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Hell Freeze hockey tournament back in Havre

COVID guidelines in place for tournament

The 2021 Hi-Line Hell Freeze Hockey Tournament is set to heat up the ice at Havre Ice Dome Thursday through Sunday.

Fourteen teams, including eight from Havre, in this year’s hockey tournament will compete in at least three games each, with the top teams vying in final rounds for a top-three placing. This tournament is the main fundraiser for Havre Youth Hockey, Derek Vaughn, one of the organizers, said. All the proceeds will help pay expenses for participation and competition for kids 4 to 19 years old playing in the youth leagues.

This weekend’s tournament will have adult hockey teams in three divisions based on skill level. Tripods, or beginners division, has six teams, including one each from Helena and Lewistown. The intermediate Sandbaggers division has four teams, including one team each from Lewistown and Bozeman.

The third division, High Rec, has players who generally have played at the college or in minor league team level, or they were top high school hockey players. Vaughn said that this play is very fast. Along with two Havre teams, this division will see hockey action from a Lewistown team and a Bozeman team.

The tournament begins Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Ice Dome, 2585 Fifth Ave. S.E., with three games between Havre teams in the Tripod and High Rec divisions. The last game is expected to wrap up at about 10:30 p.m. Friday’s competition will be 6 p.m. to midnight. Saturday’s games will last all day from 8:45 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., with final round competitions starting at about 9:15. Sunday continues final round competitions from 8:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Spectators get in free, and concessions and beer will be available.

Vaughn said that COVID guidelines will be followed, including moving the teams in and out quickly, and beer being sold in cans this year instead of the customary kegs and cups. The Ice Dome, he added, at 50 percent capacity has seating for about 600 people, so there will be plenty of room for people to spread out and still catch the action.

 

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