The Town of Crossfield was announced as one of the top four finalists for 2025 Kraft Hockeyville on Mar. 15, and now they will need your vote to bring Hockeyville home on April 4-5.
To amp up energy for the unlimited voting phase, the Town is hosting rallies on April 4 at 7 a.m. and April 5 at 3 p.m. to rally support and gather "a million or two" votes in the final push.
What's caused excitement among residents is knowing Crossfield is the only community in Alberta and western Canada among the top four to bring home 2025 Kraft Hockeyville.
Crossfield Minor Hockey fundraising and grants coordinator, Tayla Grochowich, says the west hasn't won since 2016.
"We're so ecstatic and grateful to have made it this far; our community has really shown up and it's truly created a buzz around town," Grochowich said, adding that, "We're eager to bring it home!"
Before the final voting phase begins, residents are able to earn Pete Knight Memorial arena additional scores from two main categories: story submission and rally points.
Mayor of Crossfield Kim Harris has been keeping up with arena stories that are being submitted on Kraft Hockeyville's website.
"My favourite part of the stories is how the Pete Knight Arena is not just for hockey, but it is the hub of our community," Harris shared. "All the stories give me the feeling of love for our arena and community; they all speak of meeting friends, many of these friendships are lifelong for both the players and their parents."
This is something Harris and his family relates to as they were once part of minor hockey in Crossfield and still go to watch some games.
"One of things I admire about minor hockey is how our hockey community in Crossfield creates and foster a family friendly cohesiveness that you will only find in [this town]," Harris expressed.
She added, "They have rallied and lead the way with Kraft Hockeyville alongside our amazing Figure Skating Club."
Grochowich believes that the key factor behind Crossfield's advancement into the finals is the strong passion for hockey and the sense of community shared by its residents.
"Community spirit has got us where we are... We love this rink, it truly is the hub for our town and it shows," she said.
Harris found out about Crossfield making it to the finals on the night of Mar. 15 with the rest of Canada. For her, this was an emotional news.
"The feeling I had is really beyond words," she said. "It made me feel proud of our community coming together in such a profound and passionate way," she said.
The winner of the 2025 Kraft Hockeyville will earn the opportunity to host a National Hockey League (NHL) game in their local arena, along with receiving a $250,000 prize. The runner up prizes aren't bad either. Each of the Top 4 nominated arenas win $25,000 regardless of the final vote outcome.
But winning the 2025 Kraft Hockeyville title and accompanying prize money holds a much deeper value for the town than just dollars and cents. It shows community spirit and community pride.
That said, having an arena in town, where all kids get to play, is a real asset to a community of Crossfield's size, and prize money would come in handy.
"Our rink is really starting to show how loved and utilized it is and this money would just be a huge gift to give our hub the upgrades it needs," Grochowich shared.
While there are no plans set in stone yet, accessibility is a huge issue at the Pete Knight arena. The hope is to make the arena a place everyone can access from the doors to the bleachers, says Grochowich.
"We have an old concession that is so limited it doesn't have the resources to be full service," Grochowich said, adding that "the list is endless on where the money could go."
If Crossfield wins, the chance to host an NHL game would also attract visitors from surrounding communities, providing a significant boost to the town’s economy.
Harris says it would be exciting for everyone in town, and for the minor hockey kids in particular, to see their heroes close up.
"The NHL game would definitely be the icing on the cake and put Crossfield on the map," Harris said.
The four finalists were chosen by vote over the past two months, which are Crossfield, Honeywood, Ont., Saint-Boniface, Que. and Lower Sackville, NS.
Final voting will begin April 4 at 9 a.m. and end at Apr. 5 at 5 p.m. Anyone wanting to support Crossfield's bid can vote at hockeyville.kraftheinz.com. Voters can also vote as many times as they want.
The results will be broadcast on Hockey Night on April 5, and the town will host a live viewing party.
