Hiawatha Lake Pond Hockey

By: Tim O’Donnell

Founder, Syracuse Pond Hockey Classic

Whenever someone tells me they’ve never been to Upper Onondaga Park – which happens more than you might think – I never know whether to be disappointed or secretly pleased. Disappointed because the park is such a beautiful, special place; pleased only because there’s something satisfying about thinking of it as a hidden gem.

That being said, my first instinct always wins out as I love introducing new people to the park. It’s also at the heart of why I helped create an event to make additional use of this gem and shine a brighter light on yet another incredible resource in the City of Syracuse. 

While it remains the picturesque centerpiece of the park, the lake has had an evolution of recreational uses over the years, from a swimming hole to a fishing destination to a spectacular backdrop for countless prom and wedding photos, including my own.

When I moved to Strathmore in 2009, however, I was surprised to see that so few people used Hiawatha Lake in the winter. I'd heard stories that it used to be used for skating and hockey years ago, and seeing the icy lake each winter season made me ruminate on ways to utilize it again. Finally in 2019, a dedicated group of friends and volunteers helped me turn those thoughts into reality with the Syracuse Pond Hockey Classic. Prep work involved spraying the existing layer of ice with fire hoses to thicken and even the surface – at night, in the cold, for weeks at a time. It was exhausting but gratifying work that allowed us to have three active sheets for the first event in January 2020. Hundreds of fans and neighbors lined the banks of the lake and enjoyed exciting hockey and neighborhood camaraderie. That’s when I heard over and over again: “I didn’t even know this existed. The park is so beautiful!” Mission accomplished. 

We hoped to make it an annual event, but, just like winter in Syracuse, we've had to deal with some unexpected twists and turns. The following year we had to cancel because of the pandemic. The daily temperature for our 2022 tournament never got above 10 degrees; then in 2023 the lake never froze so we had to cancel. 

After that, we decided to move our tournament downtown to Clinton Square to use the existing ice and surrounding facilities. I’ll be honest, it was not an easy decision. But Mother Nature was proving uncooperative when it came to having enough ice each year, so we decided we’d rather move and host the tournament than stay put and have to cancel again and again. Our 2024 and 2025 tournaments have been huge successes in Clinton Square and we’re thrilled to return again in 2026. 

And to my surprise, the sentiment I heard from friends, players and fans in Clinton Square is not that far off from what they said in our beloved park: “Wow, I didn’t know this existed. This is awesome!” Thanks to dependable ice, we’re thrilled to be able to plan this annual event for our community and we’re grateful to the city and the Syracuse Parks & Rec department for their support.  

And while we’re so fortunate to use such an awesome downtown facility, our roots will always be in Upper Onondaga Park. Our committee waded waist deep into the Monkey Island pond this summer to clear it of cattails and we were happy to be a sponsor for the fishing derby there this fall. 

The backdrop of our tournament looks a little different from where we started, but the core of our event – celebrating an awesome sport in an awesome city – remains the same. Mission accomplished. 

The 2026 Syracuse Pond Hockey Classic will take place in Clinton Square in downtown Syracuse on Saturday, Jan. 24. Visit www.syracusepondhockeyclassic.com for more information.

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