THIS STORY IS PART OF OUR WINTER SPORTS PLAYBOOK. READ MORE HERE.
It’s before dawn when Joe Stephenson steps onto the rink in Center Street Park, gliding across the fresh ice as his breath billows into the cold air.
For Stephenson, 41, the perfect pond hockey day begins in these quiet hours. Unlike its indoor iteration, outdoor hockey is a dance with nature – part of what makes the sport distinctive. “The elements have so much to do with the ice condition,” he says, his eyes lighting up. “You have to enjoy it while you can.”
The mercury hovers between 10 and 20 degrees, the sky a canvas of muted grays. Stephenson tosses fallen leaves and twigs from the ice atop the patchy sports fields of this West Side green space that every winter transforms into a pond hockey haven. Stephenson and the other Center Street Hosers contribute by maintaining the rinks. The pinnacle of their efforts is the annual Mid-Winter Classic tournament (Jan. 25), when the park comes alive with the sounds of clashing sticks and cheering spectators, and the aroma of grilled sausages. “There’s something about being outdoors and keeping yourself busy in the winter that drives it. If you play organized hockey and get to play pond hockey, it’s just a whole different experience,” Stephenson says. “You can be as amateur as they come. All you need is a stick and a puck.”
