Kraft Hockeyville
| Kraft Hockeyville | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Canada |
| Language(s) | English, French |
| No. of seasons | 6 |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | CBC Television |
| Original run | 2006 – present |
| External links | |
| Website | |
Kraft Hockeyville is a Gemini Award-winning Canadian reality television series developed by CBC Sports and sponsored by Kraft Foods, the NHL and the NHL Players' Association in which communities across Canada compete to demonstrate their commitment to the sport of ice hockey. It is in its sixth season.
The contest revolves around a central theme of community spirit, passion for hockey and Canada.
The broadcast is directed by Gemini Award winner Mike Dodson and the website is managed by Gemini Award winner Lauren Paré.
The winning community gets:
- $100,000 dedicated to upgrading their local home arena
- A Hockey Night in Canada broadcast in their community
- An NHL pre-season game hosted in their community arena
The remaining communities in the Top 5 receive:
- $25,000 dedicated to upgrading their local home arena
- A Hockey Night in Canada broadcast in their community
Contents |
[edit] 2006 season
The inaugural 2006 season of Hockeyville was won by the community of Salmon River, Nova Scotia on June 11. Salmon River's entry, the "Deuvilles Rink", beat 450 other entries from across Canada. Episodes for the 2006 season were shot in arenas in different cities throughout Ontario, with the final episode shot in Dave Andreychuk Mountain Arena & Skating Centre in Hamilton, Ontario.
The NHL exhibition game was held September 25 at the Colchester Legion Stadium in the neighbouring town of Truro (the Deuville Rink being too small); the Montreal Canadiens beat the Ottawa Senators 7-3.
- The Deuville rink was awarded the $50,000 Home Depot gift card prize and with the cards the roof was reshingled, new rink lights were installed, ceiling insulated and a heated section was installed at the end of the arena.
[edit] 2007 season
The 2007 season of Hockeyville began on March 4 and was changed significantly from the previous season's format. Organizers made the application process more accessible. Communities could now enter by logging on to the website, creating a team name, filling out an application form, submitting a short essay and including three photographs which depict hometown pride and passion for the game of hockey. A video, which was a requirement in previous contests, is no longer part of the process.
In 2007 the series was no longer given its own time slot, but rather shown during broadcasts of Hockey Night in Canada.
The Top 10 communities resulting from the first round were Cornwall, Ontario; Nanaimo, British Columbia; Noëlville, Ontario; North Bay, Ontario; Plaster Rock, New Brunswick; Rockyford, Alberta; Saint-Hubert, Quebec; Smithers, British Columbia; Vernon, British Columbia and Warner, Alberta.
The Top 5 communities resulting from the second round were Cornwall, Noëlville, North Bay, Smithers and Warner.
North Bay was the winner. The Atlanta Thrashers beat the New York Islanders 4-3 in overtime.
[edit] 2008 season
The 2008 season of Kraft Hockeyville began February 23.
The top 10 communities that were in the running for Kraft Hockeyville 2008 were:
- East: Port aux Basques, Newfoundland and Labrador vs. Rothesay, New Brunswick
- West: Wilcox, Saskatchewan vs. Redwater, Alberta
- Quebec: Rouyn-Noranda vs. Village sur Glace de Roberval
- Ontario: Huntsville vs. Kingsville
- Wildcard: Winnipegosis, Manitoba vs. Pilot Mound, Manitoba
The top 5 communities were:
- Week 1: Village sur Glace de Roberval (Quebec Region)
- Week 2: Port aux Basques, Newfoundland and Labrador (Atlantic Region)
- Week 3: Kingsville, Ontario (Ontario Region)
- Week 4: Wilcox, Saskatchewan (Western Region)
- Week 5: Pilot Mound, Manitoba (Wildcard)
On April 8, 2008, Roberval won the title of Kraft Hockeyville 2008. Roberval won:
- $100,000 towards upgrades to the Roberval Arena
- An NHL pre-season game at the Roberval Arena on Tuesday, September 23, 2008 in which the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Buffalo Sabres 3-2.
