The Rogers Hometown Hockey tour is in Surrey next month and the city has just announced who will be dropping in to visit.
Led by hosts Ron MacLean and Tara Slone, the weekend will feature meet-and-greet opportunities with NHL alumni Kirk McLean and Dave Babych as well as live local entertainment and activities for the whole family.
The two-day hockey festival, which showcases a different Canadian city every weekend as part of an NHL game broadcast, will begin in Surrey on Saturday, Dec. 9 at noon at City Hall Plaza and will wrap up Sunday evening after the Rogers Hometown Hockey outdoor viewing party.
See also: Surrey’s ‘Rogers Hometown Hockey’ festival coming to city hall plaza
Sunday afternoon’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 3:30 p.m. on Sportsnet and Sportsnet NOW, followed by a showdown between the Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs.
According to a release, special guests will include Owen Hopkins, Rick Hansen and the Hockey Night in Canada Punjabi Broadcast Team.
Edmonton Oilers’ forward Jujhar Khaira is another featured guest, and will share the story of his hockey upbringing in Surrey.
San Jose Sharks’ defenseman Brenden Dillon will talk about Surrey and his connection to the HEROS program, which helps at-risk youth by connecting them with mentors through the game of hockey.
See also: VIDEO: Surrey hockey program for at-risk kids receives $150K
And, for the Hometown Must, Tara Slone will take Bollywood dance lessons in downtown Surrey.
The free hockey-themed weekend in Surrey will feature games, prize giveaways, fun activities, and live local entertainment for the whole family, including:
· The Rogers Fan Hub features innovative and interactive experiences, showcasing virtual autographs from NHL stars, a hockey-themed Zamboni video game and autograph signings with NHL alumni Kirk McLean, to unite fans in their passion for the game. In addition, fans are treated to free hot chocolate on site.
· Rogers customers can come to the GamePlus desk in the Rogers Fan Hub and redeem exclusive experiences such as meet-and-greets with NHL alumni, autographed merchandise and tours of our Sportsnet Mobile Studio.
· Sportsnet Augmented Reality Photo Booth gives fans the chance to get close to their favorite players through augmented reality technology. Fans can take photos with virtual images of NHL stars, and have the photo emailed directly to their device for social sharing.
· The Hockey Circus Show where attendees can see Paz our world-renowned hockey acrobat! Paz juggles everything from pucks to flaming hockey sticks all while standing on top of a net. It is an experience that the family will never forget.
· Scotiabank Community Locker Room which is a family-friendly space to engage hockey fans, celebrate the game, and interact with NHL alumni, such as Dave Babych. Scotiabank will also be donating $15,000 to minor hockey associations in the community.
· Dodge Family Zone features the famous Stow ’n Go Challenge, a hockey-themed obstacle course. Also, fans have the opportunity to enter a contest to win $5,000 for their local minor hockey association and a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica for their family. All contest entrants will receive a co-branded Dodge and Rogers Hometown Hockey retro toque.
· Tim Hortons Ball Hockey Rink presented by Sportsnet features pick-up games for the community, including local Timbits Hockey players.
· Dr. Oetker Giuseppe Pizzeria where fans can enjoy a free slice of Giuseppe Pizzeria pizza fresh out of the oven, and play the Find Giuseppe Match Game to win a rooftop experience and other great prizes.
· Playmobil Kids Zone where 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.
· OK Tire Zamboni Pit Stop features a pit-crew-like experience where fans have the opportunity to test their tire-hanging skills on a replica Zamboni.
The festival at City Hall Plaza (13450 104th Ave.) runs from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, and Sunday from noon to the end of the viewing party .
For a closer look at the event, visit hometownhockey.com.
The video below shows one viewer’s recent “Hometown Hockey” experience in Nanaimo: