said playing on the pond is a unique experience.
“Half is just showing up and being able to feel your hands. But it's so fun. It's like back to when you were a kid playing with your family and the backyard rinks and ponds and stuff,” she said.
Fluke’s team already has three championships under their belts and was gearing up for a fourth on Saturday afternoon. The team only comes together for this tournament, but it’s a fun time, she said.
“Everyone just gets so excited for this weekend every year,” she said.
The TV show Heated Rivalry has been bringing new attention to hockey, Fluke said.
“It's great for the men's game to get that more acceptance and bring a little more attention on the men's side,” she said. “The women's side is just a safe space for LGBTQ, and hopefully it becomes that way for the NHL and the men's side. So I'm excited about it. And it’s also fun to watch.”
Tom Denault and his team, the Massholes, stood around a small fire on the ice after playing a few games. (Most of the team hadn’t seen Heated Rivalry. They said hockey was already cool before it hit Hollywood.)
The Massholes came together as a team under the leadership of Denault’s father, 17 years ago when the tournament first began.
“This is the first year that they've actually passed it down to my brother and I,” he said. “We invited our friends and made it our own team. It's a cool experience.”
By the time the sun was starting to set, the team had been on the ice for nearly 10 hours. But they said being with friends, despite the cold, was what made the weekend so fun.
Nick Bartelloni, with the Snow Supply Puck Bears, shared the sentiment.
Bartelloni has been playing in the tournament since the beginning. He says navigating cracks on pond ice can be tricky. And it’s important to embrace the cold. But ultimately, it’s about camaraderie.
“It's all about skating and being with your friends,” he said.
