The Labatt Blue Pond Hockey Tournament just couldn’t seem to catch a break from the weather.
The wet, slushy snow that fell across the region Friday caused major problems for the nine manmade ice rinks in the harbor of the Erie County Marina.
The manmade rinks were put in to avoid a repeat of last year woes when the lack of ice in the marina forced organizers to morph the event into street hockey competition.
Organizers were chagrined to find four of nine rinks ruined at the beginning of the day.
The start time was pushed back to 11 a.m. from 8:30 a.m. and a few games were played, including the Buffalo police vs. fire game.
But by early afternoon, ice conditions were deteriorating and organizers were forced to cancel. They promised full refunds for everyone who planned to participate, including those who already played.
One bit of good news – there was plenty of beer still available in the beer tents.
email: mbecker@buffnews.com
The wet, slushy snow that fell across the region Friday caused major problems for the nine manmade ice rinks in the harbor of the Erie County Marina.
The manmade rinks were put in to avoid a repeat of last year woes when the lack of ice in the marina forced organizers to morph the event into street hockey competition.
Organizers were chagrined to find four of nine rinks ruined at the beginning of the day.
The start time was pushed back to 11 a.m. from 8:30 a.m. and a few games were played, including the Buffalo police vs. fire game.
But by early afternoon, ice conditions were deteriorating and organizers were forced to cancel. They promised full refunds for everyone who planned to participate, including those who already played.
One bit of good news – there was plenty of beer still available in the beer tents.
email: mbecker@buffnews.com