The picture of the 1893 Brown Ice Polo team on the opening page of Classes caught my attention ("Just Chilling," Classes, January/February). It immediately brought to my mind the sport of bandy, sometimes known as Russian hockey. To me, bandy's stick and ball is more similar to ice polo than to the puck and stick of ice hockey.

Although it has been about eight years since I have been to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth, Minnesota, I recall references to the game of bandy there. Minnesota has had an active bandy program in the Twin Cities since 1980. The Roseville Oval in Roseville, Minnesota, is home to the United States bandy team, which competes in international competitions. This year's world championships are, not surprisingly, in Russia.

Chris Bretoi '76
Lino Lakes, Minn.
cbretoi@visi.com