Mild Winter Forces Change To Annual NH Pond Hockey Tournament
CONCORD, N.H. (CBS/AP) — An annual tournament that celebrates New Hampshire's hockey heritage is underway again in Concord, though with different equipment this time around.
The Black Ice Pond Hockey Championship, now in its sixth year, is being held Saturday and Sunday at White Park. Teams compete 4-on-4 with no goalies and no nets — the goals are boxes with slots cut into them.
The tournament was created both to maintain and expand ice skating opportunities for the community and honor the city's place in hockey history. The nation's first organized hockey game was played on a frozen pond at St. Paul's School in Concord in 1883.
This year, however, players won't be lacing up their skates.
Because of a mild winter to date, thin ice has forced the tournament to be played in boots instead.
"While we cannot control weather we can still play and have fun! Today its boot hockey due to warm weather and ice conditions," the organization wrote in a Facebook post. "Games are on schedule, bring sunscreen."
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