There will literally be something for each member of the family to enjoy when the Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour presented by Scotiabank and Dodge arrives in the City for a huge celebration of hockey Feb. 3rd and 4th.
“Everybody is excited with something of this magnitude coming to our community. We were fortunate enough to have One Horse Town come through the community, and that was a one-day event which attracted about 1,000 people. With Rogers, they are telling us that the average attendance for Hometown Hockey is roughly about 10,000 people,” said Community Economic Development Manager Guy Lapointe.
“We are confident we will see people travelling here from Red Deer, Sylvan Lake and the surrounding area. It really puts us on the map and really gives us an opportunity to highlight and feature our community on a national stage,” he said.
The weekend will feature broadcast hosts Ron MacLean and Tara Slone, meet-and-greet opportunities with NHL alumni Rich Sutter and Darcy Tucker, live local entertainment and fun activities for the whole family.
The two-day hockey festival begins on Feb. 3rd at noon at the Flat Iron in Lacombe, and will conclude Sunday afternoon following the Rogers Hometown Hockey outdoor viewing party.
Highlights include feature games, prize giveaways, fun activities and live local entertainment for the whole family, including the Rogers Fan Hub – helping fans be fans, the Fan Hub features innovative and interactive experiences, showcasing virtual autographs from NHL stars, a hockey-themed Zamboni video game and autograph signings with Sutter to unite fans in their passion for the game.
“There is a range of entertainment - on the music side of things, too,” said Lapointe. “There’s really a little bit for everybody, and for every age group. They’ve really covered their bases.”
This marks the fourth year the Rogers Hometown Hockey has been on tour, he said, adding that about 24 communities are visited each year.
There will also be the Hockey Circus Show: come see Paz, the world-renowned hockey acrobat. Paz juggles everything from pucks to flaming hockey sticks all while standing on top of a net.
Also onhand will be the Scotiabank Community Locker Room – a family-friendly space to engage hockey fans, celebrate the game, and interact with NHL alumni, such as Darcy Tucker. There will also be a photo-op with the Stanley Cup – get a chance to see the greatest trophy in sports up close-and-personal as the Stanley Cup visits Lacombe.
And there will be the OK Tire Zamboni Pit Stop – this features a pit-crew-like experience where fans have the opportunity to test their tire-changing skills on a replica Zamboni.
Rounding off the list of highlights is live local entertainment – fans can enjoy music featured throughout the weekend beginning with Jamie Woodfin performing on Saturday followed by Ayla Brook & The Sound Men on Sunday. Nice Horse is set to hit the stage on Sunday as well.
A game matchup runs between the Ottawa Senators vs. the Montreal Canadiens at 10:30 a.m. (Sportsnet, Sportsnet NOW, Rogers NHL LIVE).
“I think they also liked our location - we are situated between Calgary and Edmonton, close to Red Deer, and they know there is a big hockey base across Central Alberta,” said Lapointe. “Being right in the downtown is also something that they were very keen on - and I think the fact that people can visit businesses or jump into the Lacombe Memorial Centre to warm up are also advantages based on the location that we have offered them.
“I’m excited to see everyone come together and celebrate not only hockey but the community as well. That’s really what this is all about.
“We do a number of these types of things on a smaller degree on our own, so to see something of this magnitude come to the community is exciting.”
For complete details, visit Rogers Hometown Hockey at www.hometownhockey.com and ‘like’ Rogers Hometown Hockey at www.Facebook.com/RogersHometownHockey.
news@lacombeexpress.com