Email icon Back to Search

Rogers Hometown Hockey is Heading to Kitchener, ON
October 5 to 7

– Festival taking place during 50th anniversary of Oktoberfest  –
– Former NHLers Darryl Sittler, Nik Antropov and Darcy Tucker and Canadian power pop band The Pursuit of Happiness to join the weekend festivities –

TORONTO (September 13, 2018) RogersTM Hometown HockeyTM Tour presented by Scotiabank and Dodge is heading to Kitchener, ON, for a celebration of hockey from October 5 to 7. Hosts Ron MacLean and Tara Slone will be on site for the festivities, which include meet-and-greet opportunities with former Toronto Maple Leafs Darryl Sittler, Nik Antropov and Darcy Tucker, a special performance from legendary Canadian power pop band The Pursuit of Happiness, and the live Sportsnet NHL broadcast.

The first stop on the tour’s fifth season, Kitchener’s special three-day festival begins on Friday, October 5 at 11 a.m. ET at Kitchener City Hall, amidst the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of Oktoberfest. The festivities conclude on Sunday evening following the Rogers Hometown Hockey outdoor viewing party. The evening’s broadcast kicks off with a special pre-game show hosted by MacLean and Slone from the Sportsnet Mobile Studio beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET, followed by an Original Six showdown between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks on Sportsnet, Sportsnet NOW and Rogers NHL LIVE.

Rogers Hometown Hockey Festival Details:

The free hockey-themed weekend features games, prize giveaways, fun activities, and live local entertainment for the whole family, including:

  • Rogers Fan Hub: Rogers celebrates your community within the Fan Hub. Help support local minor hockey and participate in fun and interactive experiences, autograph signings with alumni such as Daryl Sittler and Nik Antropov, video game stations, bubble hockey, and popcorn!
  • Sportsnet Virtual Photo Booth and Interactive Games: Fans have the chance to get close to their favorite players through virtual technology. Fans can take photos with virtual images of NHL stars, and have the photo emailed directly to their device for social sharing and their chance to win great prizes. In addition, hockey players of all ages will be able to show off their hockey skills and see how they match up to the NHL stars!
  • The Steve Goodtime Rock n’ Roll Hockey Show: Come see a hilarious rock n' roll circus show performed by Steve Goodtime. With routines including mouthstick, fire breathing and juggling, he tops it all off with the greatest show you have ever seen! It is an experience that the family will never forget.  
  • Scotiabank Community Hockey Rink: A family-friendly outdoor hockey space to engage hockey fans, interact with NHL Alumni such as Darcy Tucker, celebrate the game and play ball hockey. Scotiabank will also be donating $15,000 to minor hockey associations in the community.
  • Ram Haul of Fame: Features the Ram 1500 in a hockey-themed obstacle course that will test the skills of fans of all ages. Also, fans have the opportunity to enter the Breakaway Giveaway contest to win an all-new 2019 Ram 1500 for their family and $5,000 for their local minor hockey association. All contest entrants will receive a free branded giveaway courtesy of Dodge. 
  • Dr. Oetker Giuseppe Pizzeria: Fans can enjoy a complimentary slice of Giuseppe Pizzeria pizza fresh out of the oven, and learn more about the Find Giuseppe contest with many great prizes to be won!
  • Tim Hortons: As fans are enjoying the festival, warm up with a complimentary coffee or hot chocolate from the Tim Hortons mobile truck.
  • Playmobil Kids Zone: Fans have the chance to face off against friends and family with the PLAYMOBIL NHL Arena and its lineup of NHL figures. In the zone, fans will also be able to enter to win a new NHL playset.
  • Live Local Entertainment: Live music featured throughout the weekend beginning with Riley Michaels performing on Friday followed by Jessica Wilson on Saturday and Chad Price on Sunday.

