The sixth annual Craft Brewers Cup is hitting the ice in a different town this year after a last-minute venue change.
Organizers moved the adult hockey tournament to Whitefish and the action will commence Friday, Nov. 11, inside Stumptown Ice Den. Games will begin at 11 a.m. and continue throughout the day and night. Action will resume Saturday morning and conclude that night. This year’s event, which is a fundraiser for the Flathead Valley Hockey Association, will feature 10 teams and roughly 150 players from across Montana and Canada.
Craft beer will be for sale at the Ice Den on Friday from 4:30-11 p.m. and Saturday starting at 1:30 p.m.
The change in venue occurred after the Kalispell City Council denied the permit request by the FVHA to host a brewfest as part of the hockey tournament at the Woodland Park Ice Center. The council voted Nov. 7 to reject the request because city ordinance prohibits any alcohol consumption at Woodland Park except between Dec. 21-March 1.
Organizers said the brewfest was an important fundraiser for the hockey association and that funds raised during the event were going to cover $15,000 worth of improvements at Woodland’s ice rink, which is owned by the city and would benefit summer programs.