The town of Lucan, Ontario, is getting a visit from the NHL — and its officials.
Lucan, the 2018 winner of Kraft Hockeyville Canada, was awarded $250,000 in upgrades to its Lucan Community Memorial Centre. The town will also host a preseason NHL game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators on Tuesday, September 18, 2018. Center John Tavares, signed by the Leafs as a free agent during the offseason, is expected to suit up for Toronto.
“It’s going to be great,” said Tory Gilchrist, coach of the first-year atom team Lucan Fury. “Small little venue, old school arena. It’s going to be awesome.”
The town was also treated to an officials’ clinic from referee Kevin Pollock and linesman Steve Miller.
From the NHL:
Born in Kincardine, an hour and 41 minutes from Lucan, Kevin Pollock will help with the clinic. Pollock has been an NHL referee since the 1999-00 season and worked the 2014 Sochi Olympics and the 2015 Stanley Cup Final. He was also the referee for Game 6 of the 2017 Final when the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Nashville Predators to win the Cup for the second consecutive season.
The buzz generated by Hockeyville and the game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators on Tuesday continues to build. The local gas station and supermarket each has welcome signs on display. At the drug store across the parking lot from Foodland is a mural created by the town to commemorate the preseason game between the Lucan Irish Six against the Montreal Canadiens on Dec. 15, 1952, and the game that will be played Tuesday.
“Anytime a small town gets to come and be a part of the NHL and Kraft Hockeyville, I think it’s awesome,” former Maple Leafs captain Wendel Clark said Saturday. “It brings our best game in the world to small towns, small communities, where the game starts.”
Here’s a look at the Lucan arena:
The puck drops at 7:30 on what will most certainly be a memorable game for the fans, players, and the officials.
