Organizers of a Lake Minnetonka pond hockey tournament decided to forgo hockey on the lake after losing a faceoff against the mild winter.
Despite the recent cold snap, the lake's ice remains thin and the surface is mostly frozen slush, so the North American Pond Hockey Championship will host its fundraising event without hockey this year.
Instead of pond hockey, the Jan. 22-24 event will feature winter games and activities benefiting ALS, the Hendrickson Foundation and DinoMights youth hockey.
Organizers added a beanbag tournament to the event and hockey-themed games. The weekend festivities will take place next to Maynards Restaurant in Excelsior.
Registered pond hockey teams will be allowed to use their registration fees for next year's tournament or donate 50 percent of their fees, with the other half refunded.
Another pond hockey tourney — the U.S. Pond Hockey Championships on Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis — was pushed back two weeks because of the weather. It's now scheduled for Jan. 28-31.
Beatrice Dupuy
