Kraft Heinz, in partnership with the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players’ Association announced their official 2023 NHL preseason matchups celebrating Kraft Hockeyville 2022 and 2023 winning communities. The Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators will face off on Sunday, October 1, 2023 at Centre 200 in Sydney, Nova Scotia, and the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs will face off on Wednesday, September 27, 2023 at Joe Thornton Community Centre in St. Thomas, Ontario.
In addition to the preseason games, each community received $250,000 in arena upgrades. The NHLPA Goals & Dreams fund also donated $10,000 worth of youth hockey equipment to the winners. While both Kraft Hockeyville games will be played in nearby facilities due to logistical requirements, the Canada Games Complex in Sydney, Nova Scotia and the West Lorne Arena in West Lorne, Ontario will be the beneficiaries of the grand prize arena upgrades.
As mentioned above, the Cats will face the Senators in Sydney, Nova Scotia. Cape Breton is a small island with a huge passion for hockey. Locals describe the island the way they describe their love for community hockey: fierce, resolute and resilient. The Canada Games Complex in Sydney was built 35 years ago to host the 1987 Canada Winter Games but has since had to close its doors to hockey. Since then, the demand for rink access on the island has outweighed the supply, making it difficult to accommodate the sharp increase in participation in girls’ hockey the community has seen over the last number of years. Winning Kraft Hockeyville will help the community purchase the new compressor it needs to reopen its arena’s doors and empower the girls on the island itching for ice time.