PRAGUE/HELSINKI/NEW YORK -- Czechia and Finland will present their first-ever Hockey Day celebrations in March designed to bring communities together around the sport of hockey and its many forms through TV broadcasts and in-person free activations for fans of all ages and those new to the sport. Hockey Day in Czechia on March 4 and Hockey Day in Finland on March 17-18 will include hockey skills and coaching training sessions, hockey activities, player and Alumni appearances and live reporting periodically throughout the day by NHL international broadcast partners Nova Group in Czechia and Viaplay Group in Finland. Each day will culminate with viewing parties of NHL Saturday presented by SAP NHL game broadcasts.
Czechia, Finland to celebrate 1st Hockey Day in March
Sessions, activities, player appearances designed to bring communities together
Hockey Day in Czechia (March 4)
A 13-hour marathon of hockey recreation, free and open to the public, will begin at 10 a.m. local time at Sport Complex in Karviná on Saturday, March 4. The day's highlights include activations by the NHL, Nova Group, the Czech Ice Hockey Federation (CIHA) and community organizations, and will feature events such as:
• NHL Global Fan Tour elements featuring interactive hockey activities
• CIHA alumni team game, featuring NHL alumni
• CIHA hockey skills training sessions for youth players and a sled hockey exhibition
• NHL, CIHA & NHL Coaching Association online coaching clinic featuring presentations by NHL guest coaches for youth coaches across Czechia
• Youth ice hockey tournament and e-gaming competitions
• DJ entertainment, trivia, performances and activations by local community and school groups
• Public viewing party of Nova Group's NHL Saturday presented by SAP broadcast of the New York Rangers-Boston Bruins game featuring local reporters live onsite in Karviná.
"We are excited to bring our community together for an entire day, where we will celebrate hockey at all levels, alongside our Czech culture," said Ing. Jan Wolf, mayor of Karviná. "With special thanks to the NHL, and Nova Group for their support, we know the first ever Hockey Day in Czechia will be a great occasion for all those attending live in Karviná and for all hockey fans celebrating across the country. We are excited to showcase this new event, and in the future to support other communities who are chosen to host this event."
Hockey Day in Finland (March 17-18)
Finland will mark the occasion with two full days of free events open to the public at Sorsapuisto Park in Tampere on Friday, March 17 and Saturday, March 18. In collaboration with Viaplay Group, the Finnish Ice Hockey Association (FIHA), the NHL and various local community organizations, Hockey Day in Finland will feature a weekend of festivities:
• NHL Global Fan Tour elements featuring interactive hockey activities
• Meet and Greet with the Stanley Cup and Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame artifacts
• On-ice activities including a youth hockey tournament, ice disco and synchronized skating performances
• Skating and skills clinics featuring FIHA skills coaches
• DJ, trivia, NHL alumni appearances and performances by local theatrical, dance and music groups
• NHL, FIHA & NHL Coaching Association online coaching clinic featuring presentations by NHL guest coaches for youth coaches across Finland
• Fan contests including best commentary competition, best goal celebration and e-gaming tournament
• Public viewing party of Viaplay Group's NHL Saturday presented by SAP broadcast of the Colorado Avalanche-Detroit Red Wings game featuring local reporters in Tampere.
"Finland has passionate hockey fans, as seen earlier this season with the success of the NHL Global Series games here in the Home of Hockey, Tampere," said Perttu Pesä, Director of Major Events for the city of Tampere. "This inaugural Hockey Day in Finland, portions of which will be broadcast on Elisa Viihde Viaplay and V sport channels for the entire country to enjoy, is the perfect way to kick off another big hockey year for Tampere. Ice hockey is still the number one sport here in Finland on every scale and it provides a lot for our community too. We are proud to work with the NHL to showcase our great city, fans, and people who really carry a passion of ice hockey in their warm heart. With such a unique and groundbreaking event, we hope this is the first of many annual Hockey Days in Finland."
The events will be featured in NHL Saturday presented by SAP game broadcasts. Now in its fifth year, NHL Saturday and NHL Sunday presented by SAP brings live NHL games to primetime in Europe. A full broadcast schedule for NHL Saturday and NHL Sunday games can be found
here
.
Fans are encouraged to visit Hockey Day in Czechia and Hockey Day in Finland for more information and join the conversation on social media with the official hashtag #HockeyDay. Full schedules of events will be announced in the coming weeks.
