Hometown Hockey, the national travelling Rogers Sportsnet telecast, rarely drops into politically active debates. But it will today when it broadcasts from Nanaimo less than two weeks ahead of the city鈥檚 arena referendum on March 11.
Co-host Ron MacLean is acutely aware of his 鈥渙utsider鈥� status whenever he goes to communities each Sunday.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if there鈥檚 anything worse than a guy flying in from Toronto [to offer an opinion on local matters],鈥� he said.
But it鈥檚 certainly no secret MacLean believes rinks are integral to community life in sa国际传媒. He鈥檚 even written a book about it.
鈥淔rom an economic, cultural and community narrative, I like what it represents,鈥� he said.
鈥淚 like the risk. But I am completely respectful of my ignorance. I don鈥檛 know what the other infrastructure demands are in Nanaimo. Citizens will have to decide what all the good parts could be of a new arena and how important could those good parts be for the community in terms of health, culture and getting a WHL team.鈥�
MacLean offered up his hometown Red Deer as a positive example.
鈥淭he Centrium has been a source of pride and community spirit, and Red Deer has the [WHL] Rebels and has hosted the Memorial Cup [national junior hockey championship], Scotties [national women鈥檚 curling championships] and will host the 2019 sa国际传媒 Winter Games,鈥� he said.
鈥淭he Centrium has been pretty healthy for the Red Deer community.鈥�
Ironically, last week鈥檚 Hometown Hockey broadcast was from Cranbrook, the city which may lose the WHL鈥檚 struggling Kootenay Ice to Nanaimo if the referendum passes.
鈥淚t was being whispered everywhere [around Cranbook],鈥� MacLean said.
MacLean said he could never be against Nanaimo getting a WHL team. But that could also mean a loss for another community, in this case possibly Cranbrook. As it was for Victoria, when the WHL鈥檚 Cougars departed to Prince George in 1994-95. As it was for Chilliwack, when the WHL鈥檚 Bruins departed to become the Victoria Royals in 2011-12.
鈥淔rankly, hockey is a business,鈥� MacLean said.
鈥淎 tough business,鈥� added Hometown Hockey co-host Tara Slone.
The Hometown Hockey tour schedule, featuring Cranbrook and Nanaimo back-to-back, was pure happenstance.
鈥淭here was no design to do the schedule this way,鈥� Slone said.
鈥淚 am interested to see what will happen. I hope good things happen for each community.鈥�
Slone said she has seen how arenas can be 鈥済alvanizing for cities鈥� as gathering places. But today鈥檚 Hometown Hockey broadcast 鈥渉as no vested interest鈥� in the Nanaimo arena referendum debate, she added. 鈥淚 will not infuse it with editorial. I will keep it newsy.鈥�
Last year, during the Hometown Hockey broadcast from Victoria, Slone taped a segment on Elk Lake, rowing with Olympic gold medallist Adam Kreek. This weekend, Slone was canoed to Newcastle Island for a ceremonial welcoming by the Snuneymuxw First Nation ahead of today鈥檚 national broadcast of the Ottawa Senators versus Florida Panthers NHL game to be hosted by Slone and MacLean from Nanaimo.
鈥淚t was transcendent, poignant and heart-pounding,鈥� Slone said of the Snuneymuxw ceremony.
At today鈥檚 broadcast from Nanaimo will be Islander and two-time Stanley Cup champion Willie Mitchell, from Port McNeill, and former Vancouver Canucks Brendan Morrison and Kirk McLean. The festival runs at Maffeo Sutton Park from noon to the end of the Senators-Panthers big-screen viewing party. Up to 10,000 people are expected, with stories from and about Nanaimo incorporated as part of the game broadcast.
