Conception Bay South, N.L., can now call itself Canada’s premiere hockey community after being officially crowned Kraft Hockeyville 2011 during Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman made the announcement from New York during the final game of the HNIC doubleheader, involving the Edmonton Oilers and the Vancouver Canucks.
The town affectionately called "C.B.S." was selected out of more than 8,000 individual submissions. Located west of St. John’s, the town has a population of 24,000 and is one of the fastest-growing communities in the province.
Conception Bay South won by a landslide, securing the title with 300,000 more votes than second-place Mackenzie, B.C.
C.B.S.'s reward is an NHL pre-season game played at the Robert French Memorial Stadium (between the Ottawa Senators and Atlanta Thrashers), $100,000 in arena upgrades, and a visit from Hockey Night in Canada.
The other four finalists have won $25,000 in arena upgrades.
Canadians voted for their favourite community online at CBCSports.ca/hockeyville, and by phone.
The previous winners were: Dundas, Ont. (2010), Terrace, B.C. (2009), Roberval, Que. (2008); North Bay, Ont. (2007); and Salmon River, N.S. (2006).
