Our newest tournament brings pride hockey to the pond, set in wintery Winthrop, Washington.
Join us for a friendly weekend of outdoor hockey as 12 teams come together in a reimagined relaxed style of play. No pressure, no championship — this is an opportunity to hit the ice in the elements, and have fun while skating at one of the most unique outdoor rinks in North America.
FROZEN PRIDE CLASSIC 2025
DATES
ARRIVE
Thursday, February 20, 2025
GAMES
Friday, February 21 - Sunday, February 23
GAMEPLAY ENHANCEMENTS
To keep the games competitive and enjoyable for everyone, we’re introducing two gameplay enhancements designed to promote fairness and balanced matchups. These adjustments aim to ensure close scores and prevent runaway games, fostering a fun and inclusive experience for all players.
Gretzky Rule: To keep the spirit of fairness and fun alive, no player may score more than three (3) goals in a single game. If a player nets a fourth (4th) goal, it will be disallowed, and play will resume with a faceoff in the offending team’s defensive zone, similar to an icing call. No penalties will be assessed. This rule is designed to prevent dominant players from overshadowing the game, encouraging a more balanced team effort and giving everyone a chance to shine.
Blue Line Icing: For smoother gameplay and fewer interruptions, icing will only be called if the puck is shot from inside a team’s defending zone (behind their blue line) and crosses the opposing team’s far-red line. This adjustment, especially helpful for beginner-level games, keeps the gameplay flowing, reduces repetitive stoppages, and ensures more time is spent playing rather than constantly resetting the puck.
These gameplay enhancements are not set in stone, and if teams and players wish to eliminate one or both (i.e., Avalanche Division would prefer to stick with traditional icing), we’re more than happy to take that into consideration after one round of games.
HOTEL
We are partnering with Sun Mountain Lodge to offer group rates.
TOURNAMENT DETAILS
Winthrop Rink is a scenic five-hour drive from Seattle.
The town of Winthrop has an Old West theme, with a main street boardwalk featuring restaurants and shops. The Winthrop Rink is a ten-minute walk from the center of town.
Here are some helpful tips for teams traveling from outside of Washington:
- Fly into either Spokane International Airport or Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to start your trip.
- Seattle is approximately a 5 hour drive from Winthrop, assuming clear roads.
- Spokane is approximately 3 1/2 hours from Winthrop, again, assuming clear roads.
- Rent vehicles for the trip over the mountains; all-wheel drive is recommended during February.
- Book lodging:
- We have a group rate reserved for you at the Sun Mountain Lodge, about a 20-minute dive from the rink. You can reserve your room here.
- A handful of hotels are located less than a 10-minute walk from the rink: Methow River Lodge & Cabins (rinkside), Chewuch Inn, Hotel Rio Vista, Mt. Gardner Inn.
- In addition to Airbnb and VRBO, Methow Reservations is a local site for vacation rental bookings with lower fees.
Visit WinthropWashington.com for more information.
Whether you’re traveling from out of state or just driving over from Seattle, all attendees are encouraged to use WSDOT’s Mountain Passes & Winter Travel page to stay up-to-date on road conditions.
We will host up to 12 teams spread across three divisions. If more than 12 teams register, we must select the 12 teams that we believe will be most evenly-matched within the three divisions.
All teams are guaranteed a total of four (4) games.
If you don’t have a team and aren’t associated with anyone who’s forming a team, don’t fret! You may register as a free agent at no cost. While there are no guarantees of placement on a team, should there become an opening on one, you may be called upon to backfill that vacancy.
Once accepted to a team, you will need to submit payment of the applicable player dues to the Team Captain to finalize your spot. This could range anywhere from approximately $175 – $200 – depending upon the size of the overall team roster (since team dues are split across the rostered players).
Please plan accordingly – and don’t forget to factor in transportation/gas, lodging, entertainment/meals, etc. throughout the weekend.
To register a team, you must submit a $150 refundable deposit. This deposit is fully refundable if your team is not selected for the event weekend. Upon acceptance to the event, your deposit becomes non-refundable and non-transferable and the remaining balance ($2,650) will be due within 30 calendar days. You will need to invite your players to your team and assign dues to each player to submit payment against.
Teams will be accepted based on a number of factors at the discretion of Seattle Pride Hockey Association with the intent of forming three, equally-skilled divisions.
Don’t have enough players and need a couple? Don’t worry! We will have a pool of free agents to pull from.
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Monday, September 16 @ 8:00 AM PT: Team + free agent registration will open.
Friday, October 4 @ 11:59 PM PT: Registration (for teams) will conclude.
Friday, October 18, 2024: Seattle Pride Hockey Association will announce teams by end of day. At this time, for teams accepted to the tournament, deposits become non-refundable and the remaining team balance is due within 30 days.
December 31, 2024: The goal is to publish the full tournament schedule no later than this date.
- Free agent players will be paired with teams as Seattle Pride Hockey Association is made aware of openings on teams. If you are no longer available, please notify Seattle Pride Hockey Association so that you may be removed from the pool of free agents.
- Arrive
- Thursday, February 20
- Games
- Begin on Friday, February 21 at 7:00 AM
- Two public skate windows on Friday and Saturday
- Final game will conclude at approximately 2:00 PM on Sunday, February 23
- All teams will play four games guaranteed.
- Game Socials
There’s a great hang out spot rinkside to watch and support your fellow teams during all games. Bring the UGG’s, the propane campfire pits, the drinks and socialize at the rink. - Barn Social
- We will host an informal Barn Social on Saturday, February 22, from 2:30 PM – 5:30 PM. Details to follow!
$2,800 team registration dues, inclusive of the teams deposit.
If you roster 16 players – split evenly – your total cost per person will be $175.
Deposits paid for teams are fully refundable if the team is not accepted into the event. Upon acceptance to the event, the team dues are due in full within 30 calendar days. You may assign dues amounts to players to submit payment towards.
Free agents do not pay anything upfront to register but will be required to submit payment for player dues upon acceptance to a team.
Expect wintery weather, but be ready for anything! The average high temperature in February is 39° F, with an average low of 18° F. It snows an average of 8 inches in February.
Games are played snow, rain or shine!
Pack appropriately for the elements with warm clothes, spare layers, and heavy jackets. Don’t forget the hand warmers to cheer on your friends rinkside and of course the boot dryers!
- In the spirit of keeping Winthrop Rink a family and kid-friendly environment, alcohol/beer are not permitted inside Winthrop Rink or locker rooms. Please reserve consumption for nearby bars/saloon or places of lodging.
- Teams must have one (1) primary jersey color + one (1) secondary/backup jersey color to adhere to away & home requirements and avoid potential jersey conflicts with match up opponents.
- If your team requires jerseys, please consider contacting JerzeysFX Custom Sports Apparel.
- Teams must have a minimum of 11 players (10 skaters + 1 goaltender) but no more than 16 (15 skaters + 1 goaltender). Additional registration costs will be added to teams rostered with more than 16 total players.
EXPERIENCE WINTHROP RINK
These videos are produced by Winthrop Rink for the Joyful Jamboree and Kraken Hockey League for the annual The Great Puckaroo Roundup. They are provided to showcase the beauty of the Methow Valley and the experience of playing at an outdoor rink.
