Rogers Hometown Hockey is just days away from hitting Portage la Prairie.

"I think things are looking great," says David Sattler, Portage Regional Recreation Authority (PRRA) General Manager. "Just had a quick look at the forecast and for an outdoor festival you can't ask for anything other than a sunny sky and warm weather, and we're looking at five and nine degrees so we can leave our winter parkas at home."

The local events start Saturday morning at 10 a.m. with the Pancake Breakfast offered by the Portage Rotary Club.

"That'll be on site so you'll be able to be the first people to see what the festival is going to look like," says Sattler. "The actual Hometown Hockey festival kicks off at noon and runs until 6 p.m. on Saturday, as well as on Sunday from noon until 10 p.m. So the big difference for the Rogers Hometown Hockey festival portion is that Sunday evening is capped off with the live-on-location broadcast of Hometown Hockey with the Winnipeg Jets versus Vancouver Canucks. Ron McLean will be doing the pre-game, intermissions, and postgame from the site in Portage."

Another highlight of Sunday will be the Portage Terriers versus the Steinbach Pistons at Stride Place.

"We got incredibly lucky the way the schedule worked out and we'll have Game 2 of the MJHL Semi-final between the Portage Terriers and Steinbach Pistons kicking off at 4:30," he says. "This is one of the best rivalries in junior hockey in Canada, and we've got lucky because this is the fifth year in a row they're playing each other, the last four years the winner has gone on to win the league championship and represented Manitoba at the Western Canadian Championships. Come out and enjoy the festival in the morning, take in the Terriers game, then make sure you get back to watch the Jets play the Canucks outside and be on the broadcast with Ron McLean."

"Any time an event can come to Portage and showcase not only our community on a provincial and national level but show the pride that our community takes in hosting events like these is great," adds Sattler. "This is the only stop in Manitoba this year for Rogers Hometown Hockey, and I think that says a lot about what they believe the festival can bring to our community. There's going to be something for everyone."

A lot of events are planned throughout the weekend by both the PRRA and the Hometown Hockey crew. There are hockey skills competitions like hardest shot and accuracy shooting. There will be a McDonald's ball hockey rink where people can go out and play 3-on-3. McDonald's will also have hot chocolate and coffee for free, and Dr. Oteker will be giving out free pizza. If you get hungry, Portage Minor Hockey will be running a concession on site for both days to help raise funds for their development program. NHL Alumni Arron Asham and Laurie Boschman will also be in Portage signing autographs and meeting fans.

"Because we do expect this to be a very large event, especially now with the Terriers game Sunday, Portage Co-op has graciously sponsored our Portage Co-op Park-and-Ride," Sattler explains. "We'll have three locations where you can leave your vehicle, hop on a bus, and get over to the island. You won't have to worry about parking when you get there, or how you're getting back. There will be a location at the Portage Co-op Mall, Portage Collegiate High School, as well as La Verendrye. We're expecting the loop to take about 15 minutes and there are two buses running. So you should see a bus running every 15 minutes at those locations. When everything is closing down the island can get congested, but the buses will be using the causeway which will allow them expedited access on so you don't get stuck in that traffic."

Rogers Hometown Hockey will also be at Yellowquill School Friday afternoon.