By Sue Tiffin

Published Feb. 1 2018

Games cancelled due to the effect of mild weather on the rinks carefully crafted at the Canadian National Pond Hockey Championships (CNPHC) didn’t deter the enthusiasm of the players volunteers or event organizer John Teljeur.

Crowds of jersey-clad pond hockey players with team names like the Wet Bandits the Quarter Ponders Glory Days and the LakeTrouts skated into the first weekend of the Canadian National Pond Hockey Championships held at the Pinestone Resort on Jan. 26 and 27.

Most were able to play three of their four games before Teljeur and the CNPHC team made a difficult decision to postpone the final games and play-offs to be held Saturday evening until Sunday hoping that temperatures would drop overnight to improve rink conditions that had deteriorated due to warm weather. Captains hearing the news said they were not planning on making the play-offs anyway and celebrated throughout the rest of the afternoon while waiting for the Road Apples a Tragically Hip tribute band from Kingston to take to the stage for the evening’s entertainment.

Ice conditions had not improved by the morning of Jan. 28 so play-off games were cancelled but trophies were awarded to winners of games played before teams set off for home. Champions were the Frisky Beavers the Lacers and the Beauties. Teljeur and volunteers were looking forward to a colder weather forecast and the second half of the event to be held Feb. 3 to 5.