This weekend, Cochranites will come together like they never have before as the town shines in the national spotlight of Rogers Hometown Hockey – and celebrates the spirit of local heroes with the ninth annual Kimmett Cup.
“It’s going to be a really exciting weekend,” Mayor Ivan Brooker said this week. “We’re a huge hockey town and … anytime you get an opportunity (like this), it’s always a positive. It just helps to strengthen that sense of our small-town feel.”
The semi-trailers started rolling in earlier this week for the country’s largest hockey festival, which stops in towns and cities across Canada every winter. Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre will be Ground Zero for the Cochrane experience, with NHL alumni autograph sessions, hockey-themed games, on-ice skills competitions and cheer contests going on Saturday and Sunday.
The event culminates with a concert by country star Paul Brandt and an outdoor live CBC television broadcast of Sunday night’s matchup between the Montreal Canadiens and the Boston Bruins. Hosts Ron MacLean and Tara Slone are the ambassadors of all the action.
Earlier this week, Slone said she will have boots on the ground on Friday, taking in some of the best our area has to offer. A self-proclaimed foodie, she’s got a bead on MacKay’s Cochrane Ice Cream, and she will also hop on a horse with Olympic skeleton bronze medallist Mellisa Hollingsworth for a tour of the 132-year-old WineGlass Ranch.
Owner Travis Ecklund said he’s thrilled to be able to show off Cochrane to the country – and to rookie rider Slone.
“We’ll probably saddle some horses, take her for a bit of a ride … maybe we’ll move some cows,” said Eklund, who along with his wife Kara is the fifth generation of relatives to run the historic cattle farm. “We’ll just treat her like one of the family – we’ll give her the ranch experience, have a visit, some laughs. She might be a little sore and she’ll have some tired legs … it should be a good time.”
MacKay’s owner Meghan Rempel said she’s excited for the country to see “what a great community we are” in Cochrane.
“We have tremendous community spirit,” she said.
“I hope Canada will learn how vibrant Cochrane is,” echoed Eklund. “Cochrane is full of really good people … It’s a wonderful place to live. I think it’s the best place to live in the world.”
Slone said sharing the best of Canada with her television audience is one of the most rewarding parts of her job.
“I get to go in early and meet the people in the community,” she said. “By the time we get to the broadcast, I’ve had a pretty thorough experience.”
One of the most important features of this weekend’s Hometown Hockey coverage will be the Kimmett Cup – a three-on-three tournament on Mitford Pond that has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity and celebrates the spirit of the late Lindsay Kimmett.
Slone said friends’ and family’s long-standing commitment to the memory of the young medical student and hockey fanatic is what initially put Cochrane on Rogers’ radar.
“That was the first story that caught our … attention. The legacy of Lindsay Kimmett and her love of the game, people pouring their heart and soul into it,” she said.
Tournament organizer Jason Baserman said he and his group are thankful for the national attention, and are consistently humbled by the community engagement for their cause.
“We’re very moved and very touched by the support from Cochrane and beyond,” he said. “This time of year is a bit of an emotional roller coaster – it’s a high, because you’re inspired by all the wish kids and the players coming from all over the country, and at the same time, it’s sad, because it’s a memorial tournament. That’s not lost on all of us … our close friend, our sister, our niece, isn’t here. That’s always tough.”
Slone said emotional stories like the Kimmett Cup – that both honours and transcends the sport – is really what Rogers Hometown Hockey is all about for her.
“This job has become so much about the people,” she said. “There’s a passion for hockey for sure – we love the game and we love the players – but more it’s just about coming together. Making sure someone’s spirit is alive, overcoming adversity … Through the lens of hockey, we tell stories that are universally human.”
