Despite frigid temperatures, adult hockey players take ice in Lake Placid for the Can Am pond hockey tournament. Can Am pond hockey is a relatively new tradition in Lake Placid, introduced in 2005 to coincide with the 25th Anniversary of the 1980 Winter Games. Five years later the tournament is still going strong and teams from all over the US and Canada flocked to the Adirondacks to participate in a weekend of hockey and fun in the Olympic Village. With the age categories 21+, 30+, 40+, 50+, and 60+ for men, and 21+ and 30+ for women, there was an opportunity for almost all ages to compete.

Pond hockey is a simpler variation of ice hockey. Obviously meant to be played on natural ice surfaces, pond hockey differs from traditional ice hockey. The ice dimensions are different from NHL hockey regulations, (135 feet by 65 feet compared to the NHL’s 200-by-85), there are no boards and no lines on the playing surface. While the rules might seem less-structured in a game of pond hockey, there are still limits; for example, no slap shots, abusive language, or overly aggressive physical contact.

One of the most unique challenges is weather.; when the weather is too warm, for example, skating can be dangerous on a pond, often pushing the teams onto the alternate venue. In 2008, temperatures in the 40s forced the tournament to relocate to the Olympic Oval. At the extreme opposite of the spectrum, cold weather can be difficult as well.

For more information on pond hockey in Lake Placid, visit the Can Am website at http://www.canamhockey.com/index.php.

CAN/AM Pond Hockey tournament
Texans Come to North for Frozen Fun! There was something very special about playing hockey on the frozen pond as a kid. Heading out into the cold with your skates over your shoulder, you and your hockey buddies pushing the newly fallen snow off the pond, then using your boots as goal posts and hearing the imaginary roar of the crowd as you scored the first goal.

Ryan Scott recalls this magic. And, it's what he has now recreated and shared with his Texan teammates thanks to CAN/AM's annual Pond Hockey tournament.

Scott, originally from Wisconsin, skated on frozen ponds frequently in his youth. He now lives in San Antonio, Tx., where he says there is only one rink for a population of 1.7 million people.

Scott made it his mission to get Texans to experience the grand old hockey game how it originated - outdoors. Last year, he organized his team - Rut Hockey (www.ruthockey.com) - to go to Lake Placid, NY, to experience the CAN/AM Pond Hockey tournament.

While the team did not win a single game in their inaugural tournament (their closest match was a 15-14 loss), they had a blast and are returning again this January.

"It was everyone's first experience, except for me, skating on a frozen lake," says Scott. "The resort, the accommodations and how the tournament is run is all first-class. We couldn't have asked for a better time."

This January, Chris Frieman will return for the third time to compete in the Pond Hockey tournament. A past participant on The Wackers, who hail from New Jersey, Frieman grew up playing pond hockey.

"It's a great experience," he says. "The guys I play with love it. Some of these teams make you look like you've never played hockey before. It's a different type of hockey. There are no boards, it's a lot of finesse and passing; it's extremely tiring and it's bitterly cold. I can't wait for this year's event."