Update: The event has been postponed until Saturday, February 17.
Great Barrington and Monterey — For the second year in a row, teams made up of residents will all face off with each other at the Berkshire Pond Hockey Classic on Saturday, February 10.
Last year’s event was supposed to have been held at Lake Buel but was then moved to Benedict Pond in Beartown State Forest. However, a few days before the event was supposed to be held, because the ice conditions were not conducive for hockey, the event had to be moved once again from Benedict Pond over to the Stewart Athletic Center at Berkshire School.
This year, organizer Alex Regen told The Berkshire Edge that the event will be held at Benedict Pond in Beartown State Forest. “There is no indoor backup plan this year, so it’s pond hockey or bust,” Regen said. “If the tournament is called off, we may have a gathering at the Monterey Pavillion or Benedict Pond, but we won’t know for sure until the days leading up to the event.”
Despite the multiple relocations, last year’s first-ever tournament was a success, with eight teams of six players. This year, Regen said that he plans on having 16 teams in the tournament, with the players for the teams having all already signed up. There are no referees for the games, except for the playoff at the end of the tournament.
“I think that there’s quite a bit of popularity when it comes to hockey in the northeast region, especially in the state of Massachusetts,” Regen said. “The Boston Bruins have always been popular, we have the American Hockey League’s Springfield Falcons teams, we’ve had multiple players from the Berkshires over the years playing in the NHL, and the Berkshire School has a beautiful new facility. Plus, Berkshire County is an outdoor recreation haven with hiking, skiing, and ice skating.”
Berkshire Bank is the main sponsor for this year’s tournament.
“This event is open and available for everyone and anyone,” Regen said. “If anyone wants to volunteer, they can sign up on our website.”
Last year, the Pittsfield Police Department team won the inaugural event. With members of the team recently playing against Boston Bruins alumni, Regen said that, this year, the Pittsfield Police Department’s team will be the one to watch out for. “They are a really good team, and I’m sure they are going to be hard to beat this year because they already got a lot of practice time in,” Regen said. “While this is about competition, it’s also really about the whole Berkshire County population hanging out together and having fun. It’s not about winning the Stanley Cup or a Stanley Cup.”
The event is scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m. and end at 4 p.m.
Updates on the tournament, including weather conditions, will be on its Instagram page. For more information about The Berkshire Pond Hockey Classic, visit its website.
