SYDNEY, Nova Scotia -- Kraft Hockeyville was a big deal to Sydney, the Maritimes and Drake Batherson, so much so that a preseason game was anything but business as usual for the Ottawa Senators forward.
Batherson, who played for Cape Breton of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 2015-18, had 42 people on his guest list for the game against the Florida Panthers, including his grandparents, who were going see him play live for the first time.
And although Batherson was relaxed throughout the day, which for him began before sunup, he grew anxious as the clock ticked closer to game time.
"We've been talking about this game all summer, so just wanted to take it in, and that's exactly what I did," Batherson said. "I've had a smile on my face for last 48 hours or so."
That smile only grew after Batherson finished with a goal and three assists to help the Senators to a 4-2 win against the Panthers at Centre 200, which is the home of Cape Breton.
"I think the best part, I didn't know his grandfather was here and lives here and was in the crowd to get to watch his grandson," Senators coach D.J. Smith said. "Drake's a small-time kid that loves this kind of atmosphere, and he loves where he's from. I can't say enough about Eastern Canada. They're some of the greatest people in the world. They're welcoming. They don't need to know you. They take care of each other, and they're die-hard hockey fans."
Sydney was cared for throughout its Hockeyville journey, which included winning $250,000 to rebuild Canada Games Complex on the campus of Cape Breton University. The retrofitted arena, which will be the first in Canada dedicated to girls' and women's hockey, will include an NHL-size rink (200 feet by 85 feet), accessible access for sledge hockey, an electric Zamboni and updated dressing rooms. The projected completion date is December 2024.
Kurt Joseph and Ruth Levi were also welcomed from Elsipogtog First Nation, New Brunswick, which won Kraft Hockeyville 2021 and hosted a preseason game between the Senators and Montreal Canadiens at J.K. Irving Centre in Bouctouche, New Brunswick, last October. They handed the Hockeyville trophy and jersey to Christina Lamey, Sydney's representative and president of the Cape Breton Blizzard Female Hockey Association, which has around 300 players who in the past have often been relegated to the back of the line for ice time.
"We essentially entered Kraft Hockeyville with nothing to lose," Lamey said. "We were in a situation where we were so desperate to get the attention of people about what the problems were that we wanted to raise all the awareness through the Hockeyville campaign.
"Not only did we win Hockeyville by raising that awareness, the government came on board and funded the arena renovations to an additional tune of $8.2 million, and more government money is coming. Talk about a catalyst for change in Hockeyville, which has always been a feel-good story in the U.S. and Canada. For us, it was that turning point."
