West Kelowna News

A pre-release of the final results of the Kraft Hockeyville announcement will ultimately benefit kids with Westside Minor Hockey.

Photo: Kelly Hayes - Castanet File Photo

Westside minor hockey players took in the fateful Hockeyville announcement March 31.

A news release announcing Stirling-Rawdon, Ontario had won the national competition was sent out by Canada News Wire at 7:45 a.m. on March 31 instead of 7:45 p.m.

The pre-release put a damper on the anticipation and celebration of the communities in the final five, including West Kelowna.

Canada News Wire President and CEO, Carolyn McGill, says her company felt badly and wanted to do something to express that feeling to the communities affected.

McGill says they decided to donate 50 sets of hockey equipment to the minor hockey association in each community.

"Through discussions with Kraft and their PR agency, they were able to explain to us the impact that it (pre-mature announcement) had and we said to them we would like to do something to demonstrate to the communities involved that we were very sorry for having marred what would have been an otherwise celebratory occasion," says McGill.

Their guidance to us was if we were going to do something they would like it to be in the spirit of hockey and the spirit of the Hockeyville program. On that basis we though of hockey equipment."

McGill says the PR firm put her in touch with the NHL.

"I understand the NHL have specific equipment kits that have all the protective gear a young player would need to get through the season. We thought that was an ideal way to demonstrate we felt badly and hopefully could be the silver lining in the dark cloud."

She wouldn't say how much the 250 sets of protective equipment will cost except to say it is "not an insignificant amount."

McGill says the timing of delivery of the equipment will be coordinated through the Hockeyville committees in each community.

"This is great for the kids and Hockeyville is about the kids ultimately. Anything that benefits the kids in this community and the kids playing minor hockey is only a good thing. After all, that's kind of why we got involved in Hockeyville in the first place," says West Kelowna Hockeyville co-chair, Adam Less.

"I'm pleased to see that the news wire service is taking some accountability for what happened on March 31. Hopefully Kraft and CBC will also make some effort to reach out to us. We still haven't heard from them."

Less says he hopes Kraft and CBC will take some accountability for their handling of the situation.

The two co-sponsors of the national competition refused to acknowledge the pre-release of the information during the 12 hours leading up to the live announcement later that evening.