EDMONTON – Sylvan Lake, AB has been named the winner of the 2014 Kraft Hockeyville contest, after beating out several communities across Canada.
The announcement was made Saturday night by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.
“The passion for hockey is passed from generation to generation, and the community rink plays an essential role in that special relationship,” said Bettman. “Kraft Hockeyville is committed to keeping community rinks vibrant, ensuring the health of the game in communities large and small.”
Following the announcement, congratulatory messages came pouring in on Twitter.
This year, a record-breaking 532 communities were nominated for the contest. Sixteen of those moved on to the voting round.
Former Sylvan Lake resident Kevin Putnam was the person who began the nomination process for the central Alberta community.
After three rounds of voting and knocking out 14 communities, the final battle came down to Sylvan Lake and Kingston, NS.
As the winner, Sylvan Lake will receive $100,000 in upgrades to its local arena, which couldn’t have come at a better time. Earlier this year, the roof at the decades-old arena collapsed.
READ MORE: Roof of Sylvan Lake arena collapses
In addition, Sylvan Lake will host an NHL pre-season game between the Calgary Flames and Phoenix Coyotes.
“We are thrilled that Sylvan Lake, Alta. has deservingly earned the title of Kraft Hockeyville for 2014,” said Flames president of hockey operations Brian Burke. “The Calgary Flames are very proud of our Alberta roots and have made it a priority to be a strong supporter of our community’s well-being. We look forward to celebrating our great game with Flames fans in Sylvan.”
The Coyotes general manager says his team is also looking forward to the game.
“We look forward to celebrating the game of hockey with all the fans in Sylvan Lake and supporting this great hockey community,” said Don Maloney.
Through three rounds of voting, Canadians cast 15,971,095 votes.
This is the eighth season of Kraft Hockeyville. Each of the top 16 communities will receive a share of money to go towards upgrading their local arenas.