Victoria to host Hockey Day in Canada
Victoria will host the 2024 Hockey Day in Canada event, which will see all seven of Canada's NHL teams in the Inner Harbour to celebrate the sport.
The nationwide event kicks off on Jan. 20, 2024, and will include broadcasts from Ship Point and live music.
A synthetic ice rink will be set up in the Inner Harbour for an entire week.
"We've purchased an outdoor synthetic rink and we will hopefully continue to use that every winter in Victoria," said John Wilson, chair of the Victoria Hockey Legacy Society.
The event will also begin with a traditional welcoming from the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations, which will include paddling the Stanley Cup through Inner Harbour.
There will also be events in Victoria following Hockey Day in Canada. Other highlights include an NHL alumni and celebrity game at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre, school visits and hockey camps for kids, a banquet hosted by Sportsnet commentators, and a harbour music night.
Besides celebrating the game, Hockey Day in Canada will also raise money for the Archie Courtnall Centre in Victoria.
The centre offers specialized emergency mental health and substance use services at the Royal Jubilee Hospital.
"Russ, Geoff and I started our society back up in the last decade, and we're trying to help as many as we can," said Bruce Courtnall, who played in the NHL, as did his brothers.
While visitors may get a chance to touch the Stanley Cup, Courtnall warns that you aren't allowed to pick it up.
"Little known fact, if you've never won the Stanley Cup you can't pick it up," he said.
"I can't pick it up, but Geoff can," he said with a laugh.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

NDP to form majority government following historic Manitoba election
Wab Kinew’s New Democratic Party is projected to have enough seats in the Manitoba Legislature to form a majority government, taking the helm after two consecutive terms of a majority Tory regime.
Parks Canada reveals additional details about deadly bear attack in Banff
The couple and dog mauled and killed by a grizzly bear in the backcountry of Banff National Park late last week did everything right, Parks Canada says.
Parents want arrest after son 'deliberately kicked' in neck during Edmonton hockey game
A Junior C hockey player says he is lucky to be alive after his neck was sliced open by a hockey skate last week in an act his parents believe – and the referee ruled – was an intentional kick.
A look back at election day in Manitoba
Manitobans have cast their vote in a historic election. The CTV News Decision Desk has declared an NDP majority win, making NDP Leader and Premier-elect Wab Kinew the first First Nations premier in the province. Take a look at the election night in Manitoba.
Multiple people have been shot on campus of Morgan State University in Baltimore, police say
Multiple people were shot at Morgan State University in Baltimore on Tuesday, according to police, who urged students to take shelter on the campus of the historically Black college.
Canadian condo sales falling amid concerns over interest rate hikes
Amid consistent interest rate hikes and wavering markets, Canadian condo sales are starting to fall in all but two markets in the nation, according to a new report from Re/Max.
McCarthy becomes the first U.S. speaker ever to be ousted from the job in a House vote
U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was voted out of the job Tuesday in an extraordinary showdown, a first in U.S. history that was forced by a contingent of hard-right conservatives and threw the House and its Republican leadership into chaos.
Train service restored after CN experiences network-wide system failure
Canadian National Railway Co. experienced a network-wide system failure on Tuesday that affected Via, GO and other trains in Ontario. The issue was resolved and service was restored Tuesday night.
Tropical Storm Philippe could impact the Maritimes on Thanksgiving weekend
The Maritimes have been on an extended run of very fair weather the last two weeks while under a persistent ridge of high pressure. Unfortunately, that pattern changes this weekend with the approach of a weather front from the west and a likely post-tropical storm Philippe from the south.