Tonight marks the opening ceremony of this year’s iteration, and I’m proud to once again be a media sponsor for the event. Tomorrow morning, when hundreds of groggy, cold, and hungover players descend on Lake Waukewan in Meredith, one of the rinks will be the Backyard-Hockey.com-sponsored rink. Your goal is to find it. Once you do, snap a picture of the sign (like the one at right, from last year’s event), then hop over to Twitter, and tell the world you found our rink. The rules are simple:

1 – You need to take the picture with your phone and share it on Twitter. Most smartphones will do this easily.

2 – You need to mention us (@backyardhockey) in your tweet so that we’ll see it.

3 – You need to say something to the effect of “I found the backyard-hockey.com rink at the NEPHC!” Close approximations count.

The first three people who do this will get a free shirt or mug from our backyard-hockey.com store. We’ll reach out to the winners via Twitter’s DM feature. We’ll post on our Facebook page and on Twitter when the contest is over.

To all of our readers heading up to Meredith this weekend: good luck! We’ll be on site Friday, taking in the sights, sounds, and Labatt’s.

One noticeable omission from the bad news folder has been the New England Pond Hockey Classic. Typically held on Meredith Bay in New Hampshire, it seemed that the NEPHC was destined for problems with only a couple inches of ice as of last week. But organizer Scott Crowder and his team is ice experts were not content to let this spring-like winter ruin their event. After meeting with town officials last week, Crowder’s crew settled on a smaller lake about a quarter mile from the original location. Much in the same way a cup of water freezes solid before a swimming pool would, the smaller Lake Waukewan had 10-12″ of ice, so the gang got to work clearing the rinks. The aerial shot was taken just yesterday by Bill Hemmel of Lakes Region Aerial Photo, and shows the original location at top left along with the 18 rinks cleared for play.

With the change in location comes a few changes for those of us familiar with the Meredith Bay location of years past. The primary challenge with Waukewan is that there is NO on-site parking. All participants, spectators, and volunteers will need to take a shuttle from one of three locations in Meredith: Hart’s Turkey Farm on Route 3, the Chase House Inn (which doubles as PHC Headquarters and the site of player check-in), and Prescott Park, which is 1/4 mile north of the Lago intersection. Shuttles will run on a continuous loop, and should be at each location every 15-20 minutes. Players should plan ahead and aim to be at Waukewan an hour before their scheduled game.

In addition to the parking challenges, Lake Waukewan is also the source of Meredith’s drinking water. As such, several groups will be on site to ensure that pond hockey participants abide by the many state and federal regulations in play with a body of water like this. Namely, there can be no fires, no vehicles, and no trash left on the ice. In addition, everyone on site will need to use the portable restrooms, and refrain from relieving themselves on the lake. Most of this is common sense, but it is the type of situation where the actions of one can affect many. Where Meredith has been a gracious host of this event for each of its three years, this is the pond hockey community’s opportunity to return the favor. Simply following these rules will do just that.

Aside from the location change for the games, most of the rest of the weekend is on schedule. Tournament weekend will kick off at 7pm on Thursday night with the Bauer Experience Skills Competition outside the Common Man Lago (near the old rink site). Bring your stick and skates and try your luck at the hardest shot, accuracy, and obstacle course, or leave your gear at home and try the Bauer products they’ll have on hand.

Friday morning kicks off the games on Waukewan. Electronic waivers must be completed by Tuesday, January 31st, and team schedules can be found here. After a Friday of hockey on the pond, NEPHC’s charity partner Restore Hockey will host a party at the Winnipesaukee Ballroom in Church Landing at Mill Falls. The party starts at 7:30, with free Labatts until 8:30 (or they run out). There’ll be food by the Common Man, raffle and silent auction items to benefit Restore, photo ops with the Stanley Cup, and a screening of National Geographic’s web series ‘Beyond the Puck’. Admission is a $10 donation to Restore, and each participant will get a Restore Hockey Lace Bracelet.

Saturday and Sunday will feature more pond hockey action at Waukewan, with all of the division finals taking place on Sunday. Assuming all goes as planned, everyone should be able to drag their tired legs home in plenty of time to settle in for the Super Bowl.

Considering the weather for most of this “winter”, it’s not surprising to see so many events postponed or cancelled due to thin or poor quality ice. But the NEPHC is not just another event. In this area, it’s THE event.

And we’ll see you there.

Want the latest in pond hockey tournament and backyard rink news? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

It is, simply, “the plunk”.

It is the sound of 6 ounces of black vulcanized rubber striking dimensional lumber, often the result of silky dangles, a laser-guided pass, or a long-range wrister. But however it happened, “the plunk” is one of the sweetest sounds in all of outdoor hockey.

