THUNDER BAY – If you’re not watching the games on the ice, then Hockey House will be the place to be during next week’s TELUS Cup.
Located on the upper level of Fort William Curling Club, adjacent to Fort William Gardens, Hockey House will be the entertainment hot spot for the tournament, where the public can find live local music, great food and drink and maybe even a chance to mingle with some ex-NHLers.
Mike Simeoni, the venue’s chair, said it’s been designed for easy access to tournament goers, but added it’s also open to anyone in the community, whether or not they plan to attend the national Midget AAA games.
“It’s a place to connect with old friends and teammates and also take in some of the live streamed games we’ll have of the TELUS Cup. You can get some food, some beverages and take in some nightly entertainment as well.”
It’s also a family-friendly affair, Simeoni added.
“Kids are welcome to attend Hockey House as well, so feel free to come by with the whole family after the game.”
The live music takes place on Monday through Wednesday and features EDLA on the first night, Plan B on the second and JB Band on Wednesday.
“We just really want to enhance our fan experience. It’s going to be fantastic hockey and we want a place for people to come and congregate afterward, to continue their evening or their afternoon,” Simeoni said.
There should be plenty of fans on hand.
Organizer Iain Angus on Monday said more than 1,000 ticket packages have been sold and single-game options are now on sale at the Fort William Gardens box office.
Round-robin games are $14 apiece, with semifinal games going for $17.50 and Sunday’s championship and bronze-medal matches topping out at $20 each.
Angus said the best deal is still a week-long pass.
“If you leave it to the last minute and decide you’re going to buy six or seven tickets, you’re going to be spending more than if you bought the $89 package,” Angus said. “Plus, there are no youth packages for the individual tickets, just a one-size fits all ticket.”
Youth passes are $67, while a package that includes just the Kings game can be purchased for $50.
The Kings will be joined at the TELUS Cup by the Halifax McDonald’s, the Magog Cantonniers, the Toronto Young Nationals, the Tisdale Trojans and the Calgary Buffaloes.
Past participants in the tournament include Cliff Ronning, Dany Heatley and Sidney Crosby.
