NHL game getting closer; puck drop set for Sept. 25

The scoreboard is counting down to puck drop for the 2017 Kraft Hockeyville NHL-pre-season game in Summerside. The game will be played at Eastlink Arena at Credit Union Place on Sept. 25.

The nearby town of O’Leary was the winning community for Hockeyville 2017, having been named the victor of the popular annual contest on April 1, by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.

The 11th edition of Kraft Hockeyville Canada’s NHL Pre-Season game, will air on Sportsnet, and will feature the Ottawa Senators against the New Jersey Devils, marking the Devils’ first-ever Kraft Hockeyville appearance. Organizers said the move from O’Leary to Summerside was necessitated to ensure an optimal experience for fans and players alike.

In keeping with Kraft Hockeyville tradition, the O’Leary will host a range of Kraft Hockeyville activities in and around O’Leary in the days leading up to the game to mark

this victory for the community.

“The 2017 Kraft Hockeyville NHL Pre-Season game promises to be one of the most memorable hockey events on the island in years,” said Jo-Anne Wallace, of the local organizing committee.

“Since winning the title of Kraft Hockeyville this past spring, the excitement and anticipation for this preseason game has been building throughout the Island,” said Joanna Milroy, director of marketing, Kraft Heinz Canada.

The O’Leary Community Sports Centre, which was nominated in O’leary’s bid for Kraft Hockeyville 2017, will receive $100,000 for upgrades to the arena as part of its prize.

Since its inception in 2006, Kraft Hockeyville has awarded $2.8 million to 73 communities across Canada and has celebrated 10 NHL Pre-Season games in seven different provinces. This year marks the first time Kraft Hockeyville has been hosted in Prince Edward Island.