Nominations are now open for the 20th anniversary of Kraft Hockeyville, giving communities across Canada a chance to win funding for arena upgrades and celebrate their love of hockey.
Kraft Heinz, along with the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association, announced that Canadians can nominate their community by visiting KraftHockeyville.ca.
Nominations are open until March 1st, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.
Over the past 20 years, Kraft Hockeyville has shown how important hockey arenas are to Canadian communities. Since 2006, the program has awarded more than $5.4 million to 105 communities, helping local rinks stay open and continue serving as gathering places for residents.
To mark this milestone year, Kraft Hockeyville is launching its biggest program ever.
For the first time, the contest will recognize one Provincial or Territorial Winner from each of Canada’s 13 provinces and territories. This new format significantly increases the total prize money and enables more communities to benefit from necessary rink improvements.
Eleven of the Provincial and Territorial Winners will each receive $50,000 for upgrades, while two finalists will move on to compete for larger prizes. The runner-up community will receive $100,000, and the winning Kraft Hockeyville 2026 town will receive $250,000 along with the opportunity to host an NHL pre-season game.
In addition, the NHLPA Goals and Dreams program will donate $50,000 worth of brand-new hockey equipment to support Canadian communities and help more kids play the game.
This year’s program is being supported by ambassadors Marc-André Fleury, a recently retired NHL goaltender, and former NHL player and media personality Paul Bissonnette. Both say Kraft Hockeyville captures the heart of hockey and the strong sense of community found in rinks across the country.
Over the years, Kraft Hockeyville funding has helped communities rebuild after fires, repair damaged arenas, support growing youth and women’s hockey programs, and create safe spaces where people can come together year-round. Kraft Heinz Canada says the program reflects its long-standing connection to communities and its commitment to supporting hockey towns from coast to coast.
Community nominations close on March 1st. The 13 Provincial and Territorial Winners will be announced on March 14th, and the Kraft Hockeyville 2026 champion will be revealed on April 4th.
More information and nomination details are available at KraftHockeyville.ca.
Written by: K. Milhomens
