Registration open for 2026 Crystal Cup on Charlie Lake

CHARLIE LAKE, B.C. — The frozen shores of Charlie Lake will see pond hockey this upcoming February, as an annual hockey tradition returns to the Peace region.

Registration has opened for the 2026 Crystal Cup Pond Hockey Challenge, which traditionally takes place on the last full weekend of February.

Pond hockey is a unique variation of ice hockey which is contested on a frozen body of water. Emphasizing raw gameplay and wide openness, games are four-a-side with no goalies and goals are six feet wide and 12-inches high.

President and co-founder of the event, Neil Evans, is hoping for some colder temperatures, as the 2025 event was marred by unseasonable warmth which left the sheets of ice so soft that the players were unable to skate.

“I think we dubbed it the slush cup with +12 weather,” said Evans. “We allowed all kids to strap on some boots if you want to keep playing and turn it into ball hockey.

“We got a lot of praise for keeping it running, keeping it going, and kind of pivoting and making that happen.”

Evans told Energeticcity.ca the tournament has been running for over a decade. Initially beginning as an offshoot of the city’s annual High on Ice festival, it now has taken on a life of its own.

The tournament hosted over 100 teams in 2025 in the main draw. It also hosts the Coal Cup, for players aged over 40, and the Sapphire Cup for women.

Evans says the 2025 tournament saw “a bit of an uptake in the female division” in entries, with a team from Alberta taking part.

“I think we had six or seven teams altogether, which was awesome to see,” said Evans. “[We even had] a team even out of Grand Prairie.”

The Sid Davis Youth Memorial pond hockey tournament will be for the young players, with games in the U-7, U-9, U-11, U-13, U-15 and U-18 divisions.

While it is “absolutely” for bragging rights, he wants the kids to have fair competition throughout the tournament.

“Hopefully we will have a good turnout of kids,” said Evans. “It’s always difficult for them [with youth leagues] getting that weekend off. There’s a lot of playoffs at that time and kids are out of town.

Registration begins at $400 per team for the adult divisions, while the Sid Davis Youth Memorial tournament fees are listed at $25 per player.

Registration is open now until Friday, February 6th, 2026. More details about the Crystal Cup are available on the event’s website or Facebook page.