I apologize for being a little late to post this article, but starting today USA Hockey is teaming up with the NHL to celebrate "Hockey Weekend Across America". The annual event has a dual purpose:
- To celebrate our game and all involved in the sport using all means possible.
- To provide opportunities to those who have not played hockey to try it, resulting ultimately in more people playing our game at all levels.
USA Hockey has been promoting this heavily and they have a dedicated website with more information. The festivities started today with "Wear Your Favorite Hockey Jersey Day." On Saturday the theme is "Bring a Friend To The Rink Day", and on Sunday you can "Celebrate Your Local Hockey Heroes".
NHL teams are also getting involved, including the Hurricanes. Tonight, (2/13) they will be hosting a triple header of local action starting at 5:30. Here are the details directly from the press release:
On Friday Feb. 13, themed "Wear Your Favorite Hockey Jersey," the Carolina Hurricanes and Canes Youth and Amateur Hockey are encouraging students and teachers in local schools to show their hockey spirit by wearing their favorite youth or professional hockey jersey to school. Friday night, beginning at 5:30 p.m., the RBC Center and the Carolina Hurricanes will host an amateur hockey tripleheader that includes a Cat5 Canes special hockey team scrimmage, a local under-10 girls’ exhibition game and a game from the Women’s Winter Warm-Up Tournament featuring the North Carolina Trailblazers. Friday night’s games are free and open to the public. Fans may park in the East parking lot and enter through the East entrance of the RBC Center.
Hockey Weekend Across America continues on Saturday, Feb. 14, as the NHL sponsors "Bring a Friend to the Rink Day." On Saturday morning, the RBC Center and the Carolina Hurricanes will host two more amateur hockey games prior to the Hurricanes’ match-up with the Columbus Blue Jackets at 7:00 p.m. The first game, presented by Canes Youth and Amateur Hockey (CYAH), will be a youth exhibition between the Raleigh Storm Squirt A and the Squirt AA Jr. Hurricanes at the RBC Center, with face-off set for 8:00 a.m. In the second game, scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m., the Squirt AA Junior Hurricanes will take on Team Maryland. Saturday’s amateur games are not open to the general public, but fans are encouraged to bring a friend to the rink for Saturday evening’s Hurricanes game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Throughout the weekend, fans will have a chance to win one of 45 Reebok EDGE authentic National Hockey League jerseys during Hockey Weekend Across America's Great Jersey Giveaway at HockeyWeekendAcrossAmerica.com
.
The Canes will be busy playing hockey themselves this weekend as they take on the Blue Jackets Saturday night, then fly to Buffalo for another contest with the "slugs" on Sunday. More about that later, for now enjoy the local action for free at the RBC beginning tonight.
