The Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour is heading to Portage la Prairie March 25th & 26th! 

The Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour will roll into 24 communities accross Canada this season with a weekend of FREE outdoor hockey festivities for all ages, culminating 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.  This will include feature appearances by NHL alumni Arron Asham and Laurie Boschman, as well as amazing chances for YOU to win BIG with Cheer Like Never Before and Trick Shot Contests! The festival takes place on the island just south of the MNP Building and will run from noon to six on Saturday and noon to ten on Sunday.

Saturday evening's broadcast kicks off with a special pre-game show hosted live on site by MacLean and Slone from the Sportsnet Mobile Studio beginning at 6:30 pm on Sportsnet followed by a showdown between the Vancouver Canucks and Winnipeg Jets. From there, the party goes on all weekend until Sunday evening.

 

HERE'S ALL THE FESTIVAL DETAILS:

This free hockey-themed weekend will feature games, activities, live local entertainment and food trucks for the whole family, including:

  • Rogers Fan Hub: Helping fans be fans, the Fan Hub features innovative and technology-driven interactive experiences, showcasing virtual and augmented reality to unite fans in their passion for the game. Plus, fans can stay warm with free hot chocolate on site.
  • Rogers NHL Viewing Room: Fans can go inside the NHL Situation Room to advise on a challenged play (just like NHL officials), as well as find out what's it's like to be on the ice, get close to players, and more, with Virtual Reality experiences. Fans can also view the game in new ways with the different GamePlus(tm) camera angles exclusive to Rogers NHL GameCentre LIVE(tm).
  • Scotiabank Community Locker Room: Features meet and greets with NHL Alumni, interactive games and highlights from recent NHL matchups, and a Scotia Hockey Club commemorative jersey giveaway for youth 16 and under.
  • The Dodge Family Zone: Features the famous Stow 'N Go Challenge hockey-themed obstacle course and the chance for a family to win $5,000 for their local minor hockey association and a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica.
  • McDonald's® Ball Hockey Rink: Features pick-up games and hockey skills competitions, as well as free McCafé® premium roast brewed coffee on site.
  • Dr. Oetker Giuseppe Pizzeria: Fans can enjoy a free slice of Giuseppe Pizzeria right out of the oven, and play Giuseppe Stack-a-Puck to win a rooftop experience.
  • Playmobil: Fans have the chance to face off against friends and family with the PLAYMOBIL NHL Arena and its lineup of NHL figures.

 

 PARK & RIDE 

The FREE Park & Ride will be available at the following locations:

  • PCI (65 3rd St SW)
  • Portage Co-op (2275 Saskatchewan Ave W)
  • La Verendrye School (500 7th Ave NW)

HOURS: Saturday 11am - 9pm , Sunday 1pm - 10:30pm

 

OTHER ACTIVITIES

  • The Portage Minor Hockey Association (PMHA) is running concessions with a BBQ. Funds will go towards hockey programs in Portage la Prairie. They will be open from 12pm - 6pm on Saturday and 12pm - 8pm on Sunday.
  • ~CANCELLED~  ROK is also hosting a 3-on-3 hockey tournament for all ages on Saturday and Sunday. 

Friday:

  • Hometown Hockey will be stopping by Yellowquill School in Portage. Hometown Hank, 'Paz' the hockey juggler, and a special speaker will be featured there. It's going to be a big celebration; a kick off to get everyone excited about the upcoming event.

Saturday:

  • The Portage Rotary Club pancake breakfast 10am - 12pm For a small fee, you can have a breakfast outside and enjoy the set-up to the festival. 
  • Recreation Opportunities for Kids (ROK) Battle of the Badges on Saturday evening. This is a charity hockey game between local RCMP members and firefighters. This hasn't been done in the past 10 or 15 years! The entire event will be free, admission at the door will just be a donation. There will be a silent auction and different types of activities during the game. All the proceeds from the game will go back to ROK.

 

ROGERS HOMETOWN HOCKEY EVENT AND BROADCAST DETAILS:

Location: Island Park - 245 Royal Road S, Portage La Prairie, MB

Times:

  • Saturday, March 25 - Festival open from noon to 6 p.m. CT
  • Sunday, March 26 - Festival opens at noon MT and runs through the end of the Rogers Hometown Hockey outdoor viewing party
  • Hometown Hockey Game broadcast on outdoor screens for Vancouver Canucks vs. Winnipeg Jets at 6:30 p.m. CT on Sportsnet

 

ROGERS CHEER LIKE NEVER BEFORE CONTEST

Leading up to the celebrations in Portage La Prairie, local hockey teams have an opportunity to win the ultimate hockey experience as part of the Cheer Like Never Before contest. Teams can upload a video of their team cheer, with the Top 5 vote-getters invited to take part in the festivities when the Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour visits Portage La Prairie on March 25 and 26. For full contest details, visit http://www.hometownhockey.com

 

ROGERS HOMETOWN HOCKEY TRICK SHOT CONTEST

In the inaugural Rogers Hometown Hockey Trick Shot Contest, trick shot aficionados can sign up on site for a chance to show off their skills and win a VIP trip to the MasterCard Memorial Cup in 2017. Competitors will vie for the title in front of a panel of judges who will crown a winner at each stop. All 24 local winners will then face off in a national contest in Hamilton, ON, where the best trick shot will be revealed in the final Rogers Hometown Hockey broadcast. For full contest details, visit the Rogers Fan Hub at the festival.

 

"HOMETOWN MUST" FEATURES SOUTHPORT

Hometown Must is a weekly feature with Hometown Hockey that shows a special experience to be featured in the local community. Tara Slone's pick for Portage's stop is the Southport Flight Training School. Tara will be going out to Southport on Friday prior to the weekend and spend the day as a flight student. The Hometown Must will be featured in the Hometown Hockey broadcast during Sunday's game. 

 

VOLUNTEERS WANTED

The organizing committee is looking for some volunteers to help out over the weekend. They need 25 to 28 people that will handle everything from making hot chocolate and coffee, to parking assistance at park-and-ride locations like Portage Co-op, PCI High School and La Verendrye School. There will also be chances to work alongside Ron MacLean and/or Tara Slone. Volunteer opportunities are also available in working with local minor hockey to clean up. 

Interested volunteers are being asked to contact Monica Chorney at Stride Place at :mchorney@prra.ca

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Following Portage La Prairie, the tour will visit Guelph, ON on April 2 and 3 for the 23rd of 24 stops. For more information on the tour, please visit http://www.hometownhockey.com