MARQUETTE, Mich. (AP) - Marquette’s Lakeview Arena has won the title of Kraft Hockeyville USA, a $150,000 grand prize and the opportunity to host an NHL preseason game.
Several hundred people gathered inside the facility Saturday as the announcement was made on NBC, The Mining Journal of Marquette (https://bit.ly/1OaqaHe ) reported. Among those in attendance were American Hockey League player Justin Florek of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, an affiliate of the National Hockey League’s New York Islanders, and Northern Michigan University athletic director Forrest Karr.
Karr, who played hockey at Lakeview while he was growing up, said the event showed “how sports can bring people together and inspire a cause greater than self.”
“I will never forget seeing so many passionate hockey people in one place and the level of genuine enthusiasm after the announcement,” he said.
Lakeview was chosen out of more than 1,000 locations around the country. The Marquette arena defeated facilities in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in the final four, and in Rapid City, South Dakota, in final round.
“It’s just so great to see how much people in Marquette really love hockey and how much it means to the community,” said Florek, a Marquette native. “Growing up, I always felt that I was in the best hockey community in the country. Winning this just shows how true it is. Up here, hockey isn’t just a sport, it’s a way of life.”
The $150,000 grand prize will be used to refurbish and upgrade Lakeview. The arena will host an NHL preseason game Oct. 4 between the Buffalo Sabres and the Carolina Hurricanes.
“Hockey is the biggest sport in the Upper Peninsula and Marquette is right in the middle of it,” Florek said. “It’s so cool to walk up and down the tunnels of Lakeview and see all of the hockey history. I couldn’t be happier right now for everyone involved.”
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Information from: The Mining Journal, https://www.miningjournal.net
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