UPDATE: The Missoula Pond Hockey Tournament 2013 has been cancelled due to weather.

The first-ever Missoula Pond Hockey Tournament is on thin ice after a week of warmer weather. Last week's warm weather prompted the tournament's organizers to change the date to this weekend, and potential participants are beginning to wonder if the tournament will continue after the recent heat wave in the Missoula valley.

Ray Davis, tournament organizer with Townsquare Media, reports that the tournament is most definitely still on - depending on weather, that is.

"The key to this event is the ice quality and safety for participating teams," Davis said.

With just over 8 inches of ice on each of the three rinks at The Ranch Club, safety is a concern.

"If temperatures don't drop hard before the weekend, we will see an increase in standing water on the rinks and we'll be forced to cancel the event," Davis said. "The thrill of playing hockey outside is worth the inconvenience of playing the tournament by ear and we are all in until we know if weather will cooperate or not."

That means that with the right weather, the first-ever Missoula tournament will take place, but not without a few changes.

"As a fist year event, it's easy to imagine how things are going to go, but it gets to a point where you notice a few easy changes that will help ensure the event's success," Davis said. "That's what we've done with Missoula Pond Hockey."

A few of the key changes are outlined below and more information is available on the tournament's event page.

KEY UPDATES

  • One-Day Tournament: The tournament will be held from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. this Saturday, February 2.
  • Reduced Registration: Teams of four to six players are invited to register before 8 a.m Saturday morning at The Ranch Club. Team registration includes six printed jerseys, a bottle of spiced wine, and a beer for each participating player (who is over the age of 21, of course!). The cost per team is now just $150. The first 16 teams to register will play.
  • Casual Tournament: The tournament will be bracketed with the teams that register before 8 a.m. Each team will play three to four games to advance through the bracket to the championships. The top three teams will receive a prize and bragging rights for winning the first-ever Missoula Pond Hockey Tournament!

MORE

To reserve your spot in Saturday's tournament, please call Townsquare Media before 5 p.m. Friday, February 1 at (406) 523-9803. A majority of registrations will take place between 7:30 a.m. and 8 a.m. Saturday at The Ranch Club.

To check on the ice on each of the three rinks at The Ranch Club, please call Nick, the ice maestro at (406) 532-1009.

To RSVP on Facebook, and stay in touch as details develop, please click here.

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