Black eyes, errant pucks & skipping homework: Bruins look back on early days playing pond hockey

The 2019 Winter Classic is only a few days away, but Bruce Cassidy is still playing catch-up in some regards to the outdoor matchup at Notre Dame Stadium.

Cassidy, an Ottawa native, spent many days out on the Rideau Canal and in various makeshift rinks learning the ropes. But spending a few hours out in the cold as a bench boss? That’s a bit of an adjustment.

“What do I need to pack?” Cassidy asked on Thursday. “So I asked the trainers — do we get a jacket? Do I need to pack a turtleneck and long underwear? How does that work? Are the benches heated? Starting to think a little bit about that part.”

Aside from a few late alterations to Cassidy’s wardrobe, the B’s know what to expect when they step out on the ice in South Bend Tuesday for their matchup against the Blackhawks.

For many on Boston’s roster, backyard rinks and frozen ponds were where they first started to hone their craft — and experience their first run-ins with a loose puck or a high stick.

With the Winter Classic approaching, BostonSportsJournal.com spoke with a few Bruins about their experiences playing outdoor hockey growing up — and the antics that usually followed.

PATRICE BERGERON

"Playing pond hockey was probably my best memory growing up. We had these small, outdoor rinks in the neighborhood, a mini-rink. Basically, they’d go put the boards up and ice it down in the winter. It’d be a five-minute walk from my house, so me and my brother after school would always go there and get out and skate for a while. Sometimes we’d miss dinner or miss doing our homework and our parents would come get us to get out of there. It was a lot of fun and definitely one of my fondest memories — playing with my brother close to five, six times a week. Whenever we could."

Any memorable moments? “For us, it was more a matter of, hoping we didn’t lose all of our pucks before we were done. Because we only had boards — no glass and beyond the boards, there was just so much snow that the puck could go behind. You’d pretty much just have to wait for springtime to get it back. We’d go there with like two pucks, just hoping that we’re not going to hit a post or knock it over the boards. That was the only way we’d be home early, was because we lost the pucks.”

NOEL ACCIARI

"I played on ponds growing up. Fell through one once — luckily it wasn’t too deep. That was an experience. At Providence College, we played at Fenway one year. That was a really cool experience. It was cold and I think it’s going to be another cold one this time. But I’m excited. It should be a good time, an exciting time.

Any adjustments playing outdoors? “I think it was more so the ice was, you’ve just got to simplify your game, because you weren’t sure what the ice was going to be that day. When we played, it was really choppy and a lot of snow. You’d be carrying the puck one second and then you’d lose it in the snow or it would hit a rut in the ice and bounce over the stick. It makes the game a lot more simple. I think it will help out a line like us.”

COLBY CAVE

“Every winter, it was exciting when you got to flood the rink or scraping up enough to get new skates. You’d be out there into the late hours, playing with your buddies, shooting pucks, having a great time. My first black eye came from playing in an outdoor rink. I caught an edge or something and smoked my head on a snowbank and ended up with a black eye.

“All the memories you can think of, all the times with your buddies paying until way past your bedtime and then you’d get crap from your parents. But you know what, you look back on it now, and it was all worth it.”

JAKE DEBRUSK

“There’s lots of memories. Probably the biggest one for me was actually going to a Winter Classic game in Edmonton against Montreal. It was freezing, but I’ll never forget that game and really how special the event was. I now understand, as a fan how it is watching the game and now hopefully I’ll try to play in one. Other fond memories are probably when my dad came out on the ice with us. Little things like that. Trust me, there’s a lot of memories.

“Actually, my best buddy, Giorgio Estephan — he plays in Toronto’s system. I was in his backyard and I went to shoot — we had a goalie and everything. It was pretty decent size. And I got way too much wood on the puck and it went flying right through a windshield. Just like in the movies. I had to pay for it and everything. That kind of sucked.

“There was another one where there was like, this tree that was kind of in the middle of the rink. It was a little off to the side and you knew about it. But when you’re in the heat of the battle — you’d sometimes run right into it.”

DANTON HEINEN

“For me, the weather where I’m from, we didn’t get a lot of time on the outdoor rink. We’d get a couple weeks a year and when we did, we’d definitely take advantage of it. We’d be, whether it was the pond or flooding the backyard, right when you got home from school, you were getting every ounce of daylight that you could out there, because you’d only get a couple.”

