It all started with a
pond back in 1992. . .
. . . when few ordinary co-workers in Fort Collins, Colorado figured out how to turn Merganser Pond into a pond hockey haven for players of all ages and backgrounds in Northern Colorado.
All it took was one motivated hockey player boss driving the effort by talking some guys into giving pond hockey a try. After bringing in equipment for folks to use, a few willing souls took to the ice on their lunch break and discovered what an exhilarating sport pond hockey was.
It wasn't long before others were invited to join in afternoon skates on the pond. Word of this fun spread quickly and before they knew it, a large community of engaged pond hockey lovers began to come out for lunch skates, weekend skates, and even Christmas and New Years's skates. As legend would have it, the Fort Collins Pond Hockey Association was born.
As this pond hockey community grew, there seemed to be a clear demand for a pond hockey tournament within the northern Colorado. The first tournament was held in 2008. Even though it was small and simple to start, the tournament was an undeniable success. The Beaver Cup became an annual event thereafter for all to enjoy.
Then one year, disaster struck. One of our own, Dennis Tennant, suffered a stroke driving home from the tournament. He crashed his car, suffered multiple injuries and needed help. Fort Collins Pond Hockey Association sprang into action by raising money through their tournament to help this player through his physical and financial crisis.
As years went on, other players with severe illnesses, injuries and financial hardships were recognized and benefitted through charitable works during these tournaments. Eventually, FCPHA became a 501C3 non-profit organization that aimed to bringing their community of players together to help one another and support select non-profits in Northern Colorado.
Today, FCPHA continues to grow by offering a variety of events for its community to participate in beyond outdoor winter pond hockey (golf, cornhole, indoor pond hockey, blood drives). Each event focuses on bringing our incredible community of pond hockey aficionados together while giving back to our community at large with charitable giving.
We invite any and all hockey lovers to come on out, join our tribe, and enjoy all that pond hockey and mother nature have to offer!
