Frognoses beat defending champs The Aces; The Bras from Grand Falls defend ladies division
Bragging rights for the World Pond Hockey Championship has travelled across the pond for 2026. The world’s top pond hockey players from Kolin, Czechia beat the Aces from Fredericton in Sunday’s final action on Roulston Lake in Plaster Rock.
The Frognoses, with players Jan Smejkal, Ladislav Hlaves, Martin Mejzr, Martin Cerny and Petr Pycha claimed victory over The Aces, five-time pond hockey champions including Dave Myles, Ryan Burgoyne, Stacy Smallman, Jordan Owens and Dave Crossman.
In the ladies division The Bras from Grand Falls defended their title, beating The Past Our Prime team from Fredericton 12-7. Janie LeBlanc, Amelie Dion, Marie-Philip Dumont, Floriane Dion and Gabrielle Forget won for the Bras, while the Fredericton squad featuring Paige Jackson, Stephane Desjardin, Lauren Henman, Bria Harding and Danielle Ring were runners-up.
“We had an incredible event this year. Mother Nature blessed us with ideal pond hockey weather – cool nights so we could flood every morning, sunshine and warmer temperatures during the day,” said Danny Braun, event organizer. “Lots of people came out to see some great hockey. Our Friday crowd was one of the biggest ever, and the lake was full of spectators on Saturday and Sunday.”
Braun said 80 men’s teams and 10 women’s teams competed in the 2026 event. The 90 squads included players from across Canada and the United States, with teams from Slovakia, Czech Republic, United Kingdom and The United Arab Emirates travelling to play outdoors on natural ice.
The four-day tournament saw more than 250 games of pond hockey, with Sunday’s marathon final pitting the top 32 men’s teams and top 8 women’s teams vying for the championship.
“We had some great teams in the play-offs, but the best team of all was the volunteers. The World Pond Hockey Championship is a showcase for our community, province and country thanks to their efforts,” Braun said.
The tourney, which was created in 2002 to help raise money for a new arena and recreational facility in Plaster Rock, has generated almost $1 million toward that goal. The Phil Sharkey Memorial Centre opened in 2007.