Today crowned another batch of Golden Shovel recipients, and another successful year for TST Media and their US Pond Hockey Championships. But that doesn’t mean we’re a year away from hearing “the plunk” again. With a half hour of your time and some inexpensive parts, you can have your very own wooden pond hockey goal to use on your backyard rink or pond.

May the plunk be with you.

The Parts

The Build

	Step 1. Build the Goal Frame Nothing too crazy here– we’re talking basic 2×6 construction. Start with a 72″ 2×6 board. Attach a 24″ 2×6 board to each end as shown. Reinforce both corners with 4″ 2×6 board piece. Attach the “crossbar” (1/2″ – 72″ x 12″ sheet of plywood) across the top of the open end of the goal frame.
	Step 2. Build the “Goalie” This is the guy that tries to come between your breakaway and sweet pond hockey glory! He may not be quick (or very mobile, for that matter), but he will stop all but the most perfect snipes, and is as unforgiving as your mother-in-law. Start with two 46″ 2×6 boards. Insert three 8.5″ 2×6 boards in-between to create a reinforced box. Admire the “goalie” you just created.
	Step 3. Attach the “Goalie” to the Crossbar Here’s where it all comes together. Center your “goalie” on the crossbar and screw that guy in place. The openings on each side of the “goalie” should be about 12″ across.

And that’s it! If you’ve done it right, you should now have a simple, inexpensive pond hockey goal to use whenever you hit your outdoor slab. And feel free to get creative. We sprayed our site name across the top then added some scrap rubber to the rear panel. Same satisfying plunk, 50% less wood chips on your slab.

Want to get involved in one of the best pond hockey events in the country? Visit www.uspondhockey.com and keep your eyes peeled for next year’s event dates. Then get in line to sign up.

The Parts

My receipt for the entire purchase was south of $12 using 1-1/4″ PVC.

The Build

You’ll need to cut the PVC into several lengths. For young kids (4-6 years old), I used these sizes:

A – 4 pieces at 30″ each
B – 2 pieces at 26″ each
C – 2 pieces at 14.5″ each
D – 4 pieces at 6″ each
E – 2 pieces at 4″ each

Don’t be too freaked out if one is a slightly different length. I eyeballed most of my cuts and cut them using a table saw that was not made for PVC. It still works.

From there, it’s just a matter of looking at the pictures below and putting it all together.

Some hints:

And that’s it! If you take your time, this should take a half hour to build. I actually took it apart to take the pictures above, then put it back together in about five minutes.

Any questions, register on the Backyard-Hockey.com Forums and ask away!

Tournament directors (and their sponsors) are hoping to see sights like this in the very near future

But while a backyard rinkbuilder might cuss the warm temperatures because the temps stand between them and their weekly two-on-two, pond hockey tournament directors have significantly more at stake. In the last decade, pond hockey tournaments have sprouted up from coast-to-coast, in large cities and small towns, and on lakes, ponds, and outdoor rinks. Once niche events for only the hardcore, they’ve grown to weekend-long destinations, bringing big-time dollars to places typically barren during the cold winter months. Businesses have taken note, too — companies like Labatts, USA Hockey, and Pabst Blue Ribbon are all title sponsors for pond hockey events. This year, those companies and tournament directors across the continent have had reason to worry.

According to the US National Climactic Data Center, December 2011 ranked “Above Normal” to “Much Above Normal” for all of northern and northeastern United States, home to over 60 pond hockey events. One region in Western Connecticut measured its warmest December ever. Parts of Canada have experienced similar warmth. But you don’t need scientific data to tell tournament directors it’s been warm.

“When I started organizing the inaugural Lake Fenton Winter Classic I had to worry about countless things,” says director Sean Lapham of his Michigan-based event. “How many people would sign up? How was I going to get volunteers? How would the logistics of this event happen? Can I get local and corporate sponsors? Not what would happen if at the begining of January its 50 degrees?”

Lapham is not alone in his bewilderment. Here in New Hampshire, where we haven’t seen a frigid stretch of more than three or four days, the shores of Meredith Bay, home to Scott Crowder’s New England Pond Hockey Classic, are covered with only a thin layer of ice. A hundred yards offshore, site of about half of the NEPHC’s 20 planned rinks, it is still open water. Where last year Crowder’s crew battled several feet of heavy snow, ice, and slush to get the rinks into playable condition, this year it’s the exact opposite.

“Lake Winnipesaukee is behind schedule due to the warm weather,” says Crowder. “Locals say under the right conditions one inch of ice can be made daily, and we need 15 inches to host the event.” With the countdown on the PHC website showing 25 days until puckdrop, there is precious little wiggle room left.

