Alright, let me walk you through this whole frozen tundra hockey tournament adventure I got myself into. It started pretty simply, someone mentioned an outdoor tournament, playing on a lake or something. Sounded kind of nuts, which, naturally, meant I was interested.
Getting Started
First off, rounding up a team. You’d think finding people to play hockey would be easy, but finding folks willing to freeze their butts off on some windswept patch of ice? A bit tougher. Scraped together a few buddies, some guys from pickup games. We weren’t exactly pros, but we were game.
Then came the gear situation. This wasn’t indoor rink stuff. Needed extra layers, serious base layers, neck warmers that actually worked, good gloves for the bench. We spent more time talking about how not to get frostbite than actual plays. Found my old thick socks, bought some hand warmers, the whole nine yards. Packed extra everything.
The Setup
Driving out there was part of the experience. Felt like heading into the wilderness. When we arrived, wow. They weren’t kidding with the ‘tundra’ part. Just a huge expanse of ice, rougher than indoor ice, snowbanks for boards. They had multiple ‘rinks’ cleared off. Simple, raw, pretty cool actually.
Setting up our spot near the ‘rink’ felt like preparing for an expedition. Thermoses filled with hot chocolate (and maybe something stronger for later), blankets, folding chairs. Keeping skates sharp was gonna be a challenge on that natural ice.
Game Time
Playing was… different. The puck didn’t glide the same way. It bounced, it wobbled, it did weird things. Your skates dug in differently. Falling hurt more on the hard, uneven surface. And the cold, man. The cold was constant. You’d be sweating from playing, but your fingers and toes would be screaming.
- Breathing felt sharp in the lungs.
- Stickhandling was tougher with numb fingers.
- Trying to take a drink meant gulping half-frozen water.
- Changing lines was a mad dash to get back near the makeshift heaters or blankets.
We weren’t exactly dominating. Lost the first game pretty bad. Puck luck wasn’t on our side, and frankly, the other team seemed less bothered by the ice conditions. But the spirit was good. Lots of laughs, mostly at ourselves slipping and sliding around.
One moment I won’t forget: Our goalie made this ridiculous save, sliding way out, kinda half-pushed the puck away with his blocker while lying on his stomach. Looked totally unplanned but it worked. We all cheered like we’d won the cup right there.
Wrapping Up
By the end of the day, we were exhausted. Cold, tired, a bit bruised. Didn’t win the tournament, not even close. But honestly? Didn’t really care. It was about just doing it. Playing hockey outside, like when we were kids, but way colder.
Packed up our gear, shivering, but feeling good. There’s something elemental about being out there, playing the game in its rawest form. It strips away the fancy stuff. It’s just you, your teammates, the puck, and the cold.
Was it practical? Nope. Comfortable? Definitely not. But memorable? Absolutely. Makes you appreciate the heated indoor rinks, that’s for sure. But it also gives you a story, a reminder of why you love the game. Yeah, I’d probably be dumb enough to do it again next year.
