TORONTO, Ont. – Hockey Canada announced Thursday the launch of the Century Tour to commemorate its 100th anniversary. A 20,000-square-foot interactive hockey experience caravan will visit approximately 100 communities across Canada. The #CenturyTour will launch in Ottawa on July 1, 2014 and criss-cross the country, wrapping up at the end of May 2015. Hockey Canada’s goal is to engage more than one million fans over the course of the year.

Fans visiting the #CenturyTour will be immersed in the excitement, history and energy that is Canadian hockey, including a state-of-the-art interactive timeline of milestone hockey moments and artifacts, on-ice experiences on a one-third scale synthetic ice rink, programs and activities specifically developed for kids, families and newcomers to the game, and a celebration of both Team Canada and local community hockey leaders.

To date, the Hockey Canada Century Tour is scheduled to visit Brossard, Que., Calgary, Alta., Edmonton, Alta., Kamloops, B.C., Kenora, Ont., Kitchener, Ont., Montreal, Que., Ottawa, Ont., Red Deer, Alta., Russell, Ont., Sherbrooke, Que., Thunder Bay, Ont., and Toronto, Ont.

The #CenturyTour is made possible with the support of Canadian Heritage, Canadian Tire, TELUS, Samsung and Respect Group. Each of these partners will play a unique role in the tour by delivering special on-site activations, including:

• the Canadian Tire Hero of Play program, celebrating and recognizing the ‘behind-the-scenes’ people who contribute to the success of hockey in Canada;
• Samsung Coaching Clinics, helping coaches to create training programs and game plans using the latest technology. Fans will also explore the future of the game through the lens of Samsung’s innovative technology;
• the TELUS Family Fan Zone, with fun and games for kids of all ages.

In addition, Hockey Canada and one of its premier marketing partners, Nike, revealed a special 100th anniversary jersey that will be proudly worn by Canada’s men’s, women’s and sledge hockey teams throughout the 2014-15 season.

“The new Hockey Canada jersey is an emblem of Canada’s deep hockey history and passion for the game,” said Scott Smith, chief operating officer with Hockey Canada. “The 100th anniversary of Hockey Canada is a unique moment in Canadian hockey history, and we are proud of the design and innovation in the jersey Nike has provided to Hockey Canada to celebrate the occasion and Canada’s national teams.” 

The new jersey is now available to fans at shop.hockeycanada.ca and at retail through Sport Chek and other outlets.

The #CenturyTour will leave a lasting legacy in each community across Canada in celebration of #CanadasGame.

“We want to say thank you to all the fans, parents, referees and volunteers across the country who are involved in the game,” said Jim Hornell, chairman of the Hockey Canada Board of Directors. “Hockey means what it does to Canadians because we have amazing people involved in our sport. The #CenturyTour is a way to say thank you and connect with all Canadians.”

For more information on Hockey Canada and the Century Tour, please visit www.hockeycanada.ca, or follow the tour via social media hashtags at #CenturyTour, #CanadasGame or on www.facebook.com/hockeycanada and www.twitter.com/hockeycanada.