The good ol' Hometown Hockey game continues in Aurora

The Hometown Hockey festival in Aurora runs Dec. 9, noon to midnight.

YorkRegion.com
December 10, 2018
Amanda Persico, Teresa Latchford

Excitement is in the air at the Hometown Hockey tour stop in Aurora this weekend.

The two-day hockey festival kicked off Dec. 8 and continues Dec. 9 from noon to midnight.

And it’s Aurora, the home team, that wins.

“This brings hockey out of the rink and into the community for everyone to enjoy,” said Aurora resident and hockey coach Marco Capilongo, who was at the Hometown Hockey tour with his son Nicholas, 7.

The father and son hockey fans spent the afternoon testing their hockey skills, visiting the virtual sports rooms and being up-close with NHL greats, such as former Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Curtis Joseph.

“We get to share in hockey together,” said Capilongo, who grew up in Thornhill. “This brings it home and makes it extra special for (Nicholas). These are the heroes I grew up with.”

For Nicholas, who is also participating in today’s parade, the hockey festival is ‘really cool.’

While kids are testing their hockey skills, Richmond Hill’s Stephanie Munroe, 13, gets ready to hit the pavement in the makeshift rink at the community centre.

“Sport isn’t just about the guys,” she said. “I want to show other girls, they can, too.”

One of her favourite t-shirts reads ‘There are too many men on the ice.’

Stephanie has played for the Panthers for the past five years and registered to play for the Hometown Hockey team during the festival, something she’s been waiting for since it was first announced.

Right from the day Aurora was announced as a destination for the Hometown Hockey festival and broadcast the community has been building the excitement, host Ron Maclean said.

“The reception has been very warm and the social media action has been phenomenal,” he said.
Co-host Tara Sloan is impressed by the lead up to the event as well from the social media conversations and local businesses running a “paint the town red” campaign.

She feels the Aurora Tigers have gone above and beyond sponsoring former players of the Humbolt Broncos Jacob Wassermann, Ryan Straschnitzki, Xavier LaBelle and Laye Matechuk to come to Aurora and drop the puck at their Dec. 8 game against the Newmarket Hurricanes.

“Aurora is the perfect size for this event,” she said. “The town feels like it has a strong sense of identity, hockey history and a ton of civic pride.”

Maclean is no stranger to Aurora having refereed many hockey games in town and having hosted Movie Night in Canada during the former NHL lockout but he was still amazed how rich the town is in sport history when conducting his research before the broadcast.

For example, former Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson was a great hockey player and has roots embedded in Aurora, a great example of “Canadiana”.

Sloan was impressed with how strong the Aurora Tigers franchise is and the strong presence of women’s hockey in the area.

“The history and the town’s excitement feeds us,” she said. “Our goal is to leave the community proud of what we present on their behalf.”

Hometown Hockey continues in Aurora:

When: Dec. 9, noon to midnight;

Where: Aurora Community Centre, 1 Community Centre Lane, near Yonge Street and Aurora Heights Drive;

Parking: There is no parking available at the Aurora Community Centre. Visitors are encouraged to park at the plaza at 60 Wellington St. or at Wellington Public School, 125 Wellington St. Both of which are within walking distance of the Aurora Community Centre

NHL game matchup: Dec. 9. Live on location broadcast with Ron MacLean and Tara Slone, who will host a pre-game, intermission and post-game show from Aurora.

Montreal Canadiens vs. Chicago Blackhawks, 5:30 p.m.

Calgary Flames vs. Edmonton Oilers, 9 p.m.