Hockey might be the coolest game on ice, but a Brossard man has figured out a way to make watching it even cooler… and icier, too.

To call Derek Parker’s ice structure an igloo is to sell it short. Sure, there’s the 568 blocks of ice. But there’s also a fireplace, a mounted Habs jersey and other hockey paraphernalia and a television where he’ll take in Canadiens games along with his friends. There’s also a fully stocked bar, where all drinks can of course be served on the rocks.

The project started when Parker was watching television with his kids.  

“A gentleman had made an igloo and I told my kids, ‘Dad’s going to do something like this,’” he said. “They said ‘Really, dad?’ And I said ‘Yeah, sure, I’ll give it a shot.’”

Figuring out how to build the structure took some work. First, he would need ice – a lot of ice.

“A lot of people use the two-litre milk cartons but I needed hundreds of (ice blocks),” he said. :I just didn’t have the time. My cousin mentioned buckets, so I brought home five buckets, ran a test, dumped it upside down after a week and I had this beautiful ice cube. I was sold at that point and that’s why it’s made of buckets today.”

Soon, he bought an additional 100 buckets and went through six cycles of freezing ice until he had enough to start. Working every day from Dec. 14, it took him until Jan. 8 until he was done.

“It’s something you have to be dedicated to, and it’s non-stop,” said Parker. “There’s always patchwork to do.”

Now, Parker said he tries to use the ice castle every day, sometimes hosting as many as 40 people for get-togethers.

“I thought he was a little bit crazy, to be quite honest,” said friend Spyros Stassinos. “I think it’s a great thing, it brings the community together. It’s a lot of fun.”

His neighbours and friends are impressed, but Parker himself seems almost blasé about his hangout.

“They’re impressed. I look at it and I like it, don’t get me wrong, but maybe I don’t see what everybody else sees. It’s impressive, I guess. It’s taken off, it has a life of its own at this point.”

While the building took lots of work, Parker said he hasn’t ruled out doing it again next year.

“I always like to take it to the next step… Next year, we’ll have to see how this year goes. I always said, if we’re having fun and it’s bringing people together, we’ll do it again.”