Even though the beginning of the 2016-17 regular season is still almost a month away, the NHL is ready to play some hockey. That’s why they’re putting on the first World Cup of Hockey tournament since 2004 and throwing an elaborate 10-day festival devoted to the fans, set to kick off tonight with a concert featuring 17-year-old singer-songwriter, Daya, Canadian mainstay, Sam Roberts, and headlined by Grammy-nominated band, The Killers.
The World Cup of Hockey Fan Village will be taking over Toronto’s historic Distillery District from September 16th until September 25th with plenty of free hockey-themed games and activities for fans of every age. There will also be an outdoor viewing lounge for fans to watch games live, appearances by NHL players and alumni, chances to win prices and tickets to games, food from a variety of countries participating in the tournament, and the chance to take a picture with the Stanley Cup. Entrance into the festival is free and with family-friendly activities like virtual reality experiences, it’s sure to be bustling with activity from now until the tournament wraps up.
The first ever World Cup of Hockey tournament was held in 1996, and the second was in 2004. It’s predecessor, the Canada Cup, was held five times between 1976 and 1991. The original tournament was started by Doug Fisher of Hockey Canada and Alan Eagleson of the NHL Players’ Association to give countries in North America and Europe the chance to send their top players, whether professional or amateur, to compete against each other.
The 1987 Canada Cup was noteworthy for bringing two of the greatest hockey players of all time, Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux, together on the same team to win a championship together. This year, team Canada will include top NHL players like Carey Price, Drew Doughty, Sidney Crosby, Corey Perry and Jonathan Toews. They will be facing off against teams from the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Sweden and the USA.
NHL commissioner, Gary Bettman, announced early in 2015 that the World Cup of Hockey would take place every four years, starting this year. The primary goal is to help expand the international prominence of the NHL as well as celebrate the sport of hockey and the fans.
Check out the World Cup of Hockey website for a detailed list of Fan Village events and activities as well as the complete game schedule.