Dangerous windchills delay start of U.S. Pond Hockey Championships in Minneapolis
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Subzero windchills in the Twin Cities have caused the 21st annual U.S. Pond Hockey Championships to cancel a welcome party on Thursday and games scheduled for Friday.
The competition will get underway Saturday and Sunday when winds subside.
“We have consulted with our medical professional partners and local meteorologists, and this is not a decision made lightly — our priority is keeping players and staff safe,” organizers said in a statement.
Around 2,000 players from 250 teams will compete outdoors on Lake Nokomis, competing for the right to have their names engraved on one of two plaques: a first-place golden shovel or a second-place silver scoop.
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Despite being a competition, commissioner Scott Crowder says most teams are just there for a good time.
“They're coming to these events to play the game they love outside and spend some time with their friends,” he said. “It's really an outside winter carnival hangout, tailgate-type vibe with the foundation of it being the sport of hockey.”
In past years, the tournament, which is free to attend, has brought in between 20,000 and 25,000 spectators, though attendance is expected to take a hit this year due to the subzero temperatures.
This is not the last time Mother Nature has interfered with the outdoor hockey tournament.
In 2024, temperatures were too warm, turning the top layer of ice on the lake to slush causing the event to be cancelled.
