At 10 p.m. Saturday evening, Dan Luker sent out an email. Luker, president of the 1883 Black Ice Hockey association, was looking for help clearing off the 5½ inches of snow a nor’easter had unloaded onto the pond hockey rinks set up at White Park. The annual tournament managed to get a third of the way through Saturday’s scheduled games when the heavy snowfall forced a delay. As players and fans shuffled out, the race began to clear the ice for Sunday’s games. Luker wrote in his email that they needed a small army. He got one.
“I had 30 guys here at 6 a.m.,” said Luker.
The crew of volunteers came from near and far to get the ice in playable condition.
“We had to take the boards apart a little bit to get the tractors in, but it all came together for 8 a.m.,” said Luker. “Everybody’s worked incredibly hard to pull this off. There’s an untold number of people that gave the entire weekend to us just to make this happen. It’s pretty cool.”
John Meissner is just one of those volunteers Luker was referring to. A Bow resident, Meissner has helped out with shoveling off rinks for Black Ice for the past five years. He said he just likes the exercise, although he’s glad Concord got less than the predicted snowfall.
“It would have been worse if we got the foot,” said Meissner.
Meissner’s history with White Park goes back further than his five years of shoveling. The longtime New Hampshire resident used to play hockey in the White Park rink when he was in high school.
“But that’s about 60 years ago now,” said Meissner.
A younger volunteer helping out Sunday was 12-year-old David Hibbard. The middle-schooler had his skates strapped on and shovel in hand as he offered his assistance clearing off rinks before his dad’s team, the Last Last Hockey Club, took on The 4th Liners.
“I just like to do it because it’s fun,” said Hibbard. “And I get to do anything because my dad’s here.” Hibbard plays hockey himself, too.
Those competing on the ice were more than happy with the conditions.
“You know, a couple of years it’s been canceled because of COVID or weather and so whenever we get like excellent ice [its great]. This might be the best ice we’ve ever had,” said Craig Frank of the White Park Hockey Club.
After the snow, Frank’s focus is on just one thing.
“We hope to win it. Go all the way,” said Frank.
No matter the winner, Luker has already taken the weekend as a resounding victory.
“The ice has been great. We’ve been patching it all day. Conditions have been perfect. Everything worked out fantastically. I just can’t believe the number of people that show up for this on the volunteer side. People really believe in the event.”
18 Open division:
18 Recreational A:
18+ Recreational B:
35+Mens A:
35+ Mens B:
50+ Division A:
50+ Division B:
18+ Womens: