SportsNet’s Ken Reid rang George Sims’ bell for luck Saturday night, but it wasn’t enough to get Chatham the title of Kraft Hockeyville 2015.
Chatham lost to North Saanich, B.C., a suburb of Victoria, in the Hockeyville final.
Reid and a SportsNet team broadcast to Hockey Night in Canada from the Bash at the Barn at Memorial Arena Saturday evening, playfully bantering with Sims, Chatham-Kent’s town crier, at one point in front of hundreds of screaming Chathamites.
Chatham lost the online vote, as North Saanich garnered 62% of the vote and Chatham received 38%.
But this community partied all afternoon – family friendly style – inside and outside Memorial Arena.
Kids and adults played road hockey and took part in hockey skills clinics. There were also pony rides, a bouncy castle, face painting, hair colouring and other kids activities on site.
Brooklyn Roebuck, Ryan Bradley, Face4Radio and The Chasers supplied musical entertainment into the evening.
Both North Saanich and Chatham earned $100,000 for arena upgrades, but the B.C. community will play host to an NHL preseason game.
