Hockey players in Nova Scotia braced bitterly cold conditions Saturday in an effort to bring the sport back to its roots with a tournament at the “birthplace of hockey.”
The high in Windsor, N.S., Saturday was -15 with the wind chill making it feel like -26.
Teams laced-up and competed in the 2026 Long Pond Classic – a tournament that’s been around for two decades.
“It’s grown over the years, and it’s grown into such an amazing event for the whole community,” said Krista Lloy, president of the Windsor Hockey Heritage Society.
A total of eight teams took part in the tournament from all over the province.
The event started as a way to raise money for the Birthplace of Hockey Museum, but it blossomed from there.
“We actually raised money for hockey scholarships for the Avon View High School hockey kids, we support birthplace of hockey tournaments, minor hockey,” said Lloy.
“All of the funds raised go back to our community.”
The event also featured NHL stars Mario Tremblay, Chris Nilan, and Brian Skrudland, who played together on the Montreal Canadiens when they won the Stanley Cup in 1986, as well as NHL star Rich Sutter, and Canadian Olympian Fiona Smith-Bell.
“We play all across Canada, Newfoundland, we’ve been to Alaska, been everywhere with the legends of hockey and it’s just a lot of fun being able to take part in some of it,” said Nilan at the event on Saturday.
A banquet also took place after the tournament where the hockey legends got to tell stories from their days in minor hockey.
“After the games are done and everyone’s thawed we have a banquet at the Legion, it’s a banquet and hot stove, and it’s a great event. We have over 250 tickets sold for (Saturday night) and the legends are there, they’re going to talk about all of their stories,” said Lloy.
Nilan adds he’s just honoured to be able to see and play where the game got its beginning.
“To be able to look back and see where the great game of hockey, the best game on earth, started right here on this pond in Windsor, Nova Scotia, I mean it’s like, ‘Hello?’” he said.
“And a lot of people probably don’t know that, you know, and it’s important that it keeps going and you carry it forward and give people the opportunity to remember where that really that great game all started, right here.”
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