Crowder is still two weeks away from making a decision, but is lining up alternatives just in case. Such alternatives include moving the event to a smaller body of water, which requires less time to freeze to the appropriate thickness. Another local event, the 1883 Black Ice Pond Hockey Championships in Concord, NH, is held on a small pond. It currently has 5 inches of ice.

Fortunately, the weather hasn’t been terrible everywhere, and while it likely goes without saying, the northernmost events are preparing for their weekends just as they have in prior years.

“We are in good shape this year for our 8th annual event,” says Greg MacDiarmid, Publicity Chair of the Miramichi Rotary Pond Hockey Tournament, slated for February 3-5 in New Brunswick, Canada. ” As of last Monday, we had 11 inches of ice, and our normal thickness is usually 24-36 inches. This year is on track for a good time, with cold weather and no snow.”

The word is equally good coming out of Lake Nokomis, site of the US Pond Hockey Championships next weekend. Per their oft-updated blog “Nokomis Live“, Carson and the USPHC team are expecting cold temps to provide the ice they need to run one of the country’s largest events. Ten days out, current ice depths range between eight to ten inches. But frigid temps forecast between now and puckdrop should give them the 13-16 inches they require.

In all, this has been a challenging year for the outdoor skater. While no tournaments have been outright canceled as of this story, several have been pushed back to February. It’ll take a prolonged arctic blast to get all of the ponds and lakes frozen enough, but if there’s a silver lining, it’s that the weather appears to be changing. After a 45-degree day yesterday, our forecast here in New Hampshire is full of sub-30-degree highs and single-digit lows. And that’s just what pond hockey tournament participants want to hear.

We’re busting our hump to keep up with all the changes to our pond hockey tournament listing, so check back frequently if you’re signed up for one or plan on taking a trip out to watch. Our full North American Pond Hockey Tournament Listing can be found here.

In an instant, that all changed.

Jack was hit from behind while heading for the puck and instantly crumpled onto the ice. With no feeling in his arms and legs, he was taken to the Hennepin County Medical Center, where he is currently in the ICU. It is still too early to know the full extent of his injuries, though it is unlikely he’ll walk or skate again. Just this morning, family friends updated his Caring Bridge page with news that increased swelling had necessitated the use of a feeding tube.

But as it tends to do in times of crisis, the hockey community has mobilized. Schools in Minnesota and beyond have organized “white outs” at games to show their support. #13 stickers and t-shirts were created almost instantly, with the proceeds going to Jack’s family. Twitter was consumed with #jabs hashtags and tweets from NHL stars like Jeremy Roenick, Alex Semin, and others.

Now, several of his classmates have been working to organize a pond hockey event on Lake Minnetonka. The Jack Jablonski Junior Bronze Tournament will be tentatively held on Saturday, January 14th, on the lake’s Excelsior Bay. The date is tentative, and full details can be found at the event’s Facebook page. The price will be $10 per player, with teams of 6-12 skaters. There will also be a silent auction.

“What we really need right now is donations for the auction,” said Mario Zattoni, a friend of Jack’s, a fellow Benilde-St. Margaret student, and a co-organizer of the event. “Any items of value are really what we need, whether it would be sports memorabilia, jewelry, gift baskets, or gift cards.”

Anyone willing to donate tents, goals, auction items, or anything else is urged to contact them via the event’s Facebook page. For those willing to offer the family financial support, they are urged to visit any Wells Fargo bank or send donations to:

Jack Jablonski Fund
P.O. Box 16387
St. Louis Park, MN 55416-2618

Hockey is a dangerous game, and as long as contact is allowed, there will be catastrophic injuries. That said, as someone who has been around the game for nearly three decades, it never gets easier to hear these stories. But in time of need, it’s both uplifting and humbling to see the hockey community rally around one of its own. Get well, Jack. Millions of new fans are cheering for you.

To keep up on Jack’s status, bookmark both his CaringBridge page and the Support Jack Jablonski Facebook page.

Drumroll please…the list of winners is below! Winners will be notified via private message on the forums.

Ben and Lucy Prize Pack
kdukatz

Elite Backyard Rinks Long Sleeve Tee
jeffm

Elite Backyard Rinks Tee
Puck Scout

Forgotten Miracle Prize Pack
rinkratjoey

PHC Prize Packs
48hockeydad
EPO_solymi
kevmac
jdlom

Pond Hockey DVD Prize Pack
MensLeagueHero

Skaboots Prize Pack
Matt

USPHC Commemorative Prints
ah1fgunner
Hockeynut
Yooper
Chris
jfgreco
Dwieg
Goodburger4
arogozenski
ACgator12

Congrats to everyone who won, and a HUGE thank you to our sponsors for providing the prizes. To everyone else, if you haven’t joined the Backyard-Hockey.com Forums, what are you waiting for? Register here!

