Man collapses, dies at pond hockey tournament
Excitement and festivities at the North America Pond Hockey Championship on Lake Minnetonka turned somber over the weekend.
Games on all the outdoor rinks came to a halt when one of the participants collapsed and died following his team's second game Friday afternoon, the Sun Sailor reports.
Greg Riebe, a seemingly healthy and athletic father of two, died of an apparent heart attack.
“We were all shocked and shaken,” Excelsior Brewing Company teammate Chris Kelly told the Sun Sailor. “It is truly a sad situation."
Riebe was president of PSR Consulting in Minneapolis.
On his Twitter profile, Riebe said he enjoyed "running marathons, hockey, soccer, reading, & spending time with my wife and kids."
The ice rink that was sponsored by his team has now been turned into a memorial, according to WCCO.
Church bells tolled for him Saturday morning following a moment of silence, and the tournament dedicated the championship Sunday to Riebe and his family.
Many shared their condolences on Twitter.
The Pond Hockey Championship is held each year on Lake Minnetonka's Excelsior Bay.
It's hosted by the DWB Memorial Foundation, which is named for David Bigham, a local sports figure who died in 2012. Proceeds from the tournament will go to several charities, according to Let's Play Hockey.
