World Pond Hockey Championships ready for the puck drop in northwest N.B.
Action starts Feb. 20; tournament cancelled last year because of thin ice
After having to cancel last year's tournament, the organizers of the World Pond Hockey Championships say this year's event is on — but not without overcoming a few challenges.
The tournament brings teams from around the world to Plaster Rock, in the Western Valley region of New Brunswick, every February.
Last year, the ice on Roulston Lake was too thin to support the heavy equipment and hundreds of people on the ice at once.
But with the 2025 championships starting on Feb. 20, Danny Braun, co-founder and organizer of the event, said while it's nice to be going forward this year, it was worrisome until recently.
"The true winter weather that we're used to just seems to be a bit later arriving each year," Braun said.
"We were able to get on the ice for the first time on the 2nd of February, which is later than normal."
As of New Year's Day, Braun said there was no snow around Roulston Lake and the ice on the lake was very thin.
But the winter weather ended up turning around, allowing organizers and volunteers to clean up its surface in preparation for the big event, with at least 14 inches, or 35.5 centimetres, of ice on the lake now, he said.
The tournament is hosting more than 80 teams of five players each this year, from Feb. 20-23. The lake can usually handle about 40 teams playing simultaneously.
Even though the tournament was cancelled last year, it's so popular that a group of teams decided to make the trip anyway because of how much they love the event and the community.
Braun said there are new and returning teams each year, with Plaster Rock traditionally hosting teams from every continent — except Antarctica.
"It's unique to have, you know, folks from all over the world kind of converge on this little town in northwestern New Brunswick every February."
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With files from Information Morning Fredericton
