Okay, all you UP Pond Hockey players out there! Here’s the news I’m sure you’ve been waiting for. We have finalized arrangements for the “Celebrity Entertainment” for the 2009 UP Pond Hockey Championship.

We have arranged to have the Detroit Red Wings Alumni make an appearance on Friday night, February 20th, and not only that, but they will play an exhibition game that same night, against the combined two teams that fought it out for the top spot in the 21 & Over Gold Division at this year’s championship, Rock Bottom Tavern (now known as Gustafson's Smoked Fish) and Labatt’s Blue!

This game will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, February 20th, 2009, at the Little Bear East Ice Arena, a regulation size ice arena. We will have a limited number of tickets available for this exhibition game. You all have first crack at tickets, which are $10.00 each.

Also, we will have two VIP boxes at the exhibition game.  Each VIP box will hold 12 people.  Each box will be supplied with 3 cases of beer, brats and chips.  Sorry, both VIP boxes have been sold!!

So, if you needed a couple of incentives to sign up for the 2009 UP Pond Hockey Championship and this is it, sign up now!

For 2009 registration form, click here! 

For the 2008 game scores, click here! 

For Pond Hockey rules, click here! 

Format:  4 on 4 hockey with NO GOALIES on thirteen 75 'x 150' outside rinks with snow bank boards played on Moran Bay overlooking Mackinac Island.

Friday afternoon/evening

• Games begin ~ 1:00 p.m. and end ~ 5:00 p.m.
• Labatt's VIP Happy Hour with Hors d' Oeuvres from 3-7 pm.
• Bus Pub Crawl from 7:00 p.m. - 2:30 a.m. thru St. Ignace.

Saturday all day/evening

• Games continue until 6:00 p.m., and Bus Pub Crawl from 6:00 p.m. - 2:30 a.m. thru St. Ignace

Sunday morning - Finals, Award presentations.

St. Ignace Hotels/Motels open in winter

* has indoor pool

Divisions will be:

• Open Elite Division
• Men's 21 and older, Gold, Silver & Bronze Divisions
• Men's 30 and over, Gold & Silver Divisions
• Men's 40 and over
• Women's Open Division
• Novice

All players must be 21 or older before the championship.

All teams are guaranteed to play at least 3 games.

Prizes:  All players will receive a T-shirt and Casino Package.  Division winners also receive Labatts jerseys and a hardwood championship cup.

The 2009 U.P. Pond Hockey Championship is open to the first 104 teams registered.

This is a USA Hockey sanctioned event, so all team players will have to be USA Hockey registered, and provide their ID number before being allowed to play.

If we have an act of weather that prevents us from conducting the UP Pond Hockey Championship, all registration fees will be refunded.  Any other money that has been expended will not be refunded.

Cost:  $300 per team (proceeds benefit St. Ignace Hockey Association)

We will also have a free pick-up pond hockey rink available for all classes - so the kids will have something to do while you're playing!

Check back for information on the 2009 UP Pond Hockey Championship, Call 800-338-6660, email - info@stignace.com,  or CONTACT MARK @ 1-906-643-7482 or email marksposito@yahoo.com or marksposito@sbcglobal.net

2008 U.P. Pond Hockey Results

What a great weekend of friendly weather and good times on Moran Bay! St. Ignace Special Events Committee, together with Labatt Blue, Kewadin Casinos, & Classic Rock "The Bear",  presented Hardwood Championship Cups and Labatt jerseys to victorious teams in seven divisions this year.

Women's Division:  Stix 22 vs Hanson Sistas 10

Men's 40+:  R. Prime 20 vs. Burt Lake Hackers 9

Men's 30+ Gold Division: Hard Chargers 15 vs. Team Cape Cod 13

Men's 30+ Silver Division: Make Me Lafs 20 vs. Crystal Bar Hockey

Men's 21+ Gold Division: Rock Bottom Tavern 18 vs Labatt's Blue 17 (Sudden death OT)

Men's 21+ Silver Division: Rusty Blades 32 vs. Kreager Towing 21

Men's 21+ Bronze Division: Fletcher Street Brewery 20 vs. Super Dudes 14

If your team captain did not receive an autographed Labatt poster, signed by all three Hanson Brothers, contact us at info@stignace.com. Use the phrase "Hanson Poster" in the subject line. One per team, no charge for the poster, but postage is appreciated.

If you still want autographed photos from the Hansons, go to www.hansonbrothers.net.

For photographs of this year's event, contact davekunze@hughes.net.

St. Ignace Visitors Bureau and Special Events Committee appreciates all your comments and suggestions. If you would like to help us improve on this growing event, please send comments (in the email body--no attachments will be accepted) to us at info@stignace.com.  Please use the phrase "U.P. Pond Hockey" in the subject line.

News for 2009!

We will have an 'ice resurfacer' (Zamboni-like vehicle) to keep the ice in tip-top shape!

We will have a 'novice' division; players who have not played organized hockey before the age of 21.

Tournament will begin on Friday afternoon, so that all teams will play their first game on Friday, February 20, followed by two games on Saturday, February 21, and finals on Sunday, February 22, 2009.

So far, our schedule looks like this:

Friday - Labatt's VIP Happy Hour with Hors d' oeuvres from 3-7 pm for all players.

2008 UP Pond Hockey Aerial photo prices (like the one above):

  8 x 12 - $18
12 x 18 - $28
16 x 24 - $62
12 x 57 Panoramic - $65

Price includes sales tax and shipping in a hardboard tube.

Contact:

Dave Kunze Photography
N2982 Pte. Aux Chenes Rd.
St. Ignace, MI  49781

906-643-9280
231-420-0844
davekunze@hughes.net

Stix were the winners in the Women's Division!

(Photo courtesy of Dave Kunze Photography)

Winners in the 21 & Over Gold Division are the Rock Bottom Tavern team!

(Photo courtesy of Dave Kunze Photography)

The Rusty Blades were the winners in the 21 & Over Silver Division!

(Photo courtesy of Dave Kunze Photography)

1st place in the 21 & Over Bronze Division is the
Fletcher Street Brewery team!

(Photo courtesy of Dave Kunze Photography)

The Hard Chargers were the winners in the 30 & Over Gold Division!

(Photo courtesy of Dave Kunze Photography)

The Make-Me-Lafs were the winners in the 30 & Over Silver Division!

(Photo courtesy of Dave Kunze Photography)

Winners in the 40 & Over Division was the R. Prime team!

(Photo courtesy of Dave Kunze Photography)

Here are just a few of the many action photos taken during the 2008 UP Pond Hockey Championship.  Enjoy!

(Photos courtesy of Dave Kunze Photography)