 The Original 1901 Maine State Flag Design (Public Domain License) The Maine hockey sweater is the most popular design in our State Sweaters lineup, but the simple design begs the question of why? What’s the story behind it? The design depicted on our sweater is actually representative of the Maine flag that was official over a century ago; it is the 1901 flag design. The flag only stayed in production for eight years before it was replaced by the current blue flag with the Maine coat of arms (1909 - Present).  Current Maine State Flag (Public Domain License) The 1901 design was the first Maine flag even though Maine became a state- separate from Massachusetts- over 80 years prior. The original Maine flag features a multi-dimensional pine tree and a blue star on a cream background. The pine tree represented the state's New England ties as pine trees had been found on regional flags since the 1600s. In addition, Maine is known affectionately as the "Pine Tree State". Unfortunately, the stylistic 1901 tree design was so complex it was tough to replicate, which is one of a couple reasons historians believe the state moved on after only eight years. There are no true copies left of the original tree design, only photographs and artistic renderings which is the reason there are a handful of reproductions out there including the Third Assist design.
Thanks to some cool local companies and initiatives, the original Maine flag has regained popularity in the last decade. A competitive bill even made it to the state legislature in 2021 to revert the flag back to the original design, but the votes ultimately fell short. With our foundations in coastal Maine, we chose the design to represent the proud Maine hockey tradition- plus we didn’t hate the fact it had some resemblance to old Hartford Whalers colors.
So what do you think of the design? Know more of the history? Feel free to share your thoughts below
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Over the years we've been able to network with a number of other unique and fun hockey businesses throughout North America. We thought we'd take advantage of this past Saturday to share these smaller operations with our following. As a fellow small business we know all the extra eyes, links, and support help keep the momentum, so thanks for watching and supporting six of our favorite small hockey businesses and their passionate teams:  As part of Third Assist's "Ultimate Pond Hockey Resource" we've reached out to the best pond hockey tournaments taking place this winter in the United States. We want to know where they're at, what makes them unique, and why we should visit this upcoming winter. Safe to say we're sold on the following tournaments. Location of Tournament: 215 Water Street, Port Perry, Ontario Time of Year: Saturday, February 8th, 2020  Ages Welcomed to Play: 18+ Size of the Tournament: 20+ Teams per year Special Entertainment: Spectator activities, Skill shot games for children, Silent auction Special Vendors: Tim Horton’s  What Sets This Tournament Apart: A well-respected charity tournament run by a non-profit Search and Rescue organization benefitting a local charity every year. A fantastic opportunity to play a fast-paced pond hockey game with hockey fanatics, while giving back to the local community. Third Assist's Take: The local ones are some of the best. This is a smaller scale tournament, but they’re open for new teams to join in. With all proceeds going to local charities this is a good competitive time, but ultimately the tournament is there for fun and a good cause. Lake Scugog is only about one hour from Toronto proper which means this tournament makes for a prime occasion for hockey’s weekend warriors. Check out the links below to learn more and get involved.  Where to Learn More About This Tournament:
www.scugogpondhockey.com Lake Scugog Pond Hockey Facebook *All photos used by permission from tournament  As part of Third Assist's "Ultimate Pond Hockey Resource" we've reached out to the best pond hockey tournaments taking place this winter in the United States. We want to know where they're at, what makes them unique, and why we should visit this upcoming winter. Safe to say we're sold on the following tournaments. Location of Tournament: Silverthorne, Colorado Time of Year: February 14-16, 2020  Ages Welcomed to Play: 16+ with parental consent Size of the Tournament: 200 teams, 6 divisions, 1,200 players, 15,000 people total at event Special Entertainment: Apres Ice Party Hockey Hair Project (Saturday night February 15)  What Sets This Tournament Apart: The combination of Colorado scenic views (Rocky Mountains), entertainment, but most importantly the people who return year after year for this tournament. The fan loyalty is unbelievable and we are so grateful to everyone who has participated in this tournament year after year. Third Assist's Take: This tournament is situated over President’s day weekend in the heart of the Colorado winter. Perfect timing yes, but also appears to be the perfect location for a getaway tournament or even easier, a fun drive from the Denver metro area. It’s situated in the heart of Colorado’s ski country with Rocky Mountain views and plenty of snow. On our side we think the location is the selling point, but it doesn’t lack in production either. A couple years running and over 200 teams means this may be one of the top tournaments you'll find out west.  Where to Learn More About This Tournament:
www.coloradopondhockey.com Pabst Pond Hockey Facebook Pabst Pond Hockey Instagram *All photos used by permission from tournament.  As part of Third Assist's "Ultimate Pond Hockey Resource" we've reached out to the best pond hockey tournaments taking place this winter in the United States. We want to know where they're at, what makes them unique, and why we should visit this upcoming winter. Safe to say we're sold on the following tournaments.  Location of Tournament: York, Pennsylvania Time of Year: December through March Ages Welcomed to Play: U8 Mite Level Size of the Tournament: 10 Tournaments total with two 4-6 team divisions Special Entertainment: Full service resort; snow tubing, trampoline park, bar, restaurant, and spa  What Sets This Tournament Apart: We put the fun back in youth hockey. Families can walk from their hotel room to our 60'x120' outdoor rink. Add in snow tubing and the fun doesn't stop. Third Assist's Take: This is one of those tournaments aimed at the whole family. Situated at Heritage Hills Resort, there's enough entertainment to keep the parents and kids entertained. With tournaments spanning the whole winter, this location is the perfect opportunity for the younger guys/gals to get exposure to the pond hockey world. A nice starter tournament in a very accessible location!  Where to Learn More About This Tournament:
https://avalanchexpress.com/mite-outdoor-classic/ *All photos used by permission from tournament. 
