Frozen Pride Classic 2026
FULL: TEAMS: REGISTER & SUBMIT A $150 DEPOSIT .
FREE AGENTS: NO TEAM? DON’T WORRY!
ARRIVE
Thursday, 2/12
GAMES
Friday, 2/13 -
Sunday, 2/15
DEPART
Monday, 2/16
(US holiday)
COUNTDOWN TO PUCK DROP
Welcome to Frozen Pride Classic 2026. Our newer 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.
Congrats to the BirkenSticks for winning the Fit Fab Award in 2025!
Your SPHA. Your voice. We’re listening to your feedback.
Based upon feedback from earlier this year, here are some key takeaways we heard in your feedback and changes we’re incorporating for this year’s Frozen Pride Classic 2026.
- Ice Time: You wanted more ice time. We agree! We’re increasing game times to 75-minutes, and hosting on a holiday weekend so you can experience more of the magic to playing outdoors. (That’s one extra hour of time playing in the outdoors!)
- Sponsor a Player: We’ve heard you and are excited to roll out a new way for anyone—parents, friends, or supporters—to sponsor a player. Whether it’s a gift or just helping with costs, these sponsorships make it possible for more players to hit the ice at our tournaments.
- Apps & Brew Social: We’ve heard how much everyone enjoyed connecting off the ice, and we’d love to make our social events even bigger and better. How far we can take it really depends on the sponsorships and support we receive. We’re also open to your ideas—and if you’d like to chip in with a donation to help make it happen, we’d love to hear from you!
- Event Merch: We’ve heard the requests for more ways to remember the tournament, so in addition to complimentary T-Shirts for players, this year we’ll be offering event merch—like stickers, patches and pucks—for sale. It’s a great way to take a piece of the event home and rep it year-round!
- Tournament Guide: Based upon your feedback, you want the tournament guide (AKA: know before you go) at your finger tips! This year, we will try out one consolidated PDF form sent to your mobile device ahead of the tournament, rather than reliance on the website.
The above feedback was the most common theme among the feedback received. If you have other great ideas, please connect with us by emailing Michelle Mendez at [email protected].
To register a team, submit a $150 refundable deposit.
This deposit is fully refundable if your team is not selected for the tournament, or if you withdraw your team prior to selection. Upon acceptance to the tournament, your deposit becomes non-refundable and non-transferable, and the remaining balance ($2,800) is due within 45 calendar days. You will need to invite your players to your team and assign dues to each player to submit payment against, or you can pay in full and collect from teammates separately.
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 throughout the process.
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- Monday, September 8, 2025 @ 8:00 AM PT: Team deposits + free agent registration will open.
- Friday, October 24, 2025 @ 11:59 PM PT: Team deposits will conclude.
- Monday, November 3, 2025: 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 45 days.
- Thursday, December 18, 2025: All teams should be paid in full.
- December 31, 2025: The goal is to publish the full tournament schedule no later than this date.
Home sweet home at Winthrop Rink.
Since the early 1900s, locals have ice skated on the frozen lakes and rivers of the Methow Valley in central Washington State. But in some winters, the temperatures weren’t cold enough for the water to safely freeze for skating. So, in 1999, community members founded a nonprofit and partnered with the Town of Winthrop to build an NHL-sized, refrigerated outdoor ice rink.
Winthrop Rink opened its doors in 2007 and has grown to provide 135 days of ice skating in the fall and winter seasons, and 120 days of dryland arena sports in the spring and summer.
Winthrop Rink is enjoyed by around 7,000 youth and 9,000 adults every year, and rink-related tourism generates over $1.3 million annually to the local economy.
$2,800 team registration dues, after the team deposit.
If you roster 16 players (15 + 1) – split evenly – your total cost per person will be ~$185.
Deposits paid for teams are fully refundable if the team is not accepted into the tournament, or if you withdraw the team prior to selection. Upon acceptance to the tournament, the remaining team dues are due in full within 45 calendar days. You may assign dues amounts to players to submit payment towards, or you can collect from players and pay in full on their behalf.
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To make it all happen, team fees will increase by +$150 compared to 2025. This bump isn’t about charging more — it’s about delivering more for you. And even with these additions, our fees remain far less than other tournaments of this type offering. This increase is a nominal 5% increase, averaging about $9/player.
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:
- 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 two to 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 and 75-minute ice slots.
If you don’t have 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 $180 – $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.
And if you are in the free agency pool and can no longer play, please let us know. Don’t wait to inform us when you’re called upon to backfill a vacancy.
- Arrive
- Thursday, February 12, 2026
- Games
- Friday games are from 7:00 AM – 12:00 AM midnight
- Saturday games are from 8:30 AM – 12:00 AM midnight
- Sunday games are from 8:30 AM – 10:30 PM
- All teams will play four games guaranteed.
