Come one, come all, Hockey Day in Canada is almost here.
And the four-day hockey extravaganza is spread further across the province than many realize, with a number of events being held in Charlottetown during the celebrations from Wednesday, Feb. 8 to Saturday, Feb. 11.
While Saturday's live broadcast will be from the Credit Union Place in Summerside, Charlottetown Mayor Clifford Lee said the event is a partnership between a number of groups including Hockey P.E.I., the cities of Charlottetown and Summerside, the province, as well as major sponsors Scotiabank and CBC.
"A lot of people don't realize, but the reality is that the event is really spread out across the province," said Lee during an interview Sunday with The Guardian. "And this is going to be a great couple of days in Charlottetown."
While some of the event details are yet to be released, hotel rooms are already being booked in the city for the celebrations.
On Friday, Feb. 10, the Charlottetown Civic Centre will host a dinner marking the first appearance rhat week of the Coach's Corner duo Don Cherry and Ron MacLean. More details on this dinner are set to be released Tuesday, with tickets likely going on sale this week.
Lee said he expects the two well-known sportscasters will create a huge buzz in the city, especially with younger viewers.
"I think you're going to find little kids running around Charlottetown just in awe, chasing these two gentleman around the community," said Lee. "That's special and you can't put a dollar bill on that."
The Delta Prince Edward will be hosting a breakfast with a prominent CBC news anchor who's name is yet to be released. Details for the event are to be released in the near future.
As well, MacLean is set to host the Stolen From a Hockey Card concert that plays at the Confederation Centre of the Arts Thursday, Feb. 9. The hockey-themed concert also features Hockey Hall-of-Famer Bryan Trottier.
The P.E.I. Rocket will also be making waves across the country when they play the Saint John Sea Dogs at the CCC on Saturday, Feb. 11.
"CBC will be shooting from here and bringing components of that game into the national broadcast," said Wayne Long, Charlottetown's events development officer.
"There will be a number of stories (in the broadcast) featured from Charlottetown, as well as, across the province."
The UPEI Panthers play their final regular season game Feb, 11 at CARI against St. Thomas Tommies.
Charlottetown will also see hockey's most coveted trophy during the three-day Stanley Cup relay across P.E.I. from Feb. 8-10. The relay will see about six to eight community stops each day, including more than one in Charlottetown, where the public can get pictures taken with the cup.
One of those stops in the city will be at the Jack Frost Children's WinterFest on Friday, Feb. 10. The festival, which includes a massive outdoor rink, will also be hockey-themed this year.
The Confederation Centre of the Arts is holding a hockey-themed exhibit during the event. Hockey Bar combines hockey and beer-related artworks alongside Island hockey memorabilia.
Economic spinoff for Charlottetown aside, Lee said watching the involvement of the local community for the celebrations, such as minor hockey associations and the P.E.I. Rocket, have been inspiring.
Lee said the event has been a great opportunity by providing one of the first partnerships between Charlottetown and Summerside and hopes it is a sign of more to come.
"I think there's a lot of events that may be too big for one community to host. If Charlottetown and Summerside can come together and jointly host some of these events, I think the entire province is going to be the beneficiary."
Those interested in more details on the Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada celebrations can visit www.hockeyday2012.ca
