An NHL exhibition game might be coming to northern Ontario — with an emphasis on might.
Elliot Lake was crowned this year's Kraft Hockeyville in a live announcement just moments ago on Saturday's broadcast of Hockey Night in Canada.
The win comes with a $250,000 grand prize, which the city hopes to use to help replace its aging Centennial Arena. The announcement also means Elliot Lake will be given the opportunity to host a pre-season NHL game — if the arena meets all the requirements of the league and the players' association.
It's not clear what those requirements are, or when a decision will be made on whether those requirements are met.
Tonight's announcement, made by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, triggered a massive celebration inside Elliot Lake's Collins Hall, where community members started gathering earlier today for a Hockey Night in Canada watch party.
And the winner of Kraft Hockeyville 2024 is....
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 31, 2024
Elliot Lake, Ontario!! 🎉@hockeyville | #KraftHockeyville pic.twitter.com/4u3fCCaPU7
At the time of the announcement, around 7:45 p.m., it was standing room only.
Mayor Andrew Wannan, some council members and many city staff were in the media area surrounded by young Elliot Lakers awaiting the news.
When the announcement came down, only the word "Elliot" could be heard from the announcer before the crowd erupted in cheers and applause.
Three other Canadian communities were in the running for the Kraft Hockeyville title: Cochrane, AB; Wolseley, SK and Enderby, BC. The 32-hour voting window for the competition opens Friday at 9 a.m. and closed at 5 p.m. today.
Launched nearly two decades ago, the annual competition has awarded millions of dollars to help fund upgrades to community arena across the country.
Earlier this month, Elliot Lake's aging Centennial Arena was selected as one of the four finalists for the $250,000 grand prize — the only rink in Ontario still in the running.
Built in the 1960s, the arena was closed last September after an inspection revealed structural concerns, forcing local teams to travel out of town for ice times.