Canada’s ultimate hockey festival is only a slap shot away in St. Albert.
The second annual Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour, presented by Scotiabank and Dodge, will bring fans closer to the stars of the game on March 5-6.
The tour explores the deep hockey roots in every community.
“It’s very much a celebration of all things hockey,” said Mark Edwards, chair of the organizing committee for the City of St. Albert. “There are a lot of different activities to do and it’s really a fun festival atmosphere celebrating hockey.”
St. Albert is one of 24 communities across all 10 provinces and one territory on the Tour stop this season.
“I love it that they’re connecting with the communities as they go across the country. It’s not just a hockey broadcast, it’s a personalized hockey broadcast,” Edwards said.
St. Albert and Calgary, March 19-20, are the only Alberta communities on the tour stop.
“It’s a pretty major event. I don’t know if well see this again in a very, very long time,” Edwards said. “When they first approach us about it back in May we were quite eager to have them come here and we were pretty pleased when they said they were coming here. It’s not just about the event in St. Albert but the capital region also gets to benefit from this event and it will probably bring in quite a few people from out of town to visit and see the people that are here and experience the festival as well.
“I would say that we would expect at least 10,000 people per day and potentially up close to 20,000.”
NHL alumni, hometown heroes and local entertainment are a staple at every tour stop.
Canadian broadcasting icon Ron MacLean and sideline reporter Tara Slone will be joined by NHL legends Mark Messier and Lanny McDonald, as well as special guests, in St. Albert.
St. Anne Street, from Perron Street to Sir Winston Churchill Avenue, will be the site of the two-day hockey celebration, from 12 to 6 p.m. March 5 and 11 a.m. until the end of the outdoor viewing party for the March 6 game between the Edmonton Oilers against the host Winnipeg Jets on Sportsnet, starting at 4:30 p.m. with a special pre-game show hosted live by MacLean from the Sportsnet Mobile Studio.
“It’s very family focused and free,” Edwards said. “There will be a school visit and some other activities happening on Friday to sort of build up the hype for Saturday and Sunday.”
The hockey-themed weekend will feature games, activities, live entertainment, food trucks and the following activities.
• Rogers Share Everything Zone – Fans can engage in unique interactive experiences, including virtual autographs with NHL players.
• Scotiabank Community Locker Room – featuring meet-and-greets with NHL alumni, interactive games and a Scotia Hockey Club commemorative jersey giveaway for youth 16 and under.
• The Dodge Stow ’n’ Go Challenge, as well as a chance to win a 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan and $5,000 for a local minor hockey association.
• Samsung’s The Situation Room – Fans can test their skills against a series of hockey plays, just like NHL officials in this interactive studio.
• Sportsnet Be a Broadcaster – Call an NHL game highlight reel alongside Sportsnet Central anchor Evanka Osmak.
• PlayStation – Fans can try some of the latest PlayStation games, from family fun to sports game favorites in the PlayStation gaming zone.
• McDonald’s Ball Hockey Rink – includes pick-up games and hockey skills competitions and personalized hockey cards, as well as free McCafe brewed coffee on site.
• The Lodge – A cozy place to enjoy a free hot chocolate inside a warming lounge, complete with Adirondack chairs with built in Texture by Next Issue and more.
The St. Albert Public Library and Musee Heritage Museum are also planning hockey-related activities the weekend of the tour stop.
The St. Albert Minor Hockey Association will play a major role during the tour stop with a barbecue both days, as well as participating in the pre-event ceremonies.
“We’re in the process of organizing a stick relay similar to the Olympic torch relay. We’ve got a special hometown hockey stick we’ve got made up for the hockey stick relay from Akinsdale Arena down to the Hometown Hockey site. It’s going to be sort of the kick off to the event on Saturday, with the handing of the stick from someone well known in the hockey community locally to somebody well known in the Hometown Hockey world. That’s a really neat one and it gives some of the local people an opportunity to sort of engage in the event as well,” Edwards said.
Leading up to the tour stop, local hockey teams will have the opportunity to win the ultimate hockey experience as part of the Cheer Like Never Before contest. Teams can upload a video of their team cheer, with the top five vote getters invited to take part in the festivities in St. Albert. The winning team in each community will then be in the running to win a trip to an NHL game, complete with VIP game day experience, and perform the team cheer in an NHL dressing room.
Visit www.hometownhockey.com for contest details.
Jack’s Burger Shack on Perron Street has also been running a Hometown Hockey burger contest, inviting patrons to submit recipes for the ultimate hockey burger.
“They’re in the process of selecting the winner and they’re going to run that burger on the menu,” Edwards said. “Tara Sloan is excited about having one while she is here.”
In the weeks leading up to the tour stop, a full schedule of events – including autograph times with Messier and McDonald, a list of bands that will perform on the outdoor stage and park and ride and parking information – will be posted on the Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour website and www.stalbert.ca.
