Over 2,000 hockey players are expected to hit the ice starting Friday as the 2022 U.S. Pond Hockey Championships get underway on Lake Nakomis in south Minneapolis.
The 17th annual event returns after taking 2021 off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Everyone is really excited to be back out here on the pond," said Mia Janke, an event and social media coordinator with Wow Factor Sports, which owns the U.S. Pond Hockey Championships.
The event is for players ages 18 and up. Several different divisions play throughout the two-weekend event.
"We have players anywhere from 18 to 50-plus years old," Janke said. "It's definitely a good mix of ages. The opening weekend will see the bender and rink rat divisions 40 and 50 plus divisions included in those. Everyone kind of gets to play at their level."
Creating the event started two weeks ahead of time with crews preparing the Lake Nakomis ice. Building the 25 rinks took about five days.
"It was a big task, but noting to big for us," added Janke.
Outdoor temperatures have struggled to get above zero on several days leading up to Friday's opening ceremony, puck drop, and first games.
"It's been great for us. We all sign up to work and we know what comes with it being in Minnesota so we just kind of roll with the punches of the cold weather and smile when it gets a little warmer."
With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and surge of cases fueled by the Omicron variant, Janke says there were a few changes made this year.
"Only players, volunteers, and staff will be able to get into the big warming tent this year," she said. "Fans are more than welcome to come out, and it looks like we will have a bit of a warm-up."
Opening ceremonies are set for 9 a.m. Friday followed by a ceremonial puck drop at 9:15 a.m.
A full schedule of events can be found here.