The pond hockey tournament which was originally set to coincide with the Rossland Winter Carnival this weekend has been rescheduled for next weekend due to the recent warm weather.
"We're just taking the event as a unit and moving it forward a week," organizer John Reed said on Thursday, after deciding that the above-zero temperatures forecast for the Alpine City this weekend posed too much of a threat to the ice surface.
There is a "really good base of ice" down, he added, but it likely wouldn't last for three days of intense pond hockey action, given the forecast for Rossland.
With slightly cooler temperatures in the long-range forecast, organizers decided it would be better to reschedule.
The Western Regional Pond Hockey Championships are now set to take place in Rossland Feb. 4 - 6.
Game times will remain the same on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
If Mother Nature continues to be uncooperative, however, Reed said this year's event will have to be called off.
In that case, teams can either have their registration fees refunded or apply them to next year's pond hockey event.
In the meantime, Reed said it will be important to keep the ice surface as healthy as possible. He said signs will be posted this weekend but wanted to remind anyone attending the Winter Carnival to be mindful of the playing surface.
"We kindly ask people to stay off the ice," he said.