World Pond Hockey tournament hoping Mother Nature plays nice two weeks before event

Pond hockey returns to Plaster Rock Plaster Rock, New Brunswick gears-up to host another World Pond Hockey Championship.

The village of Plaster Rock, N.B., is gearing up for its 21st World Pond Hockey Championships, a tournament that sees more than 100 teams from all over Canada, the United States and Europe.

Thousands of players and spectators descend on the community of 1,000 to play the game where it all began.

“We've had teams here over time from every continent except Antarctica,” said founder and director Danny Braun. “To think that they would come to a little village in northwestern New Brunswick, to play hockey outdoors. And the whole irony was, at least when we started it, it was to help build a facility so kids could play inside.”

Braun has organized the tournament since its inception, but says there are roughly 200 volunteers that make it happen.

Lately, the event has encountered some tough competitors – the pandemic put it on ice for two years, and this year, Mother Nature isn’t playing nice.

“We had people here golfing on the 28th of December, which is kind if unheard of,” he said. “The least amount of ice I can ever remember, there was 14 inches and we're not close to that yet. So, you know, it’s a real concern.”

District of Tobique Valley Mayor Thomas Eagles says the tournament can spark about $2 million in economic spin-off for the area.

“We're a population here of about a thousand people and you're bringing in five or 6,000 people in the middle of February? It's huge!” he said.

So, they’re praying Mother Nature provides an icy reception for players and spectators.

“The weather we've had this winter is not natural. This is northwestern New Brunswick. We usually have a lot of snow, a lot of cold weather, and it's been really, really mild this winter,” he said.

The tournament is two weeks away, so the final decision will likely be made in the days ahead, with safety as the top priority.

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