Rogers Rallies Canadians at 4 Nations Face-Off as Canada Reminds the World That Hockey is Our Game
After prevailing over the USA to claim the 4 Nations Face-Off championship, Canada’s team once again proved why hockey is “our game.”
As a proud partner and fan of Canada’s team, Rogers reinforced its commitment to bringing fans closer to the game they love, and rallied Canadians across the country, and specifically in Montreal, throughout 4 Nations Face-Off by celebrating Canada’s deep connection to hockey through its “It’s Our Game” brand campaign – after all, it’s not just a game, it’s our game.
The week’s festivities kicked off in Montreal with a Rogers-branded Zamboni driving down Rue Sainte-Catherine with Team Rogers Athlete Marie-Philip Poulin, NHL alum François Beauchemin, and young hockey fans, capturing the excitement of the tournament and reinforcing hockey’s presence in everyday Canadian life.
Rogers sponsored the 4 Nations Face-Off 50/50 raffle with all proceeds going to Sun Youth – a non-profit organization that has helped children and families in Montréal going back more than 65 years. Rogers, alongside the NHL and NHLPA, kickstarted the 50/50 with a $50,000 contribution, and at the conclusion of the games in Montreal, the jackpot reached an outstanding total of $467,000. Half of the proceeds from the raffle will support Sun Youth’s Hockey Development program, which helps to provide better equipment and more opportunities for deserving youth in Montreal to play Canada’s game.
“Thanks to this investment, we’re going to be able to expand our program and offer it to even more children,” said Guinness Rider, Director of Community Services and Athletics, Sun Youth. “It’s our mission to ensure that every kid has the best experience possible at Sun Youth by offering them more hockey spots and better equipment and more ice time.”
Kids from Sun Youth were at the heart of the action throughout the week with Rogers, taking part in a skills workshop on NHL ice led by Finnish legend Teemu Selänne, watching Team Canada practice, and were even provided a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet Connor McDavid. To top it all off, McDavid surprised the group with an exclusive invitation to attend the highly anticipated Canada vs. USA game on Saturday night.
“It’s really important to make hockey accessible if we are going to grow the game,” McDavid said in an interview with the Globe & Mail. “It was fun for me today to see the smiles on kids’ faces.”
That Saturday night matchup captured more than just the attention of Sun Youth participants, as 9.35 million Canadians tuned in to watch on Sportsnet, foreshadowing a must-watch rematch for the championship game.
In addition to engaging local kids in Montreal and hockey viewers across the country, Rogers gave exclusive access to the 4 Nations Face-Off to more than 500 customers in Quebec through Rogers Beyond the Seat, a national program that delivers the best sports and entertainment experiences in the country. Lucky Rogers customers were rewarded throughout the week with tickets to the games, meet and greets with Canadian hockey legends and NHL on Sportsnet personalities, arena tours, Zamboni rides, and more.
A recent survey commissioned by Rogers conducted by Sago, showed that 4 Nations Face-Off was much more than just a hockey tournament. The survey found that an overwhelming majority (78%) of Canadians believe hockey is core to Canada’s national identity, and that Canada’s national pride is deeply intertwined with the sport. With Canada claiming the championship over the US on Thursday night, it is more clear than ever that hockey truly is “our game.”