Hockeyville events announced

Kraft Hockeyville
News Release

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North Bay Ontario, a true hockey community, was named Kraft Hockeyville 2007 and will host two days of exciting events including a public viewing of the Stanley Cup, autograph signing sessions with NHL Alumni, hockey clinics and the big ticket show of a NHL pre-season game between the Atlanta Thrashers and the New York Islanders.

The events will take place on Sunday, September 16 and Monday, September 17, 2007 and culminate with the game on Monday evening at 7 p.m. at the Memorial Gardens Arena. Ron MacLean, Cassie Campbell, and Don Cherry, from CBC Television’s Hockey Night in Canada, will bring their passion and knowledge of the game to North Bay and the spirit of hockey will be in full force. The game will be broadcast on TV Cogeco North Bay and also streamed live at cbcsports.ca.

During these two days, the North Bay community will have the opportunity to participate in hockey clinics with retired NHL players Troy Crowder and Gary Leeman, take pictures of the Stanley Cup at a public event and a fundraising BBQ, and get autographs from NHL Alumni including Peter Mahovlich, Ken Morrow, Bryan Trottier and Jeff Odgers. Proceeds from the fundraising BBQ are going to KidsSport and the local North Bay Food Bank.

Coming Home to Celebrate Hockeyville

The North Bay community lives and breathes hockey and beat out communities across Canada to be named Kraft Hockeyville 2007, as they best demonstrated the Kraft Hockeyville equation: Community Spirit + Hockey = Hockeyville.

Northern Ontario hockey heroes returning home to North Bay to participate in the Kraft Hockeyville 2007 events include Ted Nolan, head coach of the New York Islanders; and Troy Crowder, a former member of the North Bay Centennials and originally from Sudbury, played more than 150 games over six seasons with New Jersey, Detroit, Los Angeles and Vancouver, will be helping out with the hockey clinics Sunday morning. Peter Mahovlich hails from Timmins, Ontario, and is also a special guest. Mahovlich enjoyed a 17-year NHL career with the Red Wings, Penguins and the Canadiens where he won four Stanley Cups. He is currently a professional scout for the Atlanta Thrashers. The game will be officiated by Northern Ontario alumni including Stephen Walkom and Mike Leggo, both born in North Bay, and linesman David Brisebois, a native of Sudbury, will be joined by Scott Cherrey, a former member of the North Bay Centennials.

North Bay Wins Kraft Hockeyville 2007

The title of Kraft Hockeyville 2007 is a great honour for North Bay as their commitment to community and hockey underlies everything they do. In addition to the NHL pre-season game and the exciting activities taking place, North Bay received $50,000 to upgrade Memorial Gardens Arena.

“North Bay was named Kraft Hockeyville 2007 because of their tremendous passion for the game of hockey. Kraft, the NHL, the NHLPA and CBC Television are looking forward to an exciting community celebration to honour that spirit,” said Dino Bianco, President of Kraft Canada.

“We’ve been thrilled with the extraordinary participation from so many communities across Canada and look forward to two fun-filled days of hockey activities.”

Kraft Hockeyville 2007 will be featured in a CBC Television special to air on Friday, September 21 at 9 p.m.

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