Puck Drops This Weekend

SEELEY LAKE - Seeley Lake turns hockey town Jan. 6-8 for the seventh annual Seeley Lake Pond Hockey (SLPH) Tournament. Much of the tournament remains the same. Again this year, participants and fans will have online access to the schedule and tournament standings.

The tournament got its start with a group of locals who would get together every year to play "broomball" in Seeley Lake.  The tournament is now a USA Hockey sanctioned tournament.

According to SLPH Event Coordinator Megan Lindemer, at the end of last year, organizers decided to limit the tournament to 40 teams. However, after so many of the teams wanted to return and several teams were interested in the A league, organizers have allowed 44 teams to register.

Getting the rinks ready has been a challenge this year. Up until a few weeks ago, Lindemer said they were only going to have two rinks because the ice was too slushy from all the snow.

"These last couple of weeks have been good and they have been working really hard," said Lindemer. "The lights are all up and we have all four rinks again this year. With the cold weather predicted for this week, everything should be good next weekend."

Teams of five to six players will play on the four different lit rinks on Seeley Lake in front of Lindey's Prime Steak House. There will be four leagues including A, B, Women's only and Co-recreational. Eight teams will compete in the A league, four in the women's league, 20 in the B and 12 teams in the co-rec leagues. The winners will compete for the chance to have their name engraved on the SLPH Cup.

Each team is guaranteed one game on Friday, two games on Saturday and at least one game on Sunday. The championship game for the A league will be Sunday at 1:30 p.m.

"It will all be online. You will be able to look at who is playing who on which rink, when and we will also have the schedules printed in the steakhouse and in the gear and apparel tent [down near the ice]," said Lindemer. "Any real-time announcements will be posted on the Seeley Lake Pond Hockey Facebook page."

Everyone is invited to watch the games free of charge in front of Lindey's Prime Steak House on Seeley Lake. There will be warming fires and the beer and apparel tent located down on the ice.

All proceeds from the tournament will benefit Seeley Lake Elementary school and Missoula Youth Hockey.

This year Seeley Lake Regional Outdoor Center for Kinetic Sports (SL ROCKS) is partnering with the tournament and will be providing several of the volunteers. However, there is always room for more volunteers especially working as a timer or a scorekeeper during the games.

If interested in volunteering, email Lindemer at megan@seeleylakepondhockey.com, message organizers on the Pond Hockey Facebook page or text volunteer coordinator Lynn Mitchell at 406-210-1967.

"It should be fun again this year," said Lindemer.

For more information and for the schedule visit http://www.seeleylakepondhockey.com