The Town of Cochrane just missed the grand prize as Elliot Lake, Ont., was declared the winner of the 18th annual Kraft Hockeyville Saturday.
During the first intermission of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres game, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman revealed the Ontario city secured the grand prize, getting the most votes cast.
The city will receive $250,000 worth of upgrades to its arena and the opportunity to host an NHL preseason game.
Elliot Lake’s arena must meet all the requirements of the league and the players’ association to host the game.
The City of Elliot Lake thanked the cities of Enderby, B.C., Wolseley, Sask, and Cochrane on social media.
“Since last night we have received hundreds of messages of support from members of each of your communities showing an astounding level of class and support for our community and we would like to recognize each and every one of them! Thank You,” the post reads.
Recent hardships have impacted the city’s recreational and competitive hockey leagues, including their junior hockey team, the Vikings, forcing them to relocate due to the closure of the Centennial Arena due to “significant structural issues with their roof.”
“This has not only impacted the city financially but has affected the mental health and well-being of the children in the community,” reads a statement from the NHL.
“Winning Kraft Hockeyville 2024 would provide the support needed to reopen Centennial Arena, offering their city the home arena they deserve and continuing to foster hockey’s hopeful spirit in Elliot Lake.”
Meanwhile, hundreds of Cochranites gathered at the Spray Lakes Sawmills Recreation Centre to hear the announcement, and even though it wasn’t the desired outcome, many of the residents are now sharing their congratulations to the Ontario community on social media.
And while the results weren’t ideal for the finalists, they will still benefit from the competition.
They will receive $10,000 worth of hockey equipment for community programming and $25,000 for improvements to their existing arena.
“We would like to congratulate Elliot Lake, Ontario, and all of this year’s finalists for their amazing commitment to their communities and making this year’s program a huge success yet again,” said Simon Laroche, president of Kraft Heinz Canada.
“As a lifelong hockey fan, it has always been clear to me that Kraft Hockeyville has a tradition of championing Canada’s game. This year, the passion was clear with thousands of nominations, serving as a reminder that when we unite to make hockey more accessible and inclusive, anything is achievable.”