Hockey Day in Canada comes to Yellowknife and Chief Drygeese Territory next year

The Yellowknives Dene First Nation is pleased to be a proud partner with the City of Yellowknife in hosting Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada 2020.

That statement follows the announcement from Sportsnet and Scotiabank that Yellowknife, located on Chief Drygeese Territory and the home of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation,  will be the location for the 20th anniversary of Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada, Canada’s biggest single-day hockey celebration.

Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada 2020 will take place on February 8, 2020 with many events taking place in the days leading up to the main event, according to a news release from the City Of Yellowknife.

“Hockey runs through the veins our people. This exciting event will inspire our youth as it will all of Canada and provide an opportunity to showcase our culture and heritage to the rest of Canada. We thank the City of Yellowknife for pursuing this event and express our sincere gratitude to Sportsnet and Scotiabank for selecting the City of Yellowknife and the home of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation,” says Yellowknives Dene First Nation Chief Edward Sangris.

 On April 1, 2019, City Council supported administration’s recommendation to take steps to host Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada in 2020, noting the massive destination exposure and economic impact hosting the 12.5 hour national broadcast, reaching 9.6 million, or 1 in 4 Canadians,  will have for Yellowknife and its entire region.

Canada’s annual hockey tradition will kick-off on Wednesday, February 5, 2020 with an opening event to get the celebrations started.

The four-day hockey festival will showcase community and family-friendly hockey events for all ages, all leading into the main event on February 8, 2020– the 12.5-hour broadcast on Sportsnet featuring the Canadian NHL teams.

Free events include school visits by the alumni, several hockey games, hand games, indigenous and cultural activities as well as a number of indoor and outdoor activities with special focus on local arts, crafts, and artists that will showcase Yellowknife and the north.

Ticketed events are set to include Scotiabank Music of Hockey Day, breakfast with the Stanley Cup, a banquet featuring all of the alumni and Sportsnet on-air personalities, and the main alumni hockey event.

More details around the celebration and broadcast will be announced in the coming months.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

John McFadden
John has been in the broadcast journalism industry since the 1980s. He has been a reporter in Yellowknife since 2012 and joined CKLB in January of 2018. John covers the crime and court beat as well as reporting on other areas including politics, business, entertainment and sports. He won seven national community newspaper awards while he was a journalist with Northern News Services Limited (NNSL). John worked in Ontario before coming North including stints as a TV sportscaster in Peterborough and senior news writer for CBC and CTV in downtown Toronto.