The Stanley Cup comes to West Lorne for Kraft Hockