Players: Everything You Need to Know for the 2025 American Pond Hockey Tournament
We’re thrilled to have you join us for the 2025 APH Invitational on a frozen lake Minocqua. So far this has been our best early season for lake ice, with a long stretch of unseasonably cold temps we’re just hours away from our first layer of lake ice. Below, you’ll find all the essential information you need to prepare for an unforgettable weekend of outdoor hockey. Please share this page with each member of your team. We will update this page with information as we approach tournament time.
Action Steps for Players
Complete Your Waiver:
Every player must complete a waiver by January 1. No need to submit rosters this year as we will collect that information automatically via WaiverFile:
Click here to complete your waiver
Event Highlights
Thursday Night Welcome Party: Join us at The Bottled Bean on February 6 to kick off the weekend.
Tournament:
The Invitational: February 7-8, 2025
Premier (A) and Open (B) Divisions
Games Friday & Saturday, Championship Saturday PM
The Sequel: February 14-15, 2025
Bender (C) and Grouse (no experience) Divisions
Tips for Packing:
Traditional pond hockey attire is a pair of steezy sweats over your shins and cup. Elbow pads, gloves and a helmet on top, covered by a sweatshirt and/or your jersey
Breezers and shoulder pads are allowed, but considered corny and too big to pack.
Pro tips:
Slip on boots and a big outer-coat to wear between games.
Dry base layers for each new game, a sweaty under shirt gets cold quick when you aren’t playing.
A thin face shield that fits under your helmet will come in handy if there’s wind off the lake
Rules Recap
**No Goaltending** Unlike some other tournaments, we use small wooden targets as our goals. When the puck is outside the crease area, defensive players are not allowed to loiter in front of their own goal.
**No Contact** While many of our athletes are considered elite, we are also not young and have to go back to work on Monday.
**No Fighting** The Aqua Bowl is a public space, throwing a punch in our tournament is considered assault. Any infraction of this rule will result in immediate expulsion from the tournament.
**Respect our Officials** Without these kind souls our tournament would not happen. Our sideline officials know hockey but most are not professional referees. Please don’t make their job harder than it already is.
Detailed tournament rules and official tournament structure will be shared prior to the tournament.