You get your bumps and bruises in hockey, for sure. Especially when you’re not wearing gear out there. Sticks flying up and stuff like that. Probably a few stitches and stuff like that, but nothing too bad.”

CHARLIE MCAVOY

“My dad used to make the backyard rink and that was kind of where I was able to play with my family. My older sister didn’t really play. One of my younger sisters really didn’t play. But the backyard rink allowed everyone to get out there and play together. From a  family perspective, that was some of my favorite times. We have some funny pictures of us out there.

“And then I grew up watching up. The Penguins/Buffalo game was the first one? I think I was 9-10 years old. So it was always a staple, you always get real excited for Jan. 1 to watch that game. To be a part of it, I’m not going to take it for granted. I’m going to have all my family there and those who matter the most to me and we can all experience it together.”

JAKOB FORSBACKA KARLSSON

“My first time skating was actually out on the outdoor ponds we have out in (Stockholm) or out in the lakes we have in Sweden. In the winter, all that freezes up in the Stockholm area. Skating as a kid, those are all the first memories I have growing up. I’ve heard of people falling through the ice, but nothing like that for me. If you’re skating on the lake, obviously the conditions on the ice are always worse. Usually, you had to push the snow out to the side, too, but that was it.”

DAVID BACKES

“It was really prevalent. That was probably over half the ice we had in a small town with one, maybe two rinks at the time. If you wanted extra ice, it was free and it was outdoors. You’d make due — bring your shovel, clean it off and just enjoy that outdoor experience and that was a lot of what I did growing up.

“I think growing up, you don’t have helmets on typically. There was no glass in the rink that I had, so if you shot a puck and it was over the boards, who knows how far it went and then you had to go track it down into whatever hole it fell into. In Minnesota, there were a couple feet of snow and suddenly you were on a digging expedition. And then you’re walking in the snow and it’s getting in your skates. Your feet are already cold. But all of those memories are very vivid.”

BRANDON CARLO

“It wasn’t too crazy for me from where I’m from. There wasn’t a lot of ponds around. But for the times I was able to go outside and play hockey on the pond — I played in the Pee Wee Quebec tournament and there was a baseball field right down from where I stayed and it was all iced over. We would go play out there for hours. The times I’ve been out there, I’ve definitely taken advantage and go out there for as much as I could out there. It’s such a fun feeling to play outdoors and I really enjoyed that experience.

Any memorable antics? “Nothing too crazy. I think the rink that I went to in Quebec during the couple weeks that I was there — the boards were all made out of snow, so it was good to just absolutely dummy guys over them. That was a lot of fun, because you knew that you weren’t going to get guys too hurt.”

RYAN DONATO

“It was awesome. Any time the winter came around, you’re trying to figure out who would have the rink in their backyard or what pond you’re skating at. Just to have that experience, it was pretty surreal. Pretty much, everyone’s hockey career was based on getting on the ice with all of your buddies as much as you can, especially on the pond. It’s awesome.

There were a ton of times where me and my brothers were caught with stitches, sticks to the face. We used to have a dog — when we put out a backyard rink, he ate all of the plastic, so there was just random parts of the ice that you would just fall through. You’d fall through the ice, but you’d still just keep on playing. It was a ton of fun.”

TOREY KRUG

“It was fun. I grew up in Michigan, a lot of lakes. There’s just something about being outdoors and the brisk air hitting your face. Now to do it an NHL level, it’s fun.”

BRUCE CASSIDY

“We had the longest skating rink in the world, the Rideau Canal. Seven or eight miles long. So as kids we always had field trips there,” Cassidy said at Warrior Ice Arena earlier this month. “It was more across the street from me growing up. I had two schools, French and English elementary schools that both put up rinks.

“I think every kid in Canada lived on outdoor rinks, there was one nearby. I love that part of it. I have one in my backyard now. Shannon (Cassidy’s daughter) got on it for the first time last night and she was out for three hours. Brought a tear to my eye, because Cole (Cassidy’s son) is out there half the night. I just love it. It’s part of my upbringing and probably most of Canada.”