Kraft Hockeyville Win Brings $250,000 and an NHL Game to Saint-Boniface

Saint-Boniface, a small community in Quebec’s Mauricie region, has been named the winner of the Kraft Hockeyville contest — news that sparked huge enthusiasm in the town. The town’s arena was packed full when the announcement was made, and residents described the moment as historic for the community.

As the NHL reports, the Arena de Saint-Boniface will receive $250,000 for ice improvements, and the community received $10,000 in hockey equipment from the NHL Players’ Association Goals & Dreams and the NHL/NHLPA Industry Growth Fund. As part of the festivities, a preseason game between the Ottawa Senators and the Montreal Canadiens will be played at the Colisée Vidéotron in Trois-Rivières, bringing the Hockeyville program back to Quebec after several years.

The Saint-Boniface arena has a special history: the building was rebuilt by a group of volunteers using parts of a dismantled facility from Radisson, brought in for reconstruction and completed in 2000 under the direction of board chair and later mayor Gilles Bellemare. Many volunteers, including families like the Gervais, gave their labor, and several of them are remembered with respect for their contribution to the development of local sport.

The efforts to secure the votes were intense: the application that qualified the candidacy was prepared in January 2025, laptops were set up inside the arena to help with voting, and local activities were organized to engage young people and other residents. Organizers said the campaign was ongoing and that everyone’s involvement was decisive in keeping the club and the facility alive.

The town council approved on May 21 a Memorandum of Understanding with a total budget of $7.2 million for the renovation: the Hockeyville grand prize — about $2.45 million from donations, sponsors, loans and local grants — plus a $4.5 million grant from the Quebec government. The restoration work is targeted for completion and the facility to be ready for the Minor Hockey Association and the Figure Skating Club by September 1, 2027.

Contact with sports figures and local reactions showed the importance of the event for younger generations; coach Martin Gelinas emphasized how important it is for children to see their idols up close, while the arena’s manager, Natacha Pilotte, described the announcement moment as extraordinary. These benefits and their impacts are expected to be huge for the community, according to the NHL.