We’ve just reached the one year anniversary of the first batch of Third Assist hockey sticks so we thought it’d be fun to share everything we’ve learned since we started exploring the DIY hockey stick idea. Sticks have come a long way in the last century and now we sit in a climate with two types of sticks: composite and wood. Composites are understandably taking the lead in the competitive game, but there’s still a strong following of wood hockey stick connoisseurs. We count ourselves part of the latter group and we’ve always wanted to know how they’re made and how we can make them for ourselves.
If you want to learn the whole process from the big guys you can learn that here:
If you want to learn how you and I can go about DIY hockey sticks, follow along here:
​We source our sticks from the only remaining wood stickmaker in all of North America. Last year we found all other stickmakers have gone out of business or gone overseas. We’ve worked out a deal with our professional stickmaker where we can purchase small batches of raw, unfinished birch sticks and finish them ourselves in the shop just like they used to in earlier decades. 
When we receive the sticks, we start with a light grind, rough sanding, and other minor prep work before applying with a Third Assist brand. At this stage we either sell DIY kits for individual purchase or finish them ourselves. Here’s how we (and you) go about the rest.
The next step is staining or painting the stick.
Next apply any customization after your base coats. This is the stage where we cut stencils and are able to customize each stick.
Once you have applied your customization or unique design, it is vital to protect the stick.
And there you go. There are the steps for completing you own wood hockey stick. Each stick takes us about one week of time between prep and finish, but it can be done much quicker depending on the complexity of your design (much of our time is consumed in the care of the stencil and curing into the wood pores).​
​ ​We hope you learned something today and we provided a valuable resource in designing your own custom stick in the future!  From the quirky to the innovative, we've been hearing tons of ways to keep your fingers warm in freezing temperatures. We're in the business of keeping warm, so here are some of the best ways we have found- Starting with the unusual..  1) Vaseline This is a strange one on us. Did you know NFL players often coat their faces and arms in Vaseline to prevent windburn? It's supposed to act as one more layer of insulation and protect skin from drying and taking abuse in the cold air. We also heard that paramedics north of the Arctic circle often put Vaseline on their hands because they need to keep their fingers nimble in certain emergency situations. Messy, but effective. 2 and 3) Cayenne Pepper/Chili Powder- capsaicin We're grouping these two together. This is another unique tip we've heard from those in the winter running circles. The idea is to sprinkle a little powder or flakes of either cayenne pepper or chili powder onto bare skin, and the skin will react to draw blood to the surface. This is thanks to chili powder's active ingredient of Capsaicin, but the cayenne pepper flakes act the same way. We've heard this is quite effective, but we've also heard a little goes a long ways, so be careful!
