North Saanich’s Panorama Recreation Centre has qualified as one of the final two facilities in the hunt for Kraft Hockeyville’s 2015 top prize.
By reaching the finals, the entry — made on behalf of Peninsula Minor Hockey by hockey dad and coach Jason Fletcher — earned $100,000 toward improvements to Arena B at the recreation centre.
North Saanich (representing the West) will now face off against Chatham, Ont., for the grand prize, the chance host a National Hockey League pre-season game. The winner will be determined by online voting.
“We’re over the moon,” said Peter Zuberksy, one of the North Saanich organizers, from a party at the Panorama Rec Centre. “The place went nuts when they announced it. It’s so cool.
“The way we’re looking at it is, it’s Game 7 and overtime has just started. We have to pour it on now. Yes, we won the $100,000 [as a finalist], but we want that hockey game. We want to bring those kids home.”
The kids Zubersky refers to are Peninsula products Jamie and Jordie Benn of the Dallas Stars, the likely NHL team to be involved in the exhibition game should North Saanich win the final vote.
The process began immediately after the announcement was made Saturday on Hockey Night in Canada and continues until Monday at 8:59 p.m. PT.
Votes can be cast online at khv2015.ca. There is no limit on how often fans can vote. The winner will be announced next Saturday.
The North Saanich group earned another $25,000 toward rink renovations when it became one of the 10 selected last week from more than 1,000 original entrants in the annual competition, in which communities apply to demonstrate their commitment to hockey. The contest is sponsored by Kraft Foods, the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association.
