Hittin’ the Open Road: Rogers Hometown Hockey Set for Fifth Cross-Country Tour

Canada’s ultimate touring hockey festival is back and ready to roll! This October, Rogers™ Hometown Hockey™Tour presented by Scotiabankreturns to the open road to visit 25 communities throughout the 2018-19 season, commemorating special milestones and celebrating Canada’s deep hockey roots. (See locations, dates and broadcast details below).

Returning for a fifth cross-country adventure, the free family-friendly hockey celebration features two days of live entertainment, NHL alumni, local celebrities and hockey-themed activities for all ages. Running from Saturday through to Sunday evening, the festival culminates with an outdoor viewing party of a national NHL game broadcast hosted live by Ron MacLean and Tara Slone on Sportsnet, Canada’s Home of Hockey.

The fifth season of Rogers Hometown Hockeypremieres in Kitchener, ON, on October 5-7, featuring a festive celebration of the 50^th anniversary of Oktoberfest and an Original Six showdown between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks. Later that month, Canada’s ultimate hockey festival marks its 100^th episode milestone in London, ON – the stop that started it all five seasons ago. The tour also hits the hometown of Bobby Orr, Parry Sound, ON, climbs the mountains of Whistler, BC, and makes a return to Newfoundland and Labrador for a visit to Mount Pearl.

“With our 100^th episode on the horizon, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the incredible moments we’ve shared together on the Rogers Hometown Hockey journey,” said MacLean. “From St. John’s to Victoria to Whitehorse, Tara and I have had the privilege of honouring the tradition of hockey in Canada for the past four seasons – and we can’t wait to unearth all the surprises that this season will have in store.”

“In a hockey culture as rich as Canada, we still have so many stories to share this season,” said Slone. “As we hit the road for a season complete with special milestones and visits to new communities like CFB Esquimalt and Enoch Cree Nation, we look forward to uniting all Canadian communities through the sport they love – hockey.”

As seen in past seasons, each community stop along the 2018-19 Tour will be featured on Rogers Hometown Hockey, the weekly Sunday broadcast available on Sportsnet, Sportsnet ONE or Sportsnet 360 and available to stream on Sportsnet NOWand Rogers NHL LIVE. Live on location in each community, MacLean and Slone will host a pre-game, intermission and post-game show from the Sportsnet Mobile Studio, shining the spotlight on local culture, hockey history and unique stories of each hometown.

The NHL matchups and broadcast schedule for the fifth season of Rogers Hometown Hockey are as follows:

2018-19 Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour & Broadcast Schedule

October 2018

• Oct. 5-7 – Kitchener, ON

o   Broadcast Matchup: Toronto @ Chicago, 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT (Sportsnet)

• Oct. 13-14 – Parry Sound, ON

o   Broadcast Matchup: Carolina @ Winnipeg, 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT (Sportsnet ONE & Sportsnet 360)

• Oct. 20-21 – London, ON

o   100^th Episode Broadcast Matchup: Calgary @ N.Y. Rangers, 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT (Sportsnet ONE & Sportsnet 360)

• Oct. 27-28 – Burlington, ON

o   Broadcast Matchup: Ottawa @ Vegas, 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT (Sportsnet ONE & Sportsnet 360)

November 2018

• Nov. 3-4 – Nepean, ON
  • Broadcast Matchup: Tampa Bay @ Ottawa, 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT (Sportsnet)
• Nov. 10-11 – Glace Bay, NS
  • Broadcast Matchup: New Jersey @ Winnipeg, 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT (Sportsnet)
• Nov. 17-18 – Mount Pearl, NL
  • Broadcast Matchup: Vegas @ Edmonton, 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT (Sportsnet)
• Nov. 24-25 – Dieppe, NB
  • Broadcast Matchup: Calgary @ Arizona, 2:30 p.m. ET / 11:30 a.m. PT (Sportsnet)

December 2018

• Dec. 1-2 – Boisbriand, QC
  • Broadcast Matchup: San Jose @ Montreal, 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT (Sportsnet)
• Dec. 8-9 – Aurora, ON
  • Broadcast Matchup Doubleheader
    • Montreal @ Chicago, 5:30 p.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. PT (Sportsnet)
    • Calgary @ Edmonton, 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT (Sportsnet)
• Dec. 15-16 – Chatham-Kent, ON
  • Broadcast Matchup: Tampa @ Winnipeg, 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT (Sportsnet)
• Dec. 22-23 – Mississauga, ON
  • Holiday Broadcast Matchup: Detroit @ Toronto, 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT (Sportsnet)
• Dec. 29-30 – Collingwood, ON
  • Broadcast Matchup: Vegas @ Arizona, 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT (Sportsnet)

January 2019

• Jan. 5-6 – Strathcona County, AB
  • Broadcast Matchup: Edmonton @ Anaheim, 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT (Sportsnet)
• Jan. 12-13 – Langley, BC
  • Broadcast Matchup: Florida @ Vancouver, 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT (Sportsnet)
• Jan.19-20 – West Kelowna, BC
  • Broadcast Matchup: Arizona @ Toronto, 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT (Sportsnet)

February 2019

• Feb. 2-3 – Leduc, AB
  • Broadcast Matchup: Edmonton @ Montreal, 1:30 p.m. ET / 10:30 a.m. PT (Sportsnet)
• Feb. 9-10 – Whistler, BC
  • Broadcast Matchup: Toronto @ N.Y. Rangers, 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT (Sportsnet)
• Feb. 16-17 – CFB Esquimalt, BC
  • Support Our Troops Broadcast Matchup: Montreal @ Florida, 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT (Sportsnet)
• Feb. 23-24 – Okotoks, AB
  • Broadcast Matchup: Calgary @ Ottawa, 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT (Sportsnet)

March 2019

• March 2-3 – Winkler, MB
  • Broadcast Matchup: Winnipeg @ Columbus, 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT (Sportsnet)
• March 9-10 – Steinbach, MB
  • Broadcast Matchup: Winnipeg @ Washington, 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT (Sportsnet)
• March 16-17 – Lethbridge, AB
  • Broadcast Matchup: Vancouver @ Dallas, 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT (Sportsnet)
• March 23-24 – Enoch Cree Nation, AB
  • Broadcast Matchup: Montreal @ Carolina, 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT (Sportsnet)
• March 30-31 – Saskatoon, SK
  • Broadcast Matchup: Calgary @ San Jose, 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT (Sportsnet)