Millpond ice proves fit for second annual face-off

Posted Feb 2, 2012 By Richard Turtle

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EMC Sports -Stirling

With past and present NHLers on hand, it was a full day of competition on the millpond ice Saturday for the final event of the local campaign to be named Kraft Hockeyville 2012.

Part of this year's Hogfest celebrations organized by the Stirling and District Lions Club, the tournament was coordinated by the Hockeyville committee and featured 20 teams vying for hockey supremacy in both competitive and recreational divisions. Several other activities, day and night, indoors and out, were scheduled throughout the weekend. Tournament Committee Chair Dave Brandt says the efforts of a crew of volunteers who organized schedules, logged registrations and readied the ice and cleared the snow between games paid off as the second annual Stirling Mill Pond Hockey Tournament proved to be another indicator of strong community spirit and support. Snow fell heavily at times but participants, spectators and organizers were quick to agree it was better than rain. Leading up to the day-long event there had been some concern the ice conditions would force a cancellation but, Brandt says, with the help of sub-zero temperatures the important week before the weather proved cold enough for the playing surface to meet tournament specifications.

On hand for the celebrations were former Stirling players Rob Ray and Mark Dobson attending the three on three showdown, with former Buffalo Sabres player Ray donning his skates and an Oak Lake Warriors jersey in what turned out to be a losing cause. Regardless of his team's record, he says, it was a treat to get out on the ice. His second appearance in the shinny showdown, Ray admits it is something of a return to his childhood, having grown up only a stone's throw away to spend countless chilly hours on the mill pond ice before making a career of hockey. The game has also led to related work as an author and broadcaster.

Dobson, currently a scout with the NHL's Winnipeg Jets, admits it's a long way from his early playing days in Stirling but says the game has taught him a lot over the years. And, he says, it's always nice to come home. And the home crowd showed their appreciation when Dobson gave a nod to the village's Hockeyville bid, providing a pair of raffle prizes to the committee. The donation of a Jets jersey and stick, signed by current team members, was an "awesome" gesture, says Hockeyville Chair Cindy Brandt, adding the items are sure to generate interest and will help further the local cause.

At the end of the day, and with nearly two dozen contenders whittled down to the final four, it was Andrew Gunning's Farnsworth squad taking the A Championship against Ben Hagerman's Trent U Boys. While in the equally snow-covered B Championship, The Baker Street Bullies topped the runner-up Coon's Boys.

Although the pond hockey tournament marked the final big event in a string of Hockeyville activities over the last several months, Brandt is hopeful the community spirit shown throughout the campaign will lead to a place in the second stage of competition. And that, she says, is when voting gets really important.

With the top 15 contenders in the national competition to be announced in early March, the next voting period runs from March 4 to 6. Divided into five regions, the top three in each area will move on to the online voting stage.

"We really want to get the word out," Brandt says of the short voting period, adding if Stirling does finish in the top 15, the Internet votes recorded on those dates will be critical. Her suggestion? Keep your fingers crossed and mark March 4 -6 on your calendar. And visit Stirling Hockeyville on Facebook for the latest updates. "We want to thank everyone for their support," Brandt says, adding the campaign collected more than 3,000 written submissions and raised more than $35,000 since it began, with proceeds going toward arena upgrades.







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