After winning a campaign that generated more than nine million votes across Canada, Lucan received $250,000 to upgrade Lucan Community Memorial Centre and $10,000 in equipment from NHL Players' Association Goals & Dreams. The first two days of Kraft Hockeyville Canada 2018 have seen visits from NHL alumni Wendel Clark, Bryan Smolinski and Chris Kelly, a community festival and a street hockey tournament. There's more to come including a visit from the Stanley Cup and a fan festival before the game Tuesday.
"Anytime you can showcase your community on a national stage and put your best foot forward, it's an incredible experience and opportunity," Burghardt-Jesson said. "We are certainly thrilled to open our doors and be able to welcome the NHL, the 'Battle of Ontario' here.
"The upgrades that we're able to afford to do because of being crowned Kraft Hockeyville certainly go a long way, but it gives the building and the bowl a needed facelift."
Renovations included a new LED scoreboard, dashboards, sound system and six-foot glass above the boards. Paul Smith, manager of parks and recreation for Lucan Community Centre, was hired shortly after NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced it as the winner during "Hockey Night in Canada" on March 31 and is part of the hockey lineage that's Lucan's heartbeat. Smith's grandfather, Bill Smith, was a coach for the Lucan Irish Six when they played the Montreal Canadiens the first time the NHL visited Lucan on Dec. 15, 1952.
"There's a huge amount of celebration, a lot of excitement," Smith said. "This has always been the hub of the community and now it's more. It's really kind of rebrightened that up for some people. It's been nice to make some changes and do this for people. We have a lot more capabilities here, a lot more things that we can do that we couldn't do before."
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The original plan was to renovate the rink by 2020 or 2021 before Lucan entered the contest. Burghardt-Jesson's initial goal was to make the final four, which in her mind would have been able to generate enough publicity and open some doors.
Two weeks before the announcement, the community came together in a way Burghardt-Jesson never thought was possible. There was a buzz, an energy and the belief Lucan could win. Lucan residents were invited to a London (Ontario Hockey League) game that provided a platform to interact and generate support.
It paid off.
"I can remember the countdown," Burghardt-Jesson said. "I can see the screen. I can hear Gary Bettman going through the whole history of Kraft Hockeyville. When he said Lucan, there was that moment where, is that actually what he said? I think we blew the roof off this place. I don't think it's ever been as loud or as excited as it was that night."
Though the celebration will end after the Maple Leafs and Senators leave town, the work will continue with makeovers to the locker rooms helped by potential infrastructure dollars from interested corporate partners and the government. The hope is the aftermath of Kraft Hockeyville Canada will bring in more kids who want to play minor hockey and others with a desire to host events at the rink.
"I don't think we'll ever be normal again," Burghardt-Jesson said. "People have realized that it doesn't matter how small you are. You're really capable of doing anything you want. If there's a vision and a want for our community, an industry or a business they want to bring to town, why can't we do that? I think that there will be excitement into other community activities. And also, from a professional hockey standpoint, what other event can we bring back to the bowl? I think people are a lot more open to what else can happen beyond this."
