Canada's unofficial hockey holiday will be moving from one coast to another, from Newfoundland to B.C.
The Kootenay city of Nelson will be the site of CBC's Hockey Day in Canada's seventh annual broadcast on Jan. 13, 2007, following in the footsteps of last year's host community of Stephenville, N.L.
Nelson was chosen from dozens of candidate cities for its rich hockey tradition and passion for the game.
"Nelson is truly the perfect setting for our seventh annual Hockey Day celebration," said Joel Darling, executive producer of Hockey Night in Canada.
"Nelson and the surrounding area has been a breeding ground for some great NHL players and it is going to be very special to visit a community that has such a rich hockey history and share its fascinating stories with the rest of the country."
The 2007 edition Hockey Day in Canada will tell the story of volunteers in communities from coast to coast to coast, exploring the true heart and soul of our great frozen game, with a special focus on Nelson and the surrounding area.
Host Ron MacLean will kick off the 13.5 hour-long telecast at 12 p.m. ET, live from the Nelson and District Community Complex. The traditional NHL all-Canadian triple-header will once again headline the day.
Located in the Selkirk Mountains, on the shore of Kootenay Lake in southeastern British Columbia, the city of Nelson was founded in 1886 and was originally called "Stanley" after Canada's Governor General, Lord Stanley.
Nelson's hockey roots reach much further, however, producing great NHL talent, including Danny Gare, Pat Price and Greg Adams.
The small city was the also hometown of Lester and Frank Patrick, hockey's royal family, whom many credit with creating modern hockey with several innovations, including the addition of blue-lines, the forward pass, penalty shots and the playoff system.
"We are absolutely ecstatic that CBC has chosen Nelson to host Hockey Day," said John Dooley, the mayor of Nelson.
"This is a true winter sports community, and hockey is an integral component of culture in Nelson and the surrounding communities. It is wonderful that CBC is taking the initiative to bring their Hockey Day broadcast into rural communities such as Nelson and connecting us with the rest of Canada."
Nelson joins previous host cites Stephenville, N.L. (2006); Shaunavon, Sask. (2004); Iqaluit, Nunavut (2003); Windsor, N.S. (2002); Red Deer, Alta. (2001); and Toronto, Ont. (2000).
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Located in the Selkirk Mountains, on the shore of Kootenay Lake in southeastern British Columbia, the city of Nelson was founded in 1886 and was originally called "Stanley" after Canada's Governor General, Lord Stanley. Nelson's hockey roots reach much further, however, producing great NHL talent including Danny Gare, Pat Price and Greg Adams. The small city was also the hometown of Lester and Frank Patrick, hockey's royal family, whom many credit with creating modern hockey with several innovations including the addition of blue lines, the forward pass, penalty shots and the playoff system.
Nelson's mayor, John Dooley, says "we are absolutely ecstatic that CBC has chosen Nelson to host Hockey Day ... This is a true winter sports community, and hockey is an integral component of culture in Nelson and the surrounding communities. It is wonderful that CBC is taking the initiative to bring their Hockey Day broadcast into rural communities such as Nelson and connecting us with the rest of Canada."
Other locations
- Tignish, P.E.I. - Bruce Rainnie
- Toronto - Scott Russell
- Regina - Glenn Reid
- Camrose, Alta. - Scott Oake & Kelly Hrudey
- Whitehorse, Yuk. - Erin Paul
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