Being a hockey fan in Syracuse, New York means you're always cheering in the shadow of Orange Nation. With basketball and football predominately in the spotlight on the college and high school levels, at times you may feel as if you belong to some sort of secret society. Rarely do our high school hockey teams make the Friday night sports highlights and sadly teams are contracting. Soccer, baseball and lacrosse get far more ink and attention than our great sport of hockey.
But walk into any ice rink in Central New York during a high school game, or on a weekend during a Pee Wee or even a Mite match, and you might think you have just walked into Hockeyville, USA. There is dedication, commitment and passion that would rival any sports atmosphere you would find on a basketball court or football field.
So, here is our chance, Central New York hockey fans, to show our pride and passion by sharing our stories and nominating our local rinks to be named the first-ever Kraft Hockeyville USA. Ten
communities will have the chance to win thousands in arena upgrades, while one
will win the grand prize – hosting an NHL®
Pre-Season game televised live on NBCSN and
$150,000 in arena upgrades.
You'll need to nominate your rink before March 18,
2015. See details below.
Sure, we Central New York hockey fans can still bleed Orange, but we've got ice in our veins and hockey in our hearts!
THE PUCK DROPS
TODAY: KRAFT, NHL®, NHLPA, NBC
SPORTS GROUP AND USA HOCKEY SEARCH FOR AMERICA’S MOST PASSIONATE HOCKEY
COMMUNITIES TO FIND KRAFT HOCKEYVILLETM USA
One U.S. Community
Will Win Opportunity to Host NHL® Pre-Season Game Televised on NBCSN, $150,000
in Arena Upgrades and Coveted Title as First-Ever “Kraft
HockeyvilleTM USA”
NORTHFIELD, Ill. –
January 1, 2015 – Announced today, at the 2015 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic®
featuring the Chicago Blackhawks® and Washington Capitals® broadcast on NBC, the
puck officially dropped for Kraft HockeyvilleTM USA – the
search for America’s most passionate hockey community. Uniting an all-star
roster of partners including the National Hockey League Players’ Association
(NHLPA), National Hockey League (NHL®), NBC Sports Group, and USA Hockey,
Kraft’s award-winning, Canadian-born HockeyvilleTM program has
expanded into the U.S. for the first time to help build better hockey
communities across the country. Beginning today, hockey communities across the U.S. can vie for the
esteemed title of “Kraft HockeyvilleTM USA” and enter for a chance to win the grand prize of hosting
an NHL® Pre-Season game televised live on
NBCSN and $150,000 in arena
upgrades.
“Seeing all these
passionate hockey fans cheering on their team in the brisk winter air reminds me
of the way so many of us fell in love with the sport,” said Dino Bianco,
Executive Vice President and President, Kraft Beverages. “Fans like this
coming together for their shared love of hockey is what inspired us to launch
Kraft Hockeyville in the U.S. and celebrate the unity that hockey brings
to communities across the country.”
Kraft
also drafted a
friend – NHL® legend and NBC Sports analyst, Jeremy Roenick – to help spread the
word across the country. “Growing up in Boston, hockey was a way of life for
children and families, and it brought together my community in a way that
nothing else could. I wouldn’t be who I am today without the lessons I learned
and the experiences I gained at Pilgrim Arena from coaches like my dad, Wally
Roenick, Paul Kramer, and Arthur Valicenti. Kraft
HockeyvilleTM USA will help communities keep these traditions alive,
and that is something I am excited to be a part of working with
Kraft.”
How Kraft
HockeyvilleTM USA Works
Like a hockey game,
Kraft HockeyvilleTM USA has three periods. In the first
period, communities across the country are encouraged to enter by sharing unique
stories about their local rink, teams, hockey spirit and passion and submitting
their nominations now through March 18, 2015, at www.KraftHockeyville.com, where complete
contest rules and nomination applications are available.
Ten community
finalists will be chosen to kick off the second action-packed period, which
includes three rounds of public voting:
· Round 1 (April
14-16, 2015) – Top four communities chosen to move on to the next round;
remaining six each receive $20,000 toward arena upgrades.
- Round
2 (April 21-22, 2015) – Top two finalists selected; remaining two each receive
$40,000 toward arena upgrades.
- Round
3 (April 27-29, 2015) – One community will emerge as the first-ever
“Kraft HockeyvilleTM USA”; runner-up will receive $75,000
toward arena upgrades.
In the final
period, the winning community will be announced – on May 2, 2015 – and receive
the grand prize of the chance to host an NHL®
Pre-Season game televised on NBCSN and receive
$150,000 in arena upgrades from Kraft.
Kraft
HockeyvilleTM USA is meant to not only ignite a passion for hockey in
America, but also bring a renewed sense of pride to communities. Since launching
in Canada in 2006, Kraft HockeyvilleTM has positively impacted
43 communities with more than $1.6 million donated in arena upgrades.
Kraft also hopes that its diverse portfolio of products will help unite
hockey fans in their celebrations of the sport and their communities. The
campaign will celebrate consumers’ excitement around a variety of iconic
Kraft brands, including A1, Bulls-Eye BBQ Sauce, Cracker
Barrel, Jell-O, Kraft Mac & Cheese, Kraft Mayo, Kraft
Natural Cheese, Kraft Salad Dressings, Kraft Singles,
Maxwell House, Miracle Whip, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Planters, Stove Top
and Velveeta.
For contest rules,
information on nominating your community and complete program details, visit
www.KraftHockeyville.comwww.KraftHockeyville.com. Kraft
HockeyvilleTM USA can also be found at
Facebook.com/KraftHockeyvilleUSA and on Twitter (@HockeyvilleUSA). You can join
the conversation using #HockeyvilleUSA.
