SECOND UPDATE: Wednesday, Feb. 8: The event has been moved for a second time to The Berkshire School in Sheffield and will be held on Saturday, Feb. 11 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Berkshire School is located on 245 N Undermountain Rd.
UPDATE Friday, Jan. 26: Organizer Alex Regen told The Edge that due to unfavorable weather conditions the event has been postponed to Saturday, Feb. 11 and has been moved to Benedict Pond in Beartown State Forest. Original article below.
Monterey — The first-ever Berkshire Pond Hockey Classic will be held on Saturday, January 28 at Lake Buel, right near the lake’s boat ramp.
The event is being organized by Monterey- and Brooklyn, N.Y.-resident Alex Regen. “My family has owned a cabin on the edge of Lake Buel for over 40 years,” Regen told The Berkshire Edge. “When I was six years old, my dad and I shoveled a little rink on the frozen lake. That’s where I learned how to skate. I went on to play hockey for 25 years.”
Regen said that his father, Bruce, died five years ago. “I thought about doing something that would honor his memory,” Regen said. “To me, creating a hockey tournament sounded to be a lot of fun.”
Regen said that town officials were very receptive to the idea of having a hockey tournament at Lake Buel. He said that local businesses have also stepped up to support the tournament. “Berkshire Bank has given me $1,000 out of their foundation, and The Pass Dispensary is our premier sponsor and has given me $3,500,” he said. “Bob Climo, who owns the Great Barrington Bagel Company, is a hockey player and he is going to sponsor breakfast for all of the players. The owners of the Barrington Brewery, Gary Happ and Andrew Manki, are hockey guys as well, and they’re sponsoring and bringing a team. Support for this event all just snowballed and I’m thankful for the support.”
Regen said that he already has 16 teams of six players signed up for the event. The tournament will be held in a round-robin format, with each team playing at least three games, with a maximum of five games played. All games will be held on official rinks, with either two 15-minute running time halves or one 20-minute continuous period, depending on the weather during game day. The tournament will start at 8:30 with the first game, and the championship game is scheduled to be played at 3:30 p.m.
“To me, there’s something really special about skating on a frozen sheet of ice,” Regen said. “I think it’s just a very freeing experience. When there are cold Berkshire winters, playing hockey is just an enlivening outdoor experience that resonates with people. For me, it’s the love of the game.”
Regen said that players will be from all over Berkshire County, and there will be players from other parts of the state and New York. As for what it takes to win at hockey, Regen said, “I know that this will sound cliche, but I think you have to be enjoying yourself … All of the players have to have good communication with each other,” he said. “There’s not going to be any goalies for these games. There will be a small slit at each end of the rink that will be used for goals.”
Regen said that, while there is no charity component to the tournament, any of the profits made after the cost of the tournament will go back to the town of Monterey. “I’m just trying to find a way to give back to The Berkshires and honor my father,” Regen said. “How cool is that?”
For more information about the tournament go to its website.
