Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/746676
C M Y K I S S U E # 5 WINNIPEG FREE PRESS THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2016 I T ' S A C A N A D I A N T H I N G , E H ? 3 C M Y K ISSUE #5 OF 5 Centennial Celebration HERE'S TO THE FIRST HUNDRED YEARS OF NHL HOCKEY T he National Hockey League isn't wasting any time kicking off its centennial celebrations in 2017. The first official event marking the NHL's 100th anniversary is set for New Year's Day, and like the Heritage Classic in Winnipeg last month, it's an outdoor game, with the Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the Detroit Red Wings at BMO Field. The Great One, Wayne Gretzky, is the official ambassador for the year-long campaign, and he's a shoo-in to make the list of the all-time 100 Greatest NHL Players when the NHL announces the honourees during the All-Star weekend Jan. 25-27. And we're betting he's not way down at No. 99. Throughout the year, look for NHL Time Capsule features on NHL social media. Iconic moments from the past 100 years will include stories, videos and more, and keep tabs on nhl.com for updates as the year progresses. Next fall, the league will announce the 100 Most Iconic NHL Moments. Start your pool now. In the meantime, there are already several events on the centennial calendar: January - December: The NHL Centennial Truck Tour will be on the road from January to December, making stops in every NHL market, along with a few other burgs along the way. The tour has three parts — a 53-foot museum truck with memorabilia, videos and activities for fans; a trailer with a giant video screen and a stage where past and present NHL players are expected to make appearances, and a pop-up synthetic ice rink. Jan. 1: The NHL Centennial Classic in Toronto will feature an unveiling of the NHL's greatest players in its first half-century, from 1917-1967. Jan. 2: The Los Angeles Kings will have a float in the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade, and the NHL will present a Winter Classic in St. Louis, with the Blues hosting the Chicago Blackhawks. Jan. 27-29: The NHL All-Star weekend in Los Angeles will feature the unveiling of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in history. The league figures there will be more alumni and current stars in attendance than you shake a stick at. Feb. 25: Ho-hum, another big game — the Coors Light NHL Stadium Series in Pittsburgh. Mar. 15-18: It's a big year in Ottawa. Along with celebrating Canada's 150th birthday, the city hosts the Stanley Cup 125th Anniversary Celebrations, during which a new Stanley Cup documentary on the history of the trophy will get a debut. June: The NHL Awards will honour the best of the season in Las Vegas, and the stars of tomorrow will be in the spotlight at the 2017 NHL Draft in Chicago June 23-24. Hopefully, the 2017 draft is as exciting for Winnipeg as the 2016 NHL Draft, which brought young Finnish player Patrik Laine into the fold. Nov. 26, 2017: On the NHL 100th Anniversary of the Founding of the League, another documentary will debut, covering the high points of the past century. More details of this celebration will be announced over the coming months. Dec. 19, 2017: The NHL 100th Anniversary of the First Games Played. Montreal and Ottawa will host special events. ❚ Ron MacLean will host Rogers Hometown Hockey in Portage la Prairie and Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada in Kenora next year. BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE ANOTHER YEAR, ANOTHER CLASSIC Y ou can see NHL alumni at play in Winnipeg at least one more time this season. The Mike Keane Celebrity Hockey Classic brings together NHL alumni and pick-up teams to raise funds for the Winnipeg Jets True North Youth Foundation and Continuity Care. Founded in 2010, the tournament has raised more than $1 million for the charities. There are 16 teams in the tournament. Each has to raise at least $750 per player and each gets to draft a former NHL player to its roster. They play at least three games and the team that raises the most money plays a bonus game against an all-NHL alumni team. The 2017 Mike Keane Celebrity Hockey Classic is set for Feb. 23 at the MTS Iceplex. Spectators can buy tickets at Ticketmaster. HOMETOWN HIGHLIGHTS P ortage la Prairie will be in the national spotlight when Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour comes to town March 25-26. A two-day festival featuring NHL alumni, live music and special guests leads up to a Sportsnet broadcast of an NHL game — Vancouver Canucks vs. Winnipeg Jets — on Sunday. Ron MacLean and Tara Slone host live on location in Portage, where you can expect them to highlight stories of regional hockey heroes and heroines like National Women's Team players Jocelyne Larocque, Brigette Lacquette and Halli Krzyzaniak. The tour hits 24 cities and towns this season. More details will be announced closer to the date. Learn more at www.hometownhockey.com. Dakota Lazers girls hockey teammates dance in front of the stage during the Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour stop at The Forks in Winnipeg on April 2, 2016. Photo by RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS HOCKEY DAY IN CANADA T he 17th annual edition of Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada is going to be a special one in Kenora on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017. Not only is it the NHL's centennial year, but 2017 marks 110 years since the Kenora Thistles won the Stanley Cup, during the amateur era. Ron MacLean hosts a 13-hour national broadcast on Sportsnet, but festivities in Kenora start early, on Feb. 15, with family-friendly activities and festival events. The last time Hockey Day in Canada was held in our region, it was hosted in Winkler in 2008. Official ambassador Wayne Gretzky, who laced up for the alumni game in Winnipeg last month, remains an ardent fan of the game. Photo by JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS Faces of the past: Alumni team captains Wayne Gretzky and Dale Hawerchuk dropped the pucks for the ceremonial faceoff between current Jets captain Blake Wheeler the Oilers' Connor McDavid. Photo by TREVOR HAGAN /THE CANADIAN PRESS