A victory parade through Twillingate was one of the ways the town celebrated a big win as this year’s Kraft Hockeyville winner.
After the votes were counted, Twillingate was named the winner of the $250,000 grand prize for arena upgrades and the opportunity to host an NHL pre-season game.
Vehicles lined the streets on Sunday afternoon with red and blue streamers and balloons, honking their horns to celebrate.
Discussions are underway today on what a promised NHL game will look like now that Twillingate has emerged the winner of Kraft Hockeyville.
The win means $250,000 in badly-needed repairs to the George Hawkins Arena. Hosting an NHL pre-season game is also part of the prize package, but how that will work remains uncertain because of COVID-19.
Mayor Grant White, his voice hoarse from the celebrations, says virtual meetings are taking place between the town, Kraft, and SportsNet today. He says they don’t know who the teams will be, what the game is going to look like, and where it will be played.
White thanked the many Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who voted for the town. Some members of their Kraft Hockeyville committee were up for 33 hours voting.
A Facebook page dedicated to the cause also generated huge support. It saw some 70,000 posts, and even attracted the attention of NHL players like Gary Roberts – who has Twillingate connections, Ryan Clowe, and Danny Cleary.
