Small Ponds, Big Goals

Conserving the future of hockey, one small pond at a time.

Your shot to win with Small Ponds Big Goals!

Win a Monthly Prize Pack, valued at approx. $645, including:

Tickets to a local CHL game
Autographed merch
and much more

When you enter you’re automatically entered for the Grand Prize:

Two tickets to the 2026 Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Weekend
$2,500 travel voucher to get you there

Enter to win

Rules and Regulations

Ducks Unlimited Canada celebrates community and connection to nature through pond hockey at the 2024 Legends Classic.

Share your shinny story

Growing up playing shinny on a frozen pond is a core Canadian experience rooted in water on the landscape facilitated by healthy wetlands.

That’s why, as Canada’s largest nature conservancy, Ducks Unlimited Canada is excited to team up with players and fans of our most beloved and iconic game to celebrate the contribution ponds and wetlands make to our culture, community, environment, and our national sport!

We’re inviting supporters to tell us what small ponds and wetlands in their community have meant to them and to share stories of playing on them for a chance to win!

Help us conserve wetlands across Canada

By fostering pond hockey through healthy wetlands, we are passing a love of the game and the outdoors to the next generations of athletes and conservators.

Donate Now

Read the stories

Ducks Unlimited Canada and the NHL are teaming up to tell stories of current and former NHL players and how access to community ponds and the outdoors helped shape their love for the sport.

Phil and Tony Esposito

The Esposito brothers began their road to the Hockey Hall of Fame by playing on frozen ponds in the great outdoors.

Joe Juneau

Joe Juneau's two passions, hockey and the great outdoors, have always held a special place in his life, and the two have been closely linked before, during, and after his career in the NHL.

Alex Faulkner

Alex Faulkner made NHL history in 1961 thanks to outdoor rinks in Newfoundland.

Darryl Sutter

Six Sutter brothers made it to the NHL assisted by the work ethic they learned on their family farm.

The shinny on Natalie Spooner

Playing hockey outdoors in the bitter Canadian winter helped Natalie Spooner sharpen her skills.

Hockey legend Hayley Wickenheiser shares her shinny story

Hockey legend Hayley Wickenheiser shares her shinny story.

Dick Duff

‘Playing outdoors was everything’ to Duff growing up.

Rogie Vachon

Hall of Fame goalie began hockey career with games on pond of family farm in Quebec

Richard Sevigny

Enjoying life along St. Lawrence River, Sevigny reflects on 8-season NHL career.

Our Connection to nature unites us

Often, shinny games are held outdoors on ponds and wetlands, immersing players in the beauty of nature while building a connection and appreciation of Canada’s natural landscapes during winter.

A Proud Canadian Tradition

For many of us the love hockey started on a frozen pond or wetland, chasing the puck with cold fingers and big smiles.

Inclusivity on the Ice

Shinny doesn’t care who you are, what gear you have, or how well you can skate. If there’s room on the ice, there’s room for you.

Bringing Community Together

Pond hockey has a special way of turning strangers into teammates and neighbours into friends.

Where Skills Take Shape

No drills and no coaches. Just ice, instinct, and imagination. That freedom builds skill and the confidence to grow beyond the pond.

Safety first

Skating on frozen ponds is fun, but there are precautions you should take before lacing up:

Thickness: Skate only on ice that is 20+ centimetres thick.
Colour: Clear blue and black ice is the strongest. Grey is unsafe to stand on as it indicates the presence of water. White or opaque ice should be avoided.
Weather: Temperatures consistently below freezing make for stronger and safer ice. Early or late winter can make for more dangerous conditions.