Registration, Parking, Locations:​​

• Registration begins at 8:15 am and will be held at Pancho & Lefty's bar and restaurant (1120 Grand Ave.), the last building on the right on Grand Lake's main street. ALL TEAM MEMBERS are required to register before their games beg in  by signing the tournament waiver. Pancho's will also have a breakfast burrito and Bloody Mary specials for all tournament participants, so please do get there on time to register and grab a bite/drink before your first game. 

• Parking will be available on Grand Ave. (main st.) and limited spots on Lake Ave. Parking lakeside is limited, but all spots on Grand Avenue (Grand Lake's main st.) are walkable to the rinks.

• All rinks will be located straight out from the public beach in Grand Lake, directly behind Pancho's, and walkable from parking spots on Grand Ave.

• Each team will have a small designated area under a non-enclosed tent near the rinks where you will be able to drop-off/leave equipment during the day. You will get more info on this when you register. 

• Public restrooms available may not be not easy access on skates, so bring Blade Covers.

• There will be a beer tent on the ice. Get after it. ALL ALCOHOL MUST STAY ON THE ICE AT ALL TIMES. Please be sure to obey this rule, and tell all of your teammates, otherwise, the beer tent will be shut down.....which would essentially ruin the whole day for everyone. Must be 21 years of age to drink alcoholic beverages.

• EMTs will not be on hand during tournament play. The local EMTs have been notified the tournament is taking place.

• There may or may not be a warming tent (more info on this to come). In either event, Pancho's and other bars/restaurants in town are easily walkable from the lake, and they are all warm and cozy. But do keep in mind- this is outdoor pond hockey in the Rockies in February, be prepared for the cold and snow. 

• Feel free to bring a Shelter, or Shanty to keep warm and dry in and set it up in an appropriate location.

• Drink plenty of water and be sure to stay hydrated. The altitude makes a big difference while undergoing physical effort, such as hockey.

• Teams will have rink side benches to change in and out of skates/pads. Movement between rinks on skates will be possible but maybe a little snowy/crusty, so be prepared for that.

• There will not be hockey gear available for rent/purchase or skate sharpening, so come fully prepared. 

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Tournament Format and Rules:​

• Please review all rules with each player on your team:

• 3-on-3

• All games are self-started at center ice. Teams will switch goals after the first half. Team captains will rock/paper/scissor shoot (best 2/3) at center ice to determine who starts with possession. Possession at the start of the 2nd period goes to the other team.

• After a goal is scored, the team who was scored on starts with the puck behind their goal, and the other team must retreat behind center ice. If the puck leaves the playing surface, the team who touched puck last loses possession, and play restarts at point puck left the surface, with 2 stick-length restart buffer. 

• Two 10 minute periods: clock stops the last minute of the second period if the puck goes out of play.                             (we played 15 minute periods last year but that proved to be far too long). 

• Skates, gloves, helmets are REQUIRED. Protective gear is optional but strongly recommended.

• Each team is guaranteed 3 games.

• 2 points for a win, 1 point for a tie.

• The top two teams in each division will play in a championship game in front of a raucous crowd of GL locals. Championship teams will receive prize packages, and have their team name forever etched on the GLPHC Champions Board, which will be displayed at Pancho & Lefty's all year round for millions to admire. 

• If there is a tie for getting into the championship game, the first tiebreaker is head to head match ups (if there are two teams tied), and the next tiebreaker (or if there are 3 teams tied) is AGGREGATE GOALS SCORED over all three games. So no neutral zone trapping á la Jacque Lemaire. If teams are still tied after second tiebreaker, they will take shots from center ice-- best out of 3 wins. 

• Goals are scored in two 12" wide, 6" high slots at the ends of a 6' wide wooden goal. 

• Changes on the fly.

• There is no off-sides or icing calls

• No referees. If you get tripped, get up. If you trip/hook/hold/slash someone, don't be a DB, be honest and give them back possession. No checking is allowed. Such action will result in a major penalty and ejection of player.

• No slap shots. No pucks above the waste. If a team does either, it is a loss of possessions. 2 stick-length restart buffer from spot of infraction. 

• Goaltending is not allowed. A player may not patrol, camp out or remain stationary in the crease area and act as a goaltender. A defender may deflect the puck in the crease area, but the defender must do so while continuing to move through the crease area. The crease area is defined as an imaginary box extending four feet from the outside corners of the goal. No laying any part of the body on the ice to defend goal. A goaltending infraction is an automatic goal scored for the opposing team. 

• Any Major penalty, which includes any action that could possible injure a player, will result in the player being ejected from the tournament. The team that received the ejection will play the remainder of the game short-handed (2 v 3) and the ejected player will not be allowed back into the tournament. All remaining games may be played (3 v 3). Off-ice scorekeeper will determine major penalties.

• Time/scorekeeper has final say over any disputes. They are Volunteers. They are NOT a referees, they are a volunteer scorekeeper who does the best they can to monitor game play. So give'em a break eh! Be Nice or you will be asked to leave. Abuse of scorekeepers will be considered a major penalty. This includes yelling, arguing or swearing about calls and/or at scorekeepers.

• Time/score keeper will yell out time remaining at 7min, 5min, 2min, 1min, 30sec, and 10sec. And announce the score after each goal scored. Team captain from each team must sign score card after each game.

• Team captains are the only players to discuss disputes with head scorekeeper.

• ICE CONDITIONS WILL BE VARIABLE. This is not arena hockey with a zamboni, so please be extra aware of ice conditions while skating. There may be bumps and cracks in the ice.

• If it is snowing on game day, teams will be responsible for shoveling the rink before/during games.

• Each rink will be resurfaced periodically throughout the day using ParadICE Rinks Ice Resurfacers!​

• Please bring the same or similar colored jerseys or other sorts of costumes. Some teams will be dressing up in different themes as their jerseys, so creativity is encouraged, and the more outrageous the better. 

• Handshakes after each game and help shovel the rink.

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Captains please tell your teams to help out the tournament volunteers during the day where and when needed.

This entire tournament, including building and maintaining the rinks, is being put on entirely by volunteers, so please be cognizant of that. Participants may be asked to do clock and scoring for other games throughout the day, so please give that heads up to your teammates, and if you are able to, please volunteer for that.

Look for a game schedule email with additional tournament info in the weeks leading up to tourney day.

Any additional questions, again, please feel free to shoot them to Brian at grandlakepondhockey@gmail.com.

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Looking forward to seeing everyone on the ice! 

Live music, awards and giveaways will begin at

Pancho & Lefty's immediately after the tournament finals,

so please stick around to get rowdy.

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PLEASE SHOP and DINE Somewhere in GRAND LAKE and

Support the Businesses while you are in Town!