New Westminster hit the national stage on the weekend as the Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour rolled into town.
More than 1,000 people attended the New Westminster Minor Hockey Association’s kickoff event at Queen’s Park Arena on Friday afternoon. Despite heavy rains on Saturday and light rains on Sunday, folks enjoyed a weekend of hockey fun.
“Considering the weather, I was impressed with the crowds,” said Diane Perry, the city’s manager of community development. “It was hard to tell numbers because lot of people were crammed into the tents, but the organizers thought there was between 6,000 and 7,000 people over the two days.”
Perry said the event was a “huge success” and gave people a chance to enjoy interactive activities in various tents and meet Canucks alumni Kirk McLean and Cliff Ronning. Visitors also went home with sponsors’ freebies including scarves, toques and kids’ jerseys.
New Westminster served as the backdrop for Rogers’ coverage of the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers on Sunday, with Ron MacLean broadcasting live from New Westminster. The broadcast also featured interviews with the likes of Ernie “Punch” McLean and former New Westminster Bruin Cliff Ronning, as well as segments about the Royal City and its famous athletes, including Justin Morneau and Kyle Turris.
“That was broadcast nationally across Canada,” she said. “As well, the event seemed to be a real regional draw. It definitely was a large contingent from New Westminster for sure, but it was a regional draw as well.”
Perry said the Rogers’ Hometown Hockey Tour organizers were a great group to deal with. She also have kudos to the New Westminster Minor Hockey Association, which organized Friday’s pep rally and other events.
“They did an awesome job,” she said. “They really stepped up to the plate.”
