ST. IGNACE, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – St. Ignace and the Upper Peninsula will once again host the 16th annual Labatt Blue UP Pond Hockey Championship for amateur hockey players from all over Michigan and the U.S.  

The tournament will span Feb. 16 to Feb. 19, 2023 with a guaranteed 3 games for the 4 on 4  teams on Friday and Saturday with Championship games on Sunday according to a statement.  It also said that in the first year there were less than 30 teams in the tournament, but now the outdoor competition averages 150 teams from states as far as Florida and Texas within the states.  As of 2020, participants from Canada and a team from the Czech Republic traveled to compete in the 13th annual tournament according to the Western Michigan Tourist Association.  As of the end of November, 57 teams have already registered for the 2023 tournament.  

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“Shout outs to newly registered teams, Parking Lot Champs, Quinn & Tuites, Tailpipes, Mr. M’s Renegades, Hattrick Swayze, Flamingos, Sunnyvale V-Team, Pizza House, Maple Hardwoods, Shenanigans, Team Bear Cove, Cedar Hill Lodge Savages, GLBD Jets, Phat Buddha’s, and Irish We Were Drinking!,” a St. Ignace statement said. 

The Saint Ignace Chamber of Commerce also weighed in on Facebook calling the spectacle “Michigan’s Best outdoor winter event.” 

“The first year we had four rinks and 26 teams. It was colder than cold with winds that were like wind chills were several degrees below zero. It was absolutely miserable. I actually played that year and I thought nobody’s ever going to come back,” Tournament Director Scott Winkaelman said in a statement, “And the next year we doubled in size and the next year we doubled in size again. And then we doubled again and we’ve had basically anywhere between 160 to 220 teams every year since.” 

While a preliminary registration does not need to have a final roster, the deadline to finalize your team roster is Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023.  There are hotels and a shuttle service options for competitors but there is limited availability of living accommodations.