By Jill Sperling

Updated: P.A. gets ready to host Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour

Mar 22, 2016 | 6:13 AM

The parking lot of the Art Hauser Centre will be bustling with a frenzy of activity this weekend.

Prince Albert is the next stop for the Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour on Saturday March 26 and Sunday March 27.

Bruce Vance, the city’s marketing and sponsorship coordinator, said the city has been preparing for the event since June. Now they’re in the homestretch, preparing city sites for the weekend’s events.  

“We’re getting, certainly, the Art Hauser Centre parking lot ready to go. The eight tractor trailers en route to Prince Albert right now will be stationed out of the parking lot at the Steuart and preparing the site for the event.”

The trailers are expected to roll into Prince Albert on Tuesday, March 22. By Thursday, setup will begin for the weekend’s celebration of hockey.

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Prince Albert is among 24 communities taking part in the Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour this year. Vance said the city was chosen because of its strong hockey background.

“We’re very happy that they singled us out and had a look at, certainly, involvement with the Raiders, and minor hockey, and the Mintos and Bears, and all of the great hockey things that happen in this community.” Vance said. “We’re pretty happy they reached out to us and the local organizing committee’s been working very hard to put a lot of moving parts into play for the weekend.”

The event will include some big names in hockey, such as long-time sportscaster and host of Hockey Night in Canada, Ron MacLean. NHL alumni Wendel Clark and Robyn Regehr will also be in town, along with Olympic gold medalist, Jennifer Botterill. Saskatchewan-born country singer Jess Moskaluke will be performing on Sunday.

It just so happens the Prince Albert Raiders have two playoff home games against the Moose Jaw Warriors this weekend as well.

Vance said the Hometown Hockey Tour is a great way to shine the spotlight on Prince Albert’s vibrant hockey community.

“It’s tremendous,” Vance said, “if you’ve been watching Rogers the last week or so they’ve had lots of promos about Prince Albert and that’s certainly going to ramp up this week.”

Vance said camera crews were in the city throughout the minor hockey playoffs the last couple of weeks and the event wraps up with a half-hour show talking about hockey in Prince Albert.

“It’s just a great positive spin for the city of Prince Albert to get word out about what a fine city we have and what a great hockey community there is in Prince Albert.”

The Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour events are free to attend and will begin at 12 p.m. on Saturday.

The schedule for the event can be viewed here.

jsperling@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jnsperling