Crossfield may not have taken home the title, but its run for Kraft Hockeyville 2025 ended with national attention, a surge of community spirit — and $25,000 for arena upgrades.
On Saturday, organizers announced Saint-Boniface, Que., as the national winner. The community will receive $250,000 for upgrades to Aréna Saint-Boniface and the opportunity to host an NHL® pre-season game.
Crossfield was one of three runners-up — alongside Lower Sackville, N.S., and Honeywood, Ont. — and will receive $25,000 in arena funding.
The Pete Knight Arena campaign united the town and its neighbours in a final sprint of non-stop voting and hometown pride. Mayor Kim Harris said the experience left a permanent mark on the town.
"[This] is the thing that I'm so proud of — this is something that brought our community together," Harris said in an interview Saturday. "I think we all made new friendships. We got to know our neighbors a little bit better. We rocked it."
Harris said that both the Crossfield Minor Hockey Association as well as the Crossfield Skating Club (CSC) were instrumental in leading the charge in the national competition, as well as residents that ignited such passion in the town.
"Our community, I think, is stronger today than it was before Hockeyville started."
The campaign reached a fever pitch Saturday as locals poured into downtown and packed the Pete Knight Arena grounds.
"Crossfield was buzzing all day," Harris said. "I've honestly never seen anything like it, and I think that Crossfield did a really good job.
High-profile voices join the push
Crossfield’s bid didn’t just ignite support — it drew attention across the province, including from Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and hockey great Lanny McDonald.
"Our very own Crossfield has been nominated for Kraft Hockeyville 2025," Smith wrote Friday on social media. "This is the first time in years that a western community has been in the running. Winning the Kraft Hockeyville grand prize of $250,000 means the community can upgrade their Pete Knight Arena to make hockey more accessible to everyone in the region."
"Hockey’s home is in Alberta — let’s prove it," she added.
Former Calgary Flames captain Lanny McDonald also lent his support to the campaign, adding star power to the town’s final push.
A shot at history
Before the announcement, Hockey Alberta had noted that a win would have made Crossfield only the second Alberta community to ever win the competition. Sylvan Lake was the province’s only winner, taking the prize in 2014.
Regional support
Support for Crossfield stretched well beyond the town’s boundaries. Municipal social media pages from Airdrie to Carstairs, Didsbury and Cochrane shared posts urging residents to cast their votes for the local arena.
But for Harris, the most powerful moments came from closer to home.
"It was everyone's grandpa, grandma. My mom is turning 90 this year. She phoned me last night she said, 'How do I vote?' And so I'm trying to teach her over the phone how to use her computer and vote. I think everyone got excited, from little toddlers to the grandparents, absolutely."
And despite not winning the grand prize, Harris said there is a possibility that even bigger things are on the horizon.
"We had a great little town before. It doesn't matter what happens here in Crossfield; people rally around each other. The next great thing is just around the corner, and I think that Crossfield is going to be there for it."
Looking ahead
Harris said the $25,000 prize will likely go toward improving access to the rink.
"I'm pretty sure that that $25,000 will go towards accessibility," she said. "We're thinking about putting in some new accessible doors that open automatically at the front there."
She also hinted at the possibility of future fundraisers.
"People are pretty excited around this, so maybe we'll rally just a little bit to top that money up and do some fundraisers."
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