To that end, those of us in this balmy weather pattern need a Christmas miracle more than ever, and so I’m trotting out this play on The Night Before Christmas as a plea to anyone listening: Mother Nature, your deity of choice, or maybe even old Saint Nick. If you’re staring at your rink and praying for cold, I’m with you. But have a read, pass this around, and who knows…maybe there’ll be a Christmas skate after all.

‘Twas The Skate Before Christmas

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the yard;
Not a creature was skating, the ice wasn’t hard.
A warm front had come shortly after dad filled;
And temps north of freezing left the water unchilled.

Our skates they sat dormant, our sticks in a pile;
Our jerseys on hangers, unused for a while.
So we shuffled to bed, quite excited for Christmas;
But a bit disappointed rink season had missed us.

As I lay in my bed, I turned and I tossed;
Our rink was a puddle, the winter was lost.
I’d pleaded with them, the rink gods hadn’t listened;
I drifted to sleep as the rink water glistened.

Then sometime that night I awoke to a SOUND;
I shot up in bed, rubbed my eyes, looked around.
It sounded like skate strides, one after another;
I turned to the window and threw off the covers.

My breath fogged the glass and I struggled to see;
Was there ice in our backyard? Could it really be?
I saw skate marks and pucks and the net had been moved;
There WAS ice out there, it looked perfectly smooth.

I tiptoed to the hall and woke sister and brother;
We crept down the stairs not to wake dad and mother.
Slung our skates over sticks so that we’d be prepared;
We opened the back door, we stopped, and we stared.

There was a lone figure on our backyard ice;
His stickhandling was perfect, his wrist shots precise.
On his head was a white ball, atop a red hat;
A white beard draped over a red coat so fat.

He was flanked ’round the rink, by a small crowd of nine;
With four on each side, and one behind the twine.
He saw us and motioned for us to come play;
We ran through the backyard, with zero delay.

We laced up our skates, just as fast as we could;
Grabbing gloves and our sticks, the three of us stood.
He motioned for us to put sticks in a pile;
As my sister chose teams, the man turned with a smile.

“I’ve read all your wish lists, I’ve looked at them twice;
You’re the first child to ever ask Santa for ice.
But I know how important this rink is to you;
And your father, he asked me for cold weather too.”

So we picked up our sticks, me and Claus on a team;
The rink lights stayed off, the ice shone in moonbeam.
And we skated and passed and we laughed and we scored;
Rudolph’s nose glowed bright red, another goal on the board.

For what seemed like hours, we played on our rink;
Though we weren’t cold or tired, our cheeks rosy pink.
We played shinny with Santa, you wouldn’t believe;
What had transpired that unseasonably warm Christmas Eve.

After dozens of goals had been scored in the net;
And the ice was chewed up and our shirts soaking wet.
We glided to the boards, sat in piles of snow;
And Santa said “Children, it’s time I must go.”

So we took off our skates and replaced them with boots;
The big man stood up, wiping snow off his suit.
We said our goodbyes, waving to the reindeer;
And Santa said, “Hey kids – same time next year?”

Back up to our bedrooms, the three of us shuffled;
Tiptoed up the stairs, our laughter we muffled.
We went to the window, but Santa was gone;
And all that was left was an unfrozen pond.

~

Christmas morning began the same way as most others;
Toys and games were from Santa, underwear was from mother.
Dad glanced in the backyard, and cursed the warm weather;
I said “Thanks for the rink, you’re the best father EVER.”

My sis pulled the last gift from under the tree;
Three names on the tag: brother, sister, and me.
Inside was a puck, and inscribed left to right:
“HAPPY SKATING TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!”

Fogarty, currently living with his wife Karen and daughter in Victoria, MN, was born in 1960 on the east side of St Paul, MN. Growing up in St Paul tends to imply a love for hockey, particularly hockey under the clouds, and a stroll through Fogarty’s online gallery cements this implication. Fogarty, whose works can take upwards of several months owing to the tremendous detail contained within them, has been commissioned by professional sports teams, colleges, memorabilia companies, and amateur sports organizations. His paintings routinely appear on the cover of the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament programs — arguably one of the most renowned amateur tournaments in the country.

In the coming months, we hope to share with you several of Terrence’s incredible pieces, and recommend you visit both his website and his new Facebook page. To experience the rush and primal joy of outdoor hockey is one thing — to bottle that up and display it on canvas takes a once-in-a-lifetime talent. Terrence Fogarty is that talent.

"Somewhere in heaven there is a hockey rink. We're pretty sure it looks a lot like Mork's Pond."

I encourage you to visit Terrence’s online gallery, where you can view and purchase a number of his incredible works. And make sure you Like them on Facebook so you’ll be the first to know about upcoming pieces.