It’s said the Micmac Indians played a game similar to lacrosse on the iced-over lakes of Canada in the 18th century, and the first hockey game in the US was said to have been played on Nov. 17, 1883, on the Lower Pond at St. Paul’s School in Concord. Seventy-seven different teams sought to take part, necessitating the creation of a waiting list. You can control the climate.”. With years of success and a clutch of role models to emulate, it’s all trickling down to ice level. It’s how the sport began and the connection to that past can really be experienced by getting out there and playing a game.”. In Meredith there are rink monitors who stand nearby, ready to mediate any disagreements, and a referee will watch over the Black Ice games. Pond hockey is a totally different game from full-ice. Year 2 saw a team from Fredericton, NB claim the title. Tree branches gripped in gloved fists — makeshift hockey sticks — are used to flick stones or pine cones around and slippery-soled boots will send participants gliding unsteadily into each other. Labatt Blue Pond Hockey. Snow is cleared to create rinks that measure about 150-feet by 75-feet. Part of the draw is the opportunity to play hockey, of course, but there are also those who use it as an excuse to reunite with friends. “It’s the hardest thing with these events and it’s a huge factor that we can’t control,” he says. Organized outdoor hockey has been played many years before indoor rinks were popularized. The games will be fought and won on the ice of Lake Windermere at Kinsmen Park. Compared to its indoor, much-more-finely-groomed sibling, pond hockey is a simple if a bit rough-around-the-edges version of the fast-moving game. Outdoor "pond hockey" at it’s finest. “The game is a lot more challenging, which is really great. “It’s a totally electric and fun atmosphere,” Chase says of the Concord event. But people my father’s age — he grew up in Canada playing on frozen ponds and rivers for hours and hours every day.”. History. There are a lot of teams coming up that are made up of people who have been friends for 20 to 30 years.”. “A lot of people come down,” Crowder says. “They create friendships and a common ground. Warmer temperatures can leave everything soft, too much snow can bury the surface and rain can turn everything to slush. “It’s pretty much impossible to determine exactly what the weather will be like,” says Ryan Breton, better known online as ‘The Atkinson Weather Guy.’ “But traditionally that is one of the more stormy periods of the winter in New England.”. People rally around the game and grow their friendships. Meanwhile, hockey fans continue to make their way up the farm's driveway, looking for the pond where hockey history began. One of those younger players, who once played for her high school team, is a frequent pond hockey tournament player and attributes that style of play to her early development. They had a small man-made pond and had some old nets and lights to play when it got dark.”. Last year 200 teams played in the Pond Hockey Classic and organizers expected a 90 to 95 percent return. For my age I’m not bad, but I see these youngsters who are so good and so fast and so talented.”. Written by AS. More than just a celebration of a beloved game, Pond Hockey searches the open ice for the true meaning of sport. The story of shinny came from a Navajo story where a stranger challenged a Navajo god to a game of shinny in order to free Navajo slaves. The St. Paul's School in Concord, home of the first ice hockey game in America. The event was popular and well received by the community… The surface was playable, safe and, best of all, crowded. Between the competition, the camaraderie and the celebration of the sport, it’s no wonder the events are getting bigger every year. “One of the hardest things is that the event is so successful — and I’m not complaining — but it’s hard turning teams away. Pond hockey or shinny has its origins in early NavajoNative American culture. The list of rules is short — no checking, no slap shots, keep the puck below knee level and no goaltending (standing directly in front of the small nets). But since the women’s Olympic gold medal win at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, rinks have been packed with girls looking to take up the sport. “There’s a tent for players and it’s pretty cool. All of a sudden I knew wanted to play hockey. 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