Rogers Hometown Hockey Event and Broadcast Details

Location:       

  • Kitchener City Hall, 200 King St. W., Kitchener, ON, N2G 4G7

Time:

  • Friday, Oct. 5 – Festival open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET
  • Saturday, Oct. 6 – Festival open from noon to 6 p.m. ET
  • Sunday, Oct. 7 – Festival opens at noon ET and runs through the end of the Rogers Hometown Hockey outdoor viewing party

Broadcast:

  • Special Guests:

Stanley Cup champion and Hall-of-Famer Scott Stevens and former NHLer and Kitchener Rangers coach Jay McKee. Also, a special performance from legendary Canadian power pop band The Pursuit of Happiness who are celebrating the 30th anniversary of their debut album, Love Junk

  • Game Matchup:          Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Chicago Blackhawks, 6:30 p.m. ET

                                                (Sportsnet, Sportsnet NOW, Rogers NHL LIVE)

  • Features:

o   Don Cameron: Legendary Rangers play-by-play broadcaster Don Cameron passed away on June 7, 2018 at the age of 82. “The Legend” retired in 2015 after logging thousands of kilometres on the team bus and calling over 4,000 Rangers games for more than 50 years. On September 28, the Kitchener Rangers are raising a banner in the arena in his honour.

o   A Conversation with Garrett Rank: At age 31, Garrett Rank is a dual threat, thriving with similar ease on the grass and the ice. Having already conquered cancer and earned a full-time job as a NHL referee, Rank made headlines around the world this summer when he qualified for the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. Tara Slone catches up with Rank at a driving range to find out how he keeps his cool under pressure both on the golf course and at the hockey rink.

o   Bobby Orr Reflections on Milt Schmidt: Milt Schmidt was a former Kitchener Ranger and played 16 seasons in the NHL with Boston. He was a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Bruins (1939, 1941), won two Stanley Cups as Bruins General Manager (1970, 1972), and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1961. Schmidt passed away on January 4, 2017 at the age of 98. At the time of his passing, Schmidt was the oldest living former NHL player.

o   Ben Fanelli: Profiling Ben Fanelli, former Kitchener Rangers captain and current associate coach at the University of Waterloo. Fanelli, who suffered a serious injury in a game vs. the Erie Otters at The Aud in 2009, has undertaken a new venture – Heroic Minds – a podcast which speaks to the struggles of mental health and healing after injury.

Social Media Links

Like Rogers Hometown Hockey Facebook.com/RogersHometownHockey

Follow Rogers Hometown Hockey on Twitter @HometownHockey_

Follow Rogers Hometown Hockey on Instagram @HometownHockey

Official website, Sportsnet sportsnet.ca

Like Sportsnet Facebook.com/Sportsnet

Follow Sportsnet on Twitter @Sportsnet

Follow Sportsnet on Instagram @Sportsnet

Follow Ron MacLean @RonMacLeanHTH

Follow Tara Slone @TaraSlone

About the RogersTM Hometown HockeyTM Tour presented by Scotiabank and Dodge

The Rogers Hometown HockeyTourrolls into 25 communities across Canada this season with a weekend of free outdoor hockey festivities for all ages. The weekend culminates in an outdoor viewing party of an NHL game broadcast every Sunday on Sportsnet, with Ron MacLean and Tara Slone hosting live on site from the Sportsnet Mobile Studio. For more information on the tour, please follow Rogers Hometown Hockey on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About Sportsnet

Sportsnet is Canada’s #1 specialty network and #1 sports media brand. Uniting Canadians through sport, Sportsnet’s multimedia offerings include Sportsnet (consisting of 4 regional channels: East, Ontario, West, and Pacific), Sportsnet ONE, Sportsnet 360, Sportsnet World, the Sportsnet Radio Network, Sportsnet.ca, Sportsnet NOW, the Sportsnet app, and podcasts. Sportsnet is the official Canadian NHL national multiplatform rights holder, and is the regional broadcaster for the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and Toronto Maple Leafs. Sportsnet also has extensive coverage of the Blue Jays, as well as NBA, MLB, Grand Slam of Curling, Rogers Cup, CHL, IndyCar, WWE, Premier League, and FA Cup. Sportsnet is part of Rogers Media, which is a subsidiary of Rogers Communications Inc. (TSX, NYSE: RCI). Visit Sportsnet.ca.

About Rogers

Rogers is a leading diversified Canadian communications and media company. We are Canada's largest provider of wireless communications services and one of Canada's leading providers of cable television, high-speed Internet, information technology, and telephony services to consumers and businesses. Through Rogers Media, we are engaged in radio and television broadcasting, sports, televised and online shopping, magazines, and digital media. Our shares are publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RCI.A and RCI.B) and on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: RCI).

Media Contacts

Sarah Grossman, sarah.grossman@rci.rogers.com, (m) 416.509.9694

Meghann Cox, meghann.cox@rci.rogers.com, (m) 416.258.3296

Raluca Melniciuc, raluca.melniciuc@rci.rogers.com, (m) 647.283.2148