Peter Shokeir | [email protected]
Teams competed on a frozen at Mildred Lake for Canadian Hockey Enterprises鈥� pond hockey tournament at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge on Jan. 29-30.
The Ontario-based hockey company has been putting on the Jasper Pond Hockey Challenge since 2014.
鈥淚t was just that we did a lot of digging and just trying to find pretty scenic places that would be a cool feel for adults in the mountains, and Jasper was at the top of our list,鈥� said Chad Cavanagh with Canadian Hockey Enterprises.
鈥淲e鈥檝e heard amazing things about Jasper and the Fairmont, and it was just too good not to try it.鈥�
Organizers had to cancel last year鈥檚 challenge due to COVID-19 but were able to bring the event back this year.
This year鈥檚 event is a highlight of Jasper in January and one of the only major events not to be cancelled due to Omicron, as the challenge is hosted outdoors.
The challenge had 14 teams within three divisions with players coming from all over Alberta.
The final game ended with the Wavy Lake Walleyes winning 15-11 against the Idiot Brothers.
鈥淲e will look at growing it next year once COVID is hopefully over,鈥� Cavanagh said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just been sort a remarkable situation there in the mountains with the ice and the ponds and how they look after it, the Fairmont itself, so it was just too good not to try it, and it鈥檚 been very successful since.鈥�
Cavanagh noted how many of the same teams keep coming back each year.
