The Hockeyville Announcement Party will be held at the O’Leary Community Sports Centre, the facility that has already been assured $100,000 in arena upgrades for being the top vote-getter in Eastern Canada.
That, alone, is worthy of a party, but organizers acknowledge they are hoping for the rest of the prize package that comes with being the top vote-getting in the national final.
It is at the Community Sports Centre that Sportsnet cameras will be focused on the crowd, somewhere around 7:30 p.m., for the announcement declaring either O’Leary, P.E.I., or the western Canada finalist, Ituna, Sask., as the 2017 champion. The winning arena gets the Kraft Hockeyville trophy and the opportunity to host an NHL pre-season exhibition game.
The party at the arena starts at 3:00 p.m. with a parade-in by Minor Hockey teams, followed by entertainment and activities, running until approximately 9:00.
The party at the curling club starts right after that announcement and runs until midnight. The curling club hosted a big party the night O’Leary was named eastern Canada’s finalist two weeks ago, too.
In anticipation of large crowds, organizers have arranged for overflow parking at the elementary school, museum property and Access P.E.I.
