Crystal Cup finishes amid frigid temperatures on Charlie Lake

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The Millionaires, comprised of senior rec league and NPHL players, are your 2026 Crystal Cup champions. (Crystal Cup Pond Hockey Challenge, Facebook)

CHARLIE LAKE, B.C. – A decade-long February hockey tradition wrapped up for another year this weekend on the frozen Charlie Lake.

The Crystal Cup Pond Hockey Challenge finished on Sunday, February 22nd. Co-founder and organizer of the event Neil Evans was relieved to get some colder temperatures for the tournament after unseasonable warmth a year ago.

The rules featured four-on-four hockey with no goalie, and games went for 30 minutes with a one-minute break between.

“This is almost what you expect out here in February,” said Evans.

“Last year, it was a one-off where it was plus 12 to plus 14, and soup and slush. Here we are with minus 20 weather, with the north wind coming off the lake most of the weekend.”

“It has actually been a fairly good success this weekend, not a lot of the general public, but I don’t blame them with the wind.”

In the main draw, the Millionaires got the finals victory, with a dominant win by a score of 28-16 over the runners-up Peace Country Rentals Beers.

With a roster of recreation hockey league players and the North Peace Hockey League’s Fort St. John Senior Flyers, Millionaires’ captain Braeden Pimm told Energeticcity.ca how the title was won.

“It’s fun for us to come out as a group and spend the weekend together, and it’s a nice community event,” said Pimm.

“We know good defence wins championships. We just played good defense, and we have good team chemistry.”

With temperatures hovering around -35 C with the windchill on February 22nd, youngsters vied for the Sid Davis Youth Memorial Tournament in several age divisions, ranging from U-7 to U-15.