By Dakota Antelman, Contributing Writer
Shrewsbury – Harry Gaston grew up playing pond hockey in Shrewsbury. Since then, however, Gaston said kids have abandoned many of their small shoveled-off rinks, instead learning to play hockey on rigidly structured teams that play indoors. Now the president of Shrewsbury Youth Hockey (SYH), Gaston is hoping to bring the sport back outside with next month’s Dean Park Pond Hockey Classic.
“Most of the kids who are playing youth hockey now only have ever played hockey indoors even though hockey is a game that was invented outside and had historically been played outside,” he said. “Our kids haven’t had that experience to play outside on the pond so we thought it would be a great opportunity to not only give them that exposure and that experience, but to use it as a chance to raise some money for our organization.”
The proceeds from the event, held on the Dean Park Pond in Shrewsbury Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 4 and 5, will help lower tuition costs for SYH families.
The tournament itself is open to players between the ages of 5 and 14 and will be moved indoors if the Dean Park Pond ice is not strong enough to support the tournament and its attendees.
Such was the case in last year’s inaugural Dean Park Pond Hockey Classic when the unusually warm winter prevented the pond from freezing adequately. While Gaston deemed the indoor tournament a success, he said he is both hopeful and excited for the opportunity to play outdoors next month.
“It was a wonderful experience,” he said. “It was a great time and we had a lot of energy and positive feedback. This year, it certainly looks like we will be able to get outside and be on the pond. We’re hoping it will be just as successful this year.”
In planning the event, Gaston and his colleagues have made very few changes to last year’s format. Participants will play three-on-three games on 60- by 100-foot rinks with no goalies. The tournament will begin with qualifying games to decide which four teams move into the playoff bracket to compete for gold, silver and bronze medals. Those who do not make it into the playoff round will still have the opportunity to play in a series of consolation games.
For Gaston, the biggest benefit of this setup is the unique approach to hockey that it encourages. The small playing area, he said, forces fast game-play while also making it hard for any single player to dominate a game. He added that the event, though set up as a tournament, will be focused more around having fun and experiencing hockey outdoors than strict competition.
“There are very few rules and kids are allowed to play more freely and be a little more creative,” Gaston said. “There’s not nearly as much structure and you get the experience of playing outside in the cold and in the fresh air.”
So far, Gaston has been in contact with local businesses that will be sponsoring any of the four rinks on which the teams will play during the event. He has also been promoting the event to the families of SYH players and expects around 200 players from Shrewsbury and its surrounding towns to hit the ice during the event weekend.
“We’re trying to make it more about having a great experience and having fun playing the game outside with a little competition,” he said. “It’s not about winning the championship, it’s really about the whole experience. That’s the message we’re trying to send out to the kids.”
For more information, including how to sign up for the event, contact Harry Gaston at [email protected].
