CT Ice festival postponed, extended for two years

The Connecticut Ice Festival, launched earlier this year with a weekend devoted to showcasing the state’s four Division I college hockey programs, has been canceled for 2021, according to a release from SNY.

The festival, which included Quinnipiac, Sacred Heart, UConn and Yale, as well as top high school, prep and youth programs playing at Webster Bank Arena, was canceled due to risks associated with CO

VID-19. The event was scheduled for Jan. 30-31.

SNY, the four universities, Webster Bank Arena and the City of Bridgeport have all confirmed their support to continue the growth of Connecticut Ice by locking in dates for 2022 ( Jan. 29-30) and 2023 ( Jan.

28-29).

“As disappointed as we are about the festival in

2021, we are thrilled that all of our key partners have committed to the future of Connecticut Ice and the opportunity to keep growing hockey in the state,” Steve Raab, president of SNY, said in the release. “Never did we think, when we left Webster Bank Arena after the championship game this past January, that we would be in the position we are today. With so many levels of uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, we simply can’t produce the festival in the manner it deserves. We look forward to welcoming everybody back in 2022 and we will not stop working hard to build on the momentum developed during our first year.”

Sacred Heart won the the inaugural Connecticut Ice Festival. The experience included more than 700 youth and amateur participants, with more than 50 hours of live hockey, which included a mites jamboree, youth tournament championship games in three divisions (boys 12U and 10U and girls 12U), a girls and boys high school showcase game and a prep school showcase game.

There are indications the 2020-21 college hockey season could get underway next month, but no plans have been officially announced.

“I think we are going to have a season,” Quinnipiac coach Rand Pecknold said. “What it’s going to look like, I don’t know. It’s definitely a unique year, but Quinnipiac is going to play games, probably some time in early November or midNovember, we’ll figure out which teams are playing and which teams aren’t and we’ll make a schedule.”

UConn coach Mike Cavanaugh believes the hockey schedule will follow the basketball model. It was recently announced that the college basketball season is expected to start around Nov. 25.

“We’re kind of playing off basketball a little bit and basketball has kind of put that date out there,” Cavanaugh said. “When the kids go home for Thanksgiving Day break would be a time that they would start, and I think we’ll be very similar to what basketball does.”

With the 2019-20 season unable to be completed due to the coronavirus, what is it going to be like when games do start again?

“They’ll all be excited,” Cavanaugh said. “This is probably the longest these kids have ever gone without playing in an organized hockey game, it’s going to be over seven months, so I think everybody’s going to be excited to get back and they’re itching to play.”