"Hockeyville" pumped for Sabres, Habs
The preseason continues tonight when the Sabres meet the Montreal Canadiens in tiny Roberval, Quebec (pop. 11,000 and a long way north of Montreal and Quebec City). The game will be shown live at 7 on NHL Network. Roberval was chosen in an annual Canada-wide contest sponsored by Kraft to pick "Hockeyville", the Canadian city that has the most passion for hockey.
The reward is a weekend of activities, including a visit from the Stanley Cup, and an NHL exhibition. And the Sabres-Habs affair sounds like it will be a bizarre scene -- the community arena seats only 1,200 and another 8-10,000 are expected outside to watch the game on a big screen!
NHL.com has a huge feature on the Roberval festivities, including this nugget: Workers in the arena have drawn Sabres and Habs logos into the floor and are planning a permanent sign/sculpture to commemorate the game. Go here for the main Roberval section, with reports on hospital and school visits by Sabres and Habs alumni. But what's this? A picture of Rick Martin wearing a Sabres slug jersey? Nooooooooooo.
---Mike Harrington
