It’s been somewhat of a strange season so far for the Ponoka Stampeders.
From a lengthy losing streak to a nearly wholesale change of players then knocking off the league’s only undefeated team, the season took another odd turn when the Stamps hosted Cochrane on Dec. 8.
The afternoon contest had been going on smoothly and at a quick pace, with Ponoka leading 2-0 on goals from Tyrone Potts Jr.
However, just past the five minute mark of the third, the game was abruptly halted and ultimately postponed.
According to Stamps head coach Mike Nesbitt, a huge foot-long chunk of ice came loose in one corner of the rink, so large that the concrete floor was exposed.
Nesbitt stated that for the safety of the players, the game was abandoned at that point.
“We are still waiting on a decision from the Heritage Junior Hockey League on what will happen now,” he said.
A reason or cause of the issue isn’t yet known. Town of Ponoka was contacted late Monday (Dec. 9), but a response was not available by press time.
Saddle up — The Stamps are due to finish up their two-game home stand tonight (Dec. 11) with Rocky Mountain House paying its first visit to Ponoka (puck drop, 7:30 p.m.). That’s followed by a pair of road games on the weekend — in High River on Dec. 13 and Dec. 15 in Sylvan Lake.
The club will close out 2019 by hosting Mountainview Dec. 18 (7:30 p.m.) and then in Stettler on Dec. 21. The Stamps’ first game of the new year is in Cochrane Jan. 4, while their first home date will be Jan. 12 versus Strathmore.