- One, two-hour public skate each day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday
- Watch the action live & up close
There’s a great hang out spot rink side 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. - Apps & Brew Social
- We will host a fun invitational Apps & Brew Social on Saturday, February 14, from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM at Winthrop Barn.
- Depart
- Monday, February 16 (a US holiday)
We will host an Apps & Brew Social on Saturday, February 14 from 2 PM to 4 PM.
Join us for this fun invitational event:
- Light appetizers and snacks
- Beer & cocktails for sale
- Fun raffle prizes
- Event merchandise
- Plus, mix & mingle with your tournament peers!
We’re on a mission to make the Frozen Pride Classic the most inclusive, electrifying, and unforgettable weekend in hockey—and you’re at the heart of it!
- 12 total teams – Draft-style for maximum fun & competition!
- 3 divisions – A level of play for every skill level.
- 4 games guaranteed – No more, no less. Every shift counts!
- 75-minute game times – More ice time, more action!
- Commemorative team photo – A keepsake to remember your squad and this epic weekend!
- Partnering with Methow Pride – We will collaborate with Methow Pride again this year.
- Pride Best Pride Skate – On Friday, don your pride best for the pride skate under the open sky!
- Apps & Brew Social – On Saturday, we'll host an Apps & Brew Social at Winthrop Barn to mix & mingle.
- Fun awards – During your final game on Sunday, we'll hand out fun awards to players you nominated!
- Plus more... – There's so much we're still working on behind the scenes.
This is hockey like you’ve never experienced before.In the mountains.Outdoors. On the pond!
We aim to keep things balanced and fun.
To keep the games competitive and enjoyable for everyone, we’re maintaining 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.
No standings, no championships: We will keep score as usual (we know your stats are important to you); however, there are no standings, no championships, no first place teams. Everyone is a winner.
Protect yourself from the unexpected
USA Hockey membership
All players in Frozen Pride Classic 2026 are required to have an active USA Hockey membership for the 2025-26 season. This membership provides essential insurance coverage for players, including liability and secondary medical coverage in case of injury during tournament play. If you are not already a USA Hockey member, you can register at usahockey.com.
Optional registration insurance
We understand that life happens, and unexpected events like injury, illness, or family emergencies can disrupt your plans. That’s why we offer optional registration insurance, allowing you to protect your registration fees under qualifying circumstances. If an unforeseen event prevents you from playing, this insurance helps safeguard and prevents forfeiture of your registration fees. Full details, including cost, coverage and how to opt in, will be provided during registration. Or, you can visit https://landing.verticalinsure.com/leagueapps.
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 should not have more than 16 (15 skaters + 1 goaltender). Additional registration costs may be added to teams rostered with more than 16 total players.
- All players must have face protection – regardless of division. This includes a half-shield/viser, hybrid bubble cage, or full face cage. Given the lower level of play, players may not not have face protection while playing.
Have questions? We’re here to help!
Whether you’re registering, need tournament details, or can’t make it as a player, we’ve got your back!
Call or text us: (206) 627-0005
Email us: [email protected]
Tournament weekend: Find a staff member around the rink all weekend long
We’re ready to help make your Frozen Pride Classic 2026 experience unforgettable!
EVENTS
Thursday: Weekend Toast @ Three Fingered Jacks
On Thursday, 2/12 from 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM, gather at Three Fingered Jacks, grab your favorite drink, and at ~9:00 PM we’ll hit the streets with Methow Pride to cheers & toast to the start of a fantastic weekend!
Friday: Pride Best Pride Skate @ Winthrop Rink
On Friday, 2/13 from 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM, don your pride best and skate with Seattle Pride Hockey Association, Methow Pride, and members of the Methow Valley under the open sky.
Saturday: Apps & Brew Social @ Winthrop Barn
On Saturday, 2/14 from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM, join us at the Winthrop Barn for a fun invitational, plus mix & mingle with all your tournament peers and their guests. We’ll offer appetizers, along with alcohol & beer for sale, plus special merch & raffles!
VOLUNTEER
Join us in bringing Frozen Pride Classic 2026 to life as we produce and operate the most inclusive, high-energy hockey weekend on the planet! Whether you’re a die-hard hockey fan, a passionate community member, or just love being part of something legendary, we need YOU! As a volunteer, you will:
👋 Connect with the local & national hockey community.
🙌 Give back through meaningful community service.
🌟 Score exclusive swag – a volunteer T-shirt & badge!
Check out all the exciting volunteer opportunities below and join the team making hockey history!
CAN'T PLAY? SUPPORT IN OTHER WAYS
SPONSOR A PLAYER
Seattle Pride Hockey Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization on a mission to grow the sport of ice hockey through diversity and inclusion. We believe that hockey is for everyone, and we work hard to create programs that bring our communities together to celebrate diversity.
At Seattle Pride Hockey Association, we believe hockey should be accessible to everyone. Our Sponsor a Player program allows community members, friends, and supporters to contribute toward a player’s registration costs.