- A Hockey Night in Canada broadcast from Roberval
The pre-season game has been taped and shown on a Hockeyville special Saturday, September 27.[1]
The 4 remaining communities from the Top 5 won:
- $20,000 to be used for upgrades to the Home Arena that the community endorses
- A Hockey Night in Canada broadcast from each of the remaining top five communities
[edit] 2009 season
The 2009 edition had these cities as the five regional finalists:
- Atlantic: Harbour Grace, Newfoundland and Labrador
- Quebec: Thetford Mines, Quebec
- Ontario: Woolwich Township, Ontario
- Western: Terrace, British Columbia
- Wildcard: Humboldt, Saskatchewan
The winner, announced on March 7th during the Hockey Night in Canada broadcast, was Terrace, British Columbia. Terrace played host to the Vancouver Canucks and the New York Islanders on Monday, September 14, in which the Canucks defeated the Islanders by a score of 2-1. The game was broadcast live on NHL Network in the USA, and highlights will be televised during a one-hour Kraft Hockeyville broadcast showcasing their community on CBC Television. Terrace also received CDN $100,000 towards arena upgrades from Kraft Canada.
[edit] 2010 season
The 2010 edition had these cities as the five regional finalists:
- Atlantic: Bishop's Falls, Newfoundland and Labrador
- Quebec: Stanstead, Quebec
- Ontario: Dundas, Ontario
- Western: Cranbrook, British Columbia
- Wildcard: Lawrencetown, Nova Scotia
Dundas, Ontario was announced as the winner by Gary Bettman on April 3, 2010, during the Hockey Night in Canada broadcast with 1,066,855 votes.[2] The game featured division rivals Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators playing in Dundas's J. L. Grightmire Arena on September 28, 2010, with Buffalo winning 2-1.[3] (Incidentally, Dundas has been, since 2001, within the boundaries of the city of Hamilton, Ontario, a frequent target of efforts regarding potential National Hockey League expansion.)
[edit] 2011 season
In 2011, the wildcard was eliminated and the West and Pacific divisions were split from each other.
The top 10 communities that were in the running for Kraft Hockeyville 2011 were:
- Pacific: Mackenzie, British Columbia vs. Fort Nelson, British Columbia
- West: Bentley, Alberta vs. Brandon, Manitoba
- Ontario: Wolfe Island vs. Navan
- Quebec: Saint-Raymond vs. Châteauguay
- Atlantic: Conception Bay South vs. Antigonish, Nova Scotia
The top 5 communities are:
- Pacific: Mackenzie, British Columbia
- West: Bentley, Alberta
- Ontario: Wolfe Island
- Quebec: Saint-Raymond
- Atlantic: Conception Bay South
The winner of the 2011 Kraft Hockeyville contest was Conception Bay, NL, announced on April 2, 2011. Winning this title includes:
- $100,000 in arena upgrades from Kraft.
- Hosting an NHL® Pre-Season Game. The game was played on September 26, 2011, between the Ottawa Senators and the Winnipeg Jets. Conception Bay South is less than 30 km from St. John's, the new home city of Winnipeg's AHL affiliate, the St. John's IceCaps. (This was largely a coincidence; the game was awarded prior to the relocations of the Atlanta Thrashers to Winnipeg and the Manitoba Moose to St. John's.) For that reason, the Hockeyville game was played at Mile One Centre (the IceCaps' home arena) in St. John's instead of in Conception Bay South. Winnipeg defeated Ottawa 3–1.
- A CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada broadcast from their community
Each of the other 4 finalists will receive $25,000 in arena upgrades from Kraft.
[edit] Notes
- ^ CNW Group | NEWS - MEDIA | Roberval, Quebec wins KRAFT HOCKEYVILLE 2008
- ^ "Dundas: Canada's Hockeyville". TheSpec.com. 2010-04-04. http://www.thespec.com/News/article/747618. Retrieved 2010-06-09.
- ^ http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=538905
