Monterey — The third annual Berkshire Pond Hockey Classic is scheduled for Saturday, February 15, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Benedict Pond in Beartown State Forest. In case of inclement weather, Saturday, February 22 will serve as the makeup date.
Event organizer Alex Regen told The Berkshire Edge that this year’s competition will consist of 16 teams of six players, up from the 2024 event that included 12 teams. There will be no referees for each game, except for the playoff at the end of the tournament.
“When it comes to Massachusetts, we live in a hockey-mad state,” Regen said. “The Berkshire Pond Hockey Classic is a fun-filled, kid-friendly outdoor event to help us get through the winter. There is something about hockey being at its roots that is intriguing. With teams competing outdoors, and not in an arena, it’s unlike any other ice hockey experience.”
“There is just something about skating over a frozen lake outside with the mountains in the background that is very fun,” Regen added regarding the mystique of playing hockey outdoors rather than in an indoor rink. “People have asked, ‘Why don’t you just have this indoors?’ Because it is fun to have the wind on your face, be one with nature, and fire pits all around. It’s a good old fun day in nature.”
Co-organizer Jim Thomas creates the ice rinks and sets up the tournament schedule. “I’m retired, so my whole life is all about grandchildren and hockey rinks,” Thomas said. “Playing in pond hockey tournaments is the coolest thing. It is hard to set up these hockey rinks because we are weather dependent. Last year we almost didn’t have enough thick ice. It’s tricky because you don’t want it too cold or have too much snow.”
Thomas said that he has played in many pond ice hockey games throughout the years. “The strategy to win these games is having a good back defenseman, somebody who stays back and is good at being a goalie, even if they just block the puck with their feet and stick,” Thomas said. “This tournament is a neat throwback to the good old days when people would play ice hockey games.”
Updates on weather conditions on the planned game day of February 15 will be posted on the event’s website.
