Enter a team for the Beaver Cup hockey championship
Posted Feb 5, 2010 By EMC News
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Tweet ThisEMC Sports A chance to play Canada's historic game at one of the country's most historic sporting venues. That's the dream come true for Les Gagne, the founder of 'The Great Canadian Pond Hockey Classic," better known as The Beaver Cup, returning for a second year to Dow's Lake in Ottawa part of the city's annual Winterlude festivities.
Teams are invited to register today for the tournament, to be played over the weekend of Feb. 12-14. It promises plenty of fun, fast-paced four-on-four hockey action on the Rideau Canal, Ontario's lone World Heritage Site.
"We're geared up to go," Mr. Gagne tells the EMC. "We're really promoting it as a grassroots event and a celebration of our game."
Three ponds will be set up at Dow's Lake near the pavilion. Over the three days, teams in two divisions men's recreational (21 years and up) and men's masters division (38 years and up) will compete for the impressive championship trophy and this year's pond hockey bragging rights. It's hoped enough teams will also register for a mixed division (three men and three women), but that remains tentative, Mr. Gagne says.
With this year's tournament kept to 30 teams, anyone thinking of entering should not delay, Mr. Gagne says.
There will be five pools of six teams each. Each team can be made up of up to six players and is guaranteed three 35-minute round robin games.
Top teams in each pool advance to the quarterfinals, joined by three 'wildcards' with the next best records.
Tournament action runs Friday, Feb. 12 from 5-8 p.m., all day Saturday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and again on Sunday (playoffs) from 9 a.m. to the finals at 3 p.m.
For those looking for some real fun, be sure to dress up in a wild team uniform and be eligible to win the CHEZ 106 Pond Puckers Spirit Award.
"It's all about fun," Mr. Gagne stresses.
With the introduction of night games, the organizer hopes this marks a first for the canal.
"I'm hoping it's history that's being made," he says of the upcoming contests under the lights.
Teams already confirmed for the championship are based mostly in the Ottawa region, although one squad is coming in from Prince Edward Island and another from Montreal, Mr. Gagne reports.
Away from the ponds, the tournament headquarters will be established at Malone's Lakeside Grill, located in the Dow's Lake Pavilion.
Friday evening, Feb. 12, will be a meet and greet for all teams, a chance to bring everyone together and take in a briefing of the tournament rules.
It's also a chance to view the silent auction items that will be up for grabs with a portion of proceeds going toward the Ottawa Sens Foundation and Roger's House.
With all the pieces falling into place, all that's needed is a drop in the temperature to make the pond hockey venue ideal.
"We've called in the weather gods and we're looking for some cooler weather in the next couple of weeks," Mr. Gagne reports with a chuckle.
For complete tournament details, visit the Beaver Cup website at www.beavercup.ca.
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