There was a time when one would have been hard pressed to find fun recreational sports activities in Downtown Buffalo, especially during the winter season. These days there’s plenty to do the entire year round. When it comes to winter activities, three of the most popular leagues are hockey, curling, and broomball. Although the cold weather has not arrived yet in balmy Buffalo, it’s still a good time to start thinking about winter sports leagues.
Starting on Monday, December 4, men and women (18 and over) will take to the ice at Canalside, to participate in recreational and competitive broomball. The league will be held on Monday nights at The Ice @ Canalside, 44 Prime Street.
- New management at Canalside purchased a second set of equipment so two games can run simultaneously
- League features both A and B divisions to provide a more balanced level of play
- Canalside is opening The Ice @ Canalside exclusively for broomballers this winter on Monday evenings. There is no open skate beforehand, providing players a start time of 6:30pm
More about the broomball league:
No skates required. Just lace up your shoes and head down to the beautifully redone Ice @ Canalside. Healthy Buffalo provides online stats, pictures, videos, awards, hooded sweatshirts, etc.
Broomball is a recreational ice game originating in Canada (also contested as being Swedish) and played in certain other countries. It is played in a hockey rink, either indoors or outdoors, depending on climate and location. Broomball is popular in the Canadian province of Manitoba, where St. Claude and Haywood are the Broomball Capitals of the World. In a game of broomball there are two teams, each consisting of six players: a goaltender and five others. The object of the game is to score more goals than the opponent. Goals are scored by hitting the ball into the opponent’s net using the broom. Tactics and plays are similar to those used in sports such as ice hockey, roller hockey and floorball. Players hit a small ball around the ice with a stick called a “broom.” The broom has a wooden shaft and has a rubber-molded triangular head similar in shape to that of a regular broom (or, originally, an actual corn broom with the bristles either cut off or covered with tape). Players wear their regular street shoes or boots instead of skates, and the ice is prepared in such a way that it is smooth and dry to improve traction. – Chas Kirsch, Founder Healthy Buffalo
Click here to sign up for individual and team registration. Find Healthy Buffalo on Facebook.