Pucks slammed against boards, skates cut through ice and music blared while onlookers shivered and cheered.
The Black Ice pond hockey tournament is back and once again Concord is back together at frozen White Park.
“It’s great because I know so many people here,” said Tom Philbrick. “Some of them I grew up with, some of them I played hockey with, and then some I met playing hockey later or watched them play and now we’re playing with them or against them.”
Philbrick, a Concord native, helped start the Black Ice tournament 11 years ago. Back then, the tournament was just a ragtag group of teams looking to play some outdoor hockey. These days the tournament hosts upwards of 80 teams.
“It started out as a much smaller tournament,” said Philbrick. “We really didn’t know what we’re doing. But we had a lot of just volunteer help and we built the nets. We had no idea how the tournament was going to run but it ended up great. The first year was one of the best weather years we’ve ever had.”
Over the years, the tournament has had to deal with less-than-ideal weather, usually above freezing temperatures. This year it will be plenty cold, but a major snowstorm is wreaking havoc on the schedule.
While Philbrick is still playing he has gotten to watch the next generation of players take to the ice and help grow the tournament he helped start.
“I have three boys and two of them are playing in the tournament. So they have their own team,” said Philbrick.
The younger generation is drawn to the ice just like their parents. Some need only walk down the road to their hometown pond, while others travel from out of state.
“It’s like a great Concord homecoming,” Philbrick said. “A lot of people come back to Concord from out of town, whether they’re playing or their family and friends are so they come back. So it’s a great reunion.”
Owen Brewster and his team, The Misfits, came all the way from Peabody, Mass. to take part in their first Black Ice. So far he said it’s been nothing but fun.
“I love it. I think it’s a great environment. I love this setup. Everyone here is friendly,” Brewster said. “It’s all sportsmanship. There’s no hard feelings, which is really nice. It’s a good environment, a fun environment.”
The rookie squad, who have been taking to the ice since they were six, was searching for a way to all keep playing together. It seems as though the Misfits, whose jersey’s dawn the face of Yukon Cornelius, have found a place where they fit in.
“We’ve all been looking for something to do so this is like kind of the perfect place to do it. So absolutely looking like a new annual tradition,” Brewster said. “We got the jerseys and everything. So now we don’t have a choice. We have to come back every year.”