On Frozen Blog

With last week’s unseasonable warmth behind us and Winter returning to the District, let’s check in with Patrick Loewen, the Capitals supporter who may very well stake the claim to northernmost latitude (50¬? 46′ 60 N) in the Caps’ fanbase . . . though any living farther north are encouraged to comment.

I chronicled Patrick’s first visit to Washington, D.C., to see the Capitals play two games at the Verizon Center (read all about it here). We’ve kept in touch, and he recently shared the story of his newly-created backyard hockey rink — something not feasible here in Washington, but a cold endeavor that should warm any hockey player’s heart. 

Getting back to outdoor hockey is a waxing trend in the NHL, but it’s always been the heart of hockey. Check out the creation and photos of The Horizon Centre, Patrick’s homage to the home of his favorite team.

My wife, three kids, and I moved to the Russell, Manitoba, area on August 14th. This was our first time living out in the country, and we decided to rent a farmhouse four miles south of town. I noticed a dried-out, overgrown dugout about 100 yards from the house. The very next day after unpacking, I took our weed-whacker to the shoulder-high foliage and managed to chop it down after 4 hours, 10 tanks of gas, and a six-pack. 

The next day, I took our mower (one pass at the highest cut, then at mid-level, and then at the lowest level) and mulched the weeds. In between mulching, we picked all of the stones out of the hole for use in the fire pit. The floor of the dugout was surprisingly flat so I did not need to pack it.

After patiently waiting until mid-November, I began the arduous task of flooding the area. The weather was now consistently below zero degrees Celsius, so the water would freeze quickly if put on in thin enough layers. After ten 24-hour floods, the rink was starting to take shape.

I have added water at least twice every week, right up until mid-January; we have four inches of ice over the entire rink surface, which measures 35 feet by 75 feet. Because I use a half inch garden hose for the water, it takes about two hours per flood. It also takes an hour and a half to clear the snow off the playing surface with our 30-inch snow shovel.

In Russell, we get a couple inches of snow per week on average, though we are expecting six tonight and another six tomorrow. I may break out a snowblower this week because we scheduled a shinny tournament this weekend with the inlaws. They have a chocolate lab
named Jet, who apparently he has a strong puck-possession game and terrific offensive upside. We might have to play a trap system to nullify his nose for the net!

Plenty of Capitals jerseys and hats will be worn on the Horizon Centre sheet, as I’ve managed to convert my Toronto-based sister-in-law and her two sons into Caps fans. Of course, Washington’s exhilarating style of play has made convincing die-hard Leaf fans to support the Caps almost as easy as talking Mike Rucki into having another cold one during the  intermission of a Capitals game at the Verizon Center.

Game on!