Warm weather sinks pond hockey event

The Montana Pond Hockey Classic has been canceled due to unstable ice conditions caused by recent warm temperatures.

The outdoor hockey event was originally planned to take place Jan. 19-21 at Foy’s Lake in Kalispell, though in recent weeks organizers began looking for alternative sites. However, conditions have deteriorated at other local options enough for organizers to call off the event altogether.

According to a press release from the Kalispell Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, a combination of variable temperatures and snow in recent weeks has left lake ice across the region in an unstable condition referred to as “soft snow ice.”

“The fluctuating temperatures and snow caused the ice to form in a way we haven’t seen in our nine years of hosting these events,” said Scott Crowder, commissioner of Pond Hockey Classic. “The only way for the ice to have corrected itself would have been a deep freeze — something that we have not experienced and that is not forecast for this region.”

A chance of rain with highs in the upper 30s is expected Thursday in Kalispell.

The hockey event was also canceled in 2016 due to warm weather and unsafe ice conditions, and was moved to a new location in 2015. The event occurred on Foy’s Lake in January of 2017.

The press release says that though teams signed a contract saying there would be no refunds within the 10-day window of the event, they would reimburse all but the $100 deposit. It also says that if teams still decide to come to town, there will be a gathering at Moose’s Saloon in downtown Kalispell from 5 to 6 p.m. on Thursday.

Reporter Peregrine Frissell can be reached at (406) 758-4438 or pfrissell@dailyinterlake.com.