"Our game is built on the foundation of local communities and its continued growth is a testament to the individuals and families who love and support hockey in those communities," said Blue Jackets President of Hockey Operations John Davidson. "Kraft Hockeyville is a wonderful celebration of hockey's grass roots and our club is thrilled to be going to Clinton, New York to play the Buffalo Sabres this September."
Clinton earned its designation as this year's most spirited hockey community in America, $150,000 in rink upgrades and the opportunity to host the NHL matchup after amassing the most votes in the online Kraft Hockeyville USA 2018 contest. Clinton Arena is a staple of the local hockey community. Following a fire in 1949, the arena was rebuilt six years later and has served young hockey players for nearly 70 years. It was listed on the National Historic Register in 2010. While the venue still has many of its original fixtures intact today, the prize money from Kraft Hockeyville™ USA 2018 will be used to improve a number of features, including the arena's roof, locker room and seating.
In addition to the rink upgrades - and with the support of Kraft Heinz - NHLPA Goals & Dreams, the players' charitable grassroots hockey program, will donate new hockey equipment to select Kraft Hockeyville™ USA communities, giving more disadvantaged youth the opportunity to play hockey. These donations continue the work of the players' charitable initiative which for more than 18 years has assisted grassroots programs all around the world. Since launching in 2006, Kraft Hockeyville™ has positively impacted more than 80 communities with over $4 million in rink upgrades across the U.S. and Canada.
Tickets to the preseason game are free and awarded to the winning community. For more information, visit
www.KraftHockeyville.com
. Kraft Hockeyville™ USA 2018 can also be found on Facebook (
KraftHockeyvilleUSA
), Twitter (
