Here's how you win a ticket to Hockeyville's NHL exhibition game

The O’Leary Hockeyville Committee announced its long awaited ticket distribution plan Monday four weeks to the day before the Ottawa Senators and New Jersey Devils play their Hockeyville exhibition game at the CUP.

The game is part of the prize O’Leary won on April 1 when, on national television, the community was declared national winner of the 2017 Kraft Hockeyville competition. They also won $100,000 for arena upgrades.

“We have put a lot of thought into a fair distribution of the 3100 free tickets that our committee has been given access to,” said Bill MacKendrick of the so-called Fab Five, the O’Leary Hockeyville committee. “I think the public will be happy with our plans.”

A block of tickets has been set aside for O’Leary Minor Hockey players, including minor hockey players from O’Leary playing on regional teams, O’Leary Figure Skating Club members and a number of community groups and businesses that contributed to O’Leary’s Hockeyville efforts.  As well, one minor hockey team from every minor hockey association in the province will win an opportunity to attend the game through a special draw conducted with help from Hockey P.E.I.

All remaining tickets will be awarded through public lotteries, and interested persons must register in person to be entered.

There will be a residents’ draw, a Western P.E.I. draw and a Supporters Draw.

The first opportunity to register is this Wednesday, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the O’Leary Community Sports Centre.

“It is a huge day for us to finally release this plan,” said committee member Jo-anne Wallace.

“Now people can see what they’re going to embark on to get their tickets.”

The game day practice and skates by the Devils and Senators are also ticketed events. The organizing committee is working with the Public Schools Branch to have students from Western Area schools attend the practices.

Wallace acknowledges no plan would give every interested person admittance to the game.

“It’s so good to see that so many are going to get in, but we also know there are going to be a lot of people disappointed, and we just can’t do anything more than that, other than to make it fair, and we know people across this province helped significantly. They get an opportunity for a ticket.”

Besides the game and the ticket distribution plan, the Hockeyville committee has been busy planning a Hockeyville festival to be held in O’Leary from Sept. 22 to 24.

How to register

Draw participants must be 18 years of age and older and must register in person. One ballot per person and must be placed in appropriate ballot box:

 - Residents draw, for people from O’Leary and area, from postal codes COB 1V0 (O’Leary), C0B 1E0 (Bloomfield) and C0B 1H0 (Coleman);

- Western P.E.I draw for residents from postal codes C0B…1B0, 2B0, 1K0, 1Z0, 1J0 1Y0, 1T0, 2C0, 2E0;

- and a Supporters Draw for people not eligible to enter the residents or Western P.E.I. draws.

Entrants must be in possession of a photo ID and a piece of documentation verifying their address, including postal code. 

Ballot registration periods:

- Wednesday, August 30, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., O’Leary Community Sports Centre

- Saturday, September 2 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., O’Leary Community Sports Centre

 - Wednesday, September 6 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., O’Leary Community Sports Centre;

- and Sunday, September 10, 10 a.m. to 2 pm., O’Leary Legion.

Draws for tickets will be conducted Sept. 12 and winning names posted on the O’Leary Hockeyville Helpers Facebook page and at the O’Leary Community Sports Centre.