Marrying hockey and the Olympic Torch Relay – Feature Stories : Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics
In a country where putting on skates and hitting the rink is a natural thing, it seemed like a perfect marriage to include the most loved and popular sport in Canada — hockey — with the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay. The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) and the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay worked together to develop the CHL Olympic Torch Relay Promo Night program.
The CHL represents three regional leagues: the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The program presented a tremendous opportunity for 51 communities that are home to CHL teams to build excitement about the visit of the Olympic Flame to their towns. Local hockey teams are the pride of their communities and home games bring crowds of local supporters celebrating sport together.
CHL Olympic Torch Relay Promo Night included a puck-drop ceremony that reunited Community Task Force members, mayors, team officials, players, fans and community torchbearers inside an arena prior to a local hockey game. The ceremony included the torch relay video being played on-screen, public addresses and announcements promoting the local celebration, torchbearers in attendance and much more. Spectators also had the chance to see the Olympic Flame and the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch.
Success in Prince Albert!
The city of Prince Albert, British Columbia thoroughly enjoyed its CHL Olympic Torch Relay Promo Night. “Our build-up prior to the arrival of the Olympic Torch Relay through a pair of games on January 8 and 9 got our Raiders’ [local hockey team] fans ready for a once-in-a-lifetime event! The crowd warmly received all of our official party details during the second game and it helped build excitement towards our celebration on January 11,” said Bruce Vance, director of marketing for the Prince Albert Raiders.
The event in downtown Prince Albert turned out to be the largest civic event in the city’s history bringing approximately 8,000 residents together, and eclipsing the number of people who attended the parade in 1985 after the Raiders won the Memorial Cup.
From idea to reality
Like most ideas, this initiative was born while Stephen Neal, vice-president of CCMC Sports Group representing the CHL and Jim Richards, director of the Vancouver 2010 Torch Relays were chatting.
“We were talking about the torch relay, its history and what it means to Canadians to be a part of it. When Jim asked me what I did, I explained that I worked for the CHL — the premier developmental league in the world for professional hockey players. Over 50 per cent of all National Hockey League players come from the CHL,” said Neal. “When I told Jim that there were 51 teams across the league from coast to coast with a season-long attendance of close to 10 million fans, we began talking about how cool it would be to have the Olympic Torch Relay make an appearance on ice before a local game, which is a great way to bring the spirit of the flame and of the game together.”
A year and half later, this project was realized and achieved “most of what we set out to accomplish!” said Neal.
For the CHL, being a part of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay was an amazing local, regional and national experience that brought the leagues and teams together to welcome the Olympic Flame on ice. “The fans, players and communities were all moved in many ways from coast to coast to not only to see the symbol of the flame, but also to feel the emotion of torchbearers embodying the spirit of the flame for their communities and the country,” said Neal.