A CLASSIC Story
2010 - Humble Beginnings
Begun in 2010 by Town of Caledon Ward One Council Member Doug Beffort and Alton Mill co-owner Jeremy Grant, the inaugural "Alton Millpond Hockey Tournament" wasn't a tournament at all, but rather, featured a single game between the Alton Volunteer Firefighters and the "Caledon Notables", a rag-tag group of un-notable Ward One residents. Caledon was the victor, taking home the newly-minted Millpond Cup, lovingly created by Alton resident and artist / woodworker / metalworker Barry Metson.
2010 - Humble Beginnings
Begun in 2010 by Town of Caledon Ward One Council Member Doug Beffort and Alton Mill co-owner Jeremy Grant, the inaugural "Alton Millpond Hockey Tournament" wasn't a tournament at all, but rather, featured a single game between the Alton Volunteer Firefighters and the "Caledon Notables", a rag-tag group of un-notable Ward One residents. Caledon was the victor, taking home the newly-minted Millpond Cup, lovingly created by Alton resident and artist / woodworker / metalworker Barry Metson.
The action was fast and furious in the scintillating inaugural match-up.
Sarge surveys the action
|
Sparky surveys his mitten
|
(Self-appointed) Caledon Notables Captain, Doug Beffort, hoists the Millpond Cup for all to see.
2011 - Expansion
2011 marked the first year of the multi-team format as the event expanded to four men's teams of eight skaters each competing for the coveted Millpond Cup. The four teams, known as the "Original Four" were comprised of players from the four villages of Caledon Ward One (the north-west corner of the Town of Caledon): Alton, Caledon Village, Inglewood and Belfountain. Caledon Village won the Cup in a tightly fought match against Inglewood.
2011 marked the first year of the multi-team format as the event expanded to four men's teams of eight skaters each competing for the coveted Millpond Cup. The four teams, known as the "Original Four" were comprised of players from the four villages of Caledon Ward One (the north-west corner of the Town of Caledon): Alton, Caledon Village, Inglewood and Belfountain. Caledon Village won the Cup in a tightly fought match against Inglewood.
Caledon Village proudly posing with the Millpond Cup
2011 also marked the introduction of a women's exhibition game featuring players from the Caledon area.
2012 - Four Teams And A Heritage Dimension
2012 featured the same teams, however historic team names were added to create a stronger historic connection. Battling for the Millpond Cup were the Alton Beavers (an homage to the first incarnation of the Alton Mill as the Beaver Knitting Mill in 1881), the Caledon Quarrymen (referencing the numerous gravel pits to the south of the village), the Inglewood Railroaders (a reference to the village's railroading heritage), and the Belfountain Blues (because "Blues" sounds good with "Belfountain"?). Inglewood prevailed against Alton in the championship match played in blinding, near-blizzard conditions (see photo below).
2012 featured the same teams, however historic team names were added to create a stronger historic connection. Battling for the Millpond Cup were the Alton Beavers (an homage to the first incarnation of the Alton Mill as the Beaver Knitting Mill in 1881), the Caledon Quarrymen (referencing the numerous gravel pits to the south of the village), the Inglewood Railroaders (a reference to the village's railroading heritage), and the Belfountain Blues (because "Blues" sounds good with "Belfountain"?). Inglewood prevailed against Alton in the championship match played in blinding, near-blizzard conditions (see photo below).
2012 Championship played in a blinding blizzard
Inglewood captain Dan Waterfield casually accepts the Millpond Cup
from Caledon Mayor Marolyn Morrison
from Caledon Mayor Marolyn Morrison
The 2012 Women's game featured a challenge match between the local women's team, Group Therapy, and the Orangeville Tigers.
2013 - Here Come The Kids!
2013 saw another new dimension to the event - the shift away from adult tournament-style play to the introduction of kids' pond hockey games. Four Atom teams from Caledon Minor Hockey took to the Millpond ice in a fun two-game exhibition. The kids took over the prime mid-day slot and enjoyed the thrill of sharing the ice with renowned Hall of Fame linesman, Ray Scapinello. With this shift, the current Millpond Classic format was born.
2013 saw another new dimension to the event - the shift away from adult tournament-style play to the introduction of kids' pond hockey games. Four Atom teams from Caledon Minor Hockey took to the Millpond ice in a fun two-game exhibition. The kids took over the prime mid-day slot and enjoyed the thrill of sharing the ice with renowned Hall of Fame linesman, Ray Scapinello. With this shift, the current Millpond Classic format was born.
|
|
2013 saw Caledon Minor Hockey players compete on the Millpond for the first time.
The Women's Challenge Game saw a fierce battle between the ever-improving Alton Group Therapy squad and the challengers from Dufferin County.
In the Men's Division, the Caledon Quarrymen edged out the Alton Beavers 32-28 in a nail-biting and high-scoring pond hockey contest to capture their second Millpond Cup.
2014 - 2015 The Tradition Continued
In 2014 and 2015 the focus remained on the kids and eight minor hockey teams took to the hallowed Millpond ice, including, for the first time - and long overdue - a girls-only minor hockey league match-up. The women returned for the traditional Women's Challenge Match and the men return to their original format with a one-game Millpond Cup match-up between the Alton Volunteer Firefighters and a new and "improved" version of the beloved Caledon Notables.
2014 also sees a re-branding of the event from the Alton Millpond Hockey Tournament to the Alton Millpond Hockey Classic; a more accurate title for this very diverse pond hockey event.
In 2014 and 2015 the focus remained on the kids and eight minor hockey teams took to the hallowed Millpond ice, including, for the first time - and long overdue - a girls-only minor hockey league match-up. The women returned for the traditional Women's Challenge Match and the men return to their original format with a one-game Millpond Cup match-up between the Alton Volunteer Firefighters and a new and "improved" version of the beloved Caledon Notables.
2014 also sees a re-branding of the event from the Alton Millpond Hockey Tournament to the Alton Millpond Hockey Classic; a more accurate title for this very diverse pond hockey event.
2017 - State of the Art Boards
Just in time for the 2017 Classic, a new set of boards, 360' in all, were constructed and installed on the millpond rink. Thanks to the generous donation of materials from Shelburne Home Building Centre and the enthusiastic work by students and staff at Robert F. Hall Secondary School in Caledon East, we now have the BEST millpond hockey boards in Canada, if not the entire world! Thank you Steve Hayward, committee member, for steering this project through from start to finish, and Rae Brown and Chris von Innerebner for their expert installation and maintenance.
Just in time for the 2017 Classic, a new set of boards, 360' in all, were constructed and installed on the millpond rink. Thanks to the generous donation of materials from Shelburne Home Building Centre and the enthusiastic work by students and staff at Robert F. Hall Secondary School in Caledon East, we now have the BEST millpond hockey boards in Canada, if not the entire world! Thank you Steve Hayward, committee member, for steering this project through from start to finish, and Rae Brown and Chris von Innerebner for their expert installation and maintenance.
|
|
