Saint-Boniface waited a year to turn its Kraft Hockeyville Canada win into an NHL night, and the small Quebec community is ready to see the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens take the ice close to home. The preseason game goes Monday at 7 p.m. ET at Colisee Videotron in Trois-Rivieres, roughly 20 minutes from Arena de Saint-Boniface.
SEO Title: Saint-Boniface Hockeyville celebration brings Senators, Canadiens to Trois-Rivieres
SEO Description: Saint-Boniface, Quebec, celebrates its Kraft Hockeyville Canada victory as the Ottawa Senators face the Montreal Canadiens in a preseason game at Colisee Videotron.
Saint-Boniface gets its NHL night
The Canadiens and Senators will headline the Hockeyville celebration after Saint-Boniface was selected as Canada’s winning community on April 5, 2025. For a town of about 5,459 people in Quebec’s Mauricie region, positioned between Montreal and Quebec City, the announcement set off a full-building celebration at the local arena.
Arena general manager Natacha Pilotte recalled the reaction when NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman named Saint-Boniface.
“The building was packed, including the stands,” Pilotte said through translator Jean-Sebastien Descoteaux. “When Gary Bettman announced our arena, it felt as if the roof came off. It was a historic feeling that is difficult to put into words.”
- Ottawa and Montreal play Monday at 7 p.m. ET.
- The game will be televised on TVAS and SN1.
- Colisee Videotron in Trois-Rivieres will host the matchup.
- Arena de Saint-Boniface received $250,000 for improvements.
- The community also received $10,000 in hockey equipment through NHLPA Goals & Dreams and the NHL/NHLPA Industry Growth Fund.
It marks Hockeyville’s first Quebec stop since Sept. 23, 2008, when Montreal beat the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 in Roberval. The event itself began in 2006, when the Canadiens defeated Ottawa 7-3 in Truro, Nova Scotia.
A delayed celebration only built the buzz
Descoteaux, who handled communications for Saint-Boniface’s Hockeyville campaign, was not in town when the winning announcement arrived. He was in New York with five friends on an annual hockey trip aimed at eventually visiting all 32 NHL arenas.
The group had checked into a Times Square hotel before heading to UBS Arena for the New York Islanders’ game against the Washington Capitals. They watched from their hotel room as Descoteaux’s wife, Caroline Bouchard, called on FaceTime from a chaotic Saint-Boniface arena filled with hugs, tears and celebration.
Less than a day later, Descoteaux watched Alex Ovechkin score his 895th NHL goal, moving past Wayne Gretzky for the League record.
“We were loud enough that the whole hotel probably heard us,” Descoteaux said. “But the Hockeyville announcement was the biggest community moment I have seen here in 20 years.”
The NHL and Kraft needed additional time to arrange the celebration, and Descoteaux said the longer runway has only raised the anticipation in town.
“Waiting made the excitement grow,” he said. “Bringing the NHL to a community our size is a huge deal.”
An arena rebuilt by volunteers now gets a new life
Saint-Boniface’s rink has long been a community project. More than 27 years ago, local residents learned that an arena in Radisson, Quebec, was available for $1. Volunteers took apart the building, moved it about 14 hours south, and rebuilt it in Saint-Boniface.
The reconstruction was completed in 2000 under then-mayor Gilles Bellemare, who also chaired the project. Rejean Gervais was among the original group of 10 builders, while his sons Mario and Sylvain also contributed. Bellemare died in 2018 at age 75; Gervais died on his 80th birthday in 2019.
Sylvain Gervais said his father would have taken pride in what the current group has accomplished.
“He was deeply involved in developing sports in the community,” Gervais said. “He would be very proud of Natacha, the organizing team and the village.”
The Hockeyville prize will be part of a larger renovation plan. On May 21, city council approved a memorandum of understanding covering a $7.2 million budget for the project.
- $250,000 comes from the Hockeyville grand prize.
- $2.45 million is being raised through donations, sponsors, loans and local grants.
- The Quebec government is contributing $4.5 million.
- Work is expected to be finished by Sept. 1, 2027.
- The renovated facility will serve Saint-Boniface Minor Hockey, the Figure Skating Club and other local users.
The Hockeyville push began when Alexandre Gadoury suggested entering the contest. Bouchard’s application letter, submitted Jan. 31, 2025, helped get Saint-Boniface into the first stage. During the voting drive, volunteers set up laptops at the arena, helped older residents cast ballots, held a disco to bring in teenagers and leaned on local sponsors to expand the campaign beyond town limits.
“We tried to keep it going around the clock,” Descoteaux said. “People here are attached to that rink. The contest mattered because it gave us a chance to preserve it for the community.”
Close enough for Quebec hockey families
Calgary Flames player development coach Martin Gelinas understands what an NHL game in a small Quebec community can mean. Gelinas, who grew up about 10 minutes northeast of Saint-Boniface in Shawinigan, drove through town with his father Rene in mid-August and felt the Hockeyville energy still building.
Known as “The Eliminator” after scoring three playoff series-winning goals during Calgary’s run to the 2004 Stanley Cup Final, including two overtime winners, Gelinas said hockey has deep roots throughout Quebec. He believes Monday’s game can leave a lasting impression on young players who may not regularly get to an NHL rink.
“Every kid played when I was growing up,” Gelinas said. “To bring the game close to the people, especially the children who love it and will keep playing it, is terrific. Seeing NHL stars in person can do a lot for Saint-Boniface.”
Montreal’s Bell Centre is less than two hours away, but Gelinas knows that distance and ticket costs can still keep families out of NHL buildings. His father was able to take him to the old Montreal Forum only once or twice.
“For many families, it is a long trip and it is expensive,” Gelinas said. “Having the NHL come to them gives kids a chance to see players they admire. It is a positive thing for smaller communities and for young hockey fans in Quebec.”
For Pilotte, the Hockeyville victory was never only about the cheque or the preseason schedule. It was proof of what the town can accomplish when its rink is on the line.
“When something truly matters to people, they come together and get it done,” Pilotte said. “That is Saint-Boniface.”
