If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video packed with hockey players, figure skaters, and an entire town rallying behind their rink is worth even more. Earlier this week, multiple reports indicated that Crossfield was sitting in fourth place in the Kraft Hockeyville competition—and the town isn’t backing down.
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"Crossfield is fighting the good fight to become Kraft's next Hockeyville as we hold steady in 4th place!" the Town of Crossfield shared on social media. "Let's rally and make a big push forward. Make sure to submit your stories and photos below—each one counts for points toward us potentially bringing an NHL game and $250,000 to Crossfield!"
And it’s not just Crossfield cheering for the win. Nearby communities, including Didsbury, have taken to social media to throw their support behind the town, encouraging residents to submit stories and rally points to help Crossfield climb the leaderboard.
The community rallies behind its rink
Tayla Grochowich, a Crossfield resident and hockey mom, knows how much this bid means.
"You’ll find quite a few Airdrie residents out on Crossfield ice," she explained. "We have an agreement where they get so many hours a week, so you’ll find lots of Airdrie kids on the ice regularly. An improved arena or upgrades would really benefit both communities."
The town has poured its energy into the competition, hoping to stand out in a nationwide race for the coveted title. Earlier this month, residents came together to create a community-driven video showcasing their passion for hockey and the spirit of Crossfield
"We were trying to think of ways to stand out," Grochowich said. "Crossfield has around 4,000 people, and this is a Canada-wide competition. We thought this would be a fun way to involve the community. Kraft Hockeyville is all about bringing people together, so we wanted as many people as possible in it. It actually turned out so much better than we even thought."
She and Jennifer Watson, president of the Crossfield Skating Club, teamed up with Kyle Tremblay from ProRes Productions to bring the vision to life.
"He took our vision and added his own. It turned out better than we expected, and so many kids came out. It was so fun."
Winning Kraft Hockeyville wouldn’t just be a title—it would mean $250,000 for arena upgrades and the opportunity to host an NHL® pre-season game. That kind of investment would go a long way toward improving Pete Knight Arena, which has long been the heartbeat of Crossfield’s hockey community.
The arena at the heart of Crossfield
Mayor Kim Harris has previously emphasized how much the arena means to the town.
"Our arena is the soul of our community. Time and time again, I’ve seen residents rally together, whether it’s helping neighbours, supporting the food bank, or just gathering to celebrate. I’m confident we’ll come together for this competition."
The need for upgrades is clear. Residents have pointed out ongoing challenges, from dressing room shortages forcing U5 kids to dress on benches in the cold to malfunctioning scoreboards that disrupt games and accessibility issues that make it difficult for fans with mobility challenges to watch from the stands.
The final push
With the nomination phase running until March 2, followed by a judging phase in mid-March, Crossfield is in a strong position—but the work isn’t done yet; voting will take place on April 4-5, when Canadians will decide which community takes home the grand prize.
Residents can still submit their own stories, photos, and rally points at KraftHockeyville.ca to strengthen Crossfield’s bid. Every submission helps the town climb the leaderboard.
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