5) Liners This is the first step we all go to- find some cheap liners that'll fit in our gloves. Often this can be effective and provide just the little bit of insulation we need to keep our digits warm, but sometimes too many layers can work against us by isolating our finger's heat from each other. Also if you're playing hockey you lose some feel for your stick, but this is definitely worth the first try!  6) Third Assist Gloves
Of course we'll throw a quick pitch for our gloves. We've tried a number of different insulations over the years in our gloves, but we only share our favorites. You can skate around in our gloves, but the primary focus is for hockey- protection and warmth. Our gloves are lined with insulation throughout to keep a warm, but breathable enclosure. However we make sure not to line the palm or finger fronts so the user can maintain full feel of their stick. Check out our selection and see if it's worth a shot for you. Have you tried any of these out- or heard of others? Let us know in the comments below!  As part of Third Assist's "Ultimate Pond Hockey Resource" we've reached out to the best pond hockey tournaments taking place this winter in the United States. We want to know where they're at, what makes them unique, and why we should visit this upcoming winter. Safe to say we're sold on the following tournaments. Thompson's Point Hockey ClassicLocation of Tournament: Thompson's Point, Portland, Maine Time of Year: Usually first or second weekend of March  Ages Welcomed to Play: Adults 18+ Size of the Tournament: We have 5 divisions (Elite, Open Plus, Open Low, Beginner and Over 40 with our max being 28 teams Special Entertainment: Live music on site provided by Brian Papson (Country artist)  Any Special Vendors? Event consist of Portland area restaurants donating food throughout the event for the players. Maine Mariners on site last year. What Sets This Tournament Apart: This event is unique do to its location, out on Thompson's Point in Portland. Also, the TPHC sets itself apart with its hybrid type outdoor hockey. We have boards and a Zamboni on site, this creates a faster game play and smoother ice. The multiple divisions allow it to stay competitive and the participants leave with a great gift bag, we have 20 plus free raffle items, free dinner and lunches. Third Assist's Take: They said it best for what makes this one unique. It's a hybrid. Small rink with boards, good ice, quick game. It's a cleaner and faster game which is always fun. The rink alone is a cool venue, but its location is what sets it apart. Portland, Maine is a happening cultural hub in the northeast and Thompson's Point has all the best aspects of Portland in one location: Good food, beer, music, and best of all hockey. Definitely worth the visit.  Where to Learn More About This Tournament:
www.thompsonpointhockeyclassic.com www.instagram.com/thompsonsphc *All photos used by permission from tournament.  As part of Third Assist's "Ultimate Pond Hockey Resource" we've reached out to the best pond hockey tournaments taking place this winter in the United States. We want to know where they're at, what makes them unique, and why we should visit this upcoming winter. Safe to say we're sold on the following tournaments. Lake in the hills pond hockey tournamentLocation of Tournament: Indian Trail Beach, Lake in the Hills, Illinois Time of Year: Mid January, Saturday - January 19th (Starts at 8 AM)  Ages Welcomed to Play: Adults 18+ Size of the Tournament: Tournament History has ranged from 8-16 Teams Special Entertainment: Grown men playing Pond Hockey!  Any Special Vendors? Local restaurant catering following the Tournament! What Sets This Tournament Apart: Lake in the Hills is unique in that it has a lake and the proper resources to offer these types of activities that other surrounding areas cannot. While others may have Ice Hockey; we literally put the "Pond" in "Pond Hockey". Third Assist's Take: We have an affinity for tournaments which bring the game of pond hockey back to its roots. Lake in the Hills Pond Hockey Tournament is one of the smaller tournaments we feature, but it has all you need for a fun environment surrounding the game. This is a local event which pulls in participants from all over, but most importantly you get the community here. These are often the most fun!  Where to Learn More About This Tournament:
Lake in the Hills Tournament Website www.facebook.com/lakeinthehillsIL *All photos used by permission from tournament.  As part of Third Assist's "Ultimate Pond Hockey Resource" we've reached out to the best pond hockey tournaments taking place this winter in the United States. We want to know where they're at, what makes them unique, and why we should visit this upcoming winter. Safe to say we're sold on the following tournaments. The Labatt Lineup- USA Hockey Pond Hockey Nationals, New England Pond Hockey Classic, and The Lake Champlain Pond Hockey ClassicLocation of Tournament: Eagle River, Wisconsin Meredith, New Hampshire Colchester, Vermont Time of Year: February 8-10, 2019 February 1-3, 2019 February 8-10, 2019  Ages Welcomed to Play: Adults 21+. Sponsored by Labatt Blue- makes sense! Size of the Tournament: Eagle River, WI is over 2000 players. Meredith, NH is over 2000 players. Colchester, VT is over 1200 players. Special Entertainment: We're going to venture a guess you'll find a nicely stocked beer tent here among other awesome food, drink, hockey vendors at all three locales.  What Sets This Tournament Apart: These are the large-scale, well-run, well-established tournaments in the pond hockey world. They frequently sell out well before the holidays, as they did this year. You can expect lots of teams, lots of food and drinks, and lots of entertainment. This may sound like a mass-produced tournament, but each one is a reflection of the area where it's being played. One size does not fit all, and that's what makes this tournament line-up so cool. Third Assist's Take: These tournaments have been going on for over a decade now and have got it figured out. When you sign up to one of these events you have a good idea of what you're getting into, and it does not disappoint. These represent the upper tier of national tournaments and if you're looking to get on the big stage of pond hockey, these are the tournaments for you.  Where to Learn More About This Tournament:
www.usahockey.com/pondhockey www.pondhockeyclassic.com/newengland www.pondhockeyclassic.com/lakechamplain *All photos used by permission from tournament. |
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