COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The ninth annual Hockey Weekend Across America concluded Sunday (Feb. 21) and was a success by all accounts. The nationwide event, which took place Feb. 19-21, was a three-day celebration of hockey that included hundreds of thousands of fans wearing their favorite hockey jerseys, 12,000 boys and girls trying hockey for the first time all across the nation, millions of viewers watching NBC’s Hockey Day in America broadcast, and the celebration of local hockey heroes in communities throughout the country.
“This year’s Hockey Weekend Across America was another fantastic celebration of our game,” said Dave Ogrean, executive director of USA Hockey. “Among the many highlights of the weekend, it was terrific to see a record number of new kids and families have the chance to experience hockey for the very first time.”
Each of the three days associated with Hockey Weekend Across America had a theme, including “Wear Your Favorite Jersey Day” on Friday (Feb. 19), sponsored by ShopUSAHockey.com; “Try Hockey Day” on Saturday (Feb. 20), sponsored by the NHL; and “Celebrate Local Hockey Heroes Day” on Sunday (Feb. 21).
On Friday, fans were encouraged to share photos of themselves, their friends and colleagues wearing their favorite hockey jerseys on social media using the hashtag #HockeyJerseyDay. To see a collection of images from the day, click here.
On Saturday, a record 12,080 children from across the nation were introduced to hockey for the first time at 330 Try Hockey for Free events, presented by Kraft Heinz, in 45 states. Saturday’s turnout eclipsed the previous February Try Hockey for Free participation record, set last year, by nearly 2,000. Using the hashtag #TryHockey, fans submitted pictures on social media, some of which can be found here. 14 local rinks and associations across Illinois hosted over 600 skaters on Saturday, February 20.
On Sunday, local teams and associations honored their local hockey heroes in various ways and fans shared stories of their local hockey heroes on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and HockeyWeekendAcrossAmerica.com by using the hashtag #HockeyHeroes.
THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING ILLINOIS RINKS/ASSOCIATIONS
Sabre Girls Hockey (Rocket Ice Arena) * Sabre Hockey Association (All Seasons Ice Rinks) * Decatur Youth Hockey Association * Leafs Hockey Club * Rolling Meadow Renegades * Franklin Park Ice Arena * Fox Valley Ice Arena * Park District of Oak Park * Hoffman Estates Park District Hockey * Kankakee Coyotes * Admirals Hockey Club * Firewagon Hockey, Inc. * Pekin Amateur Hockey Association * Nelson Center (Springfield)
Categories: USA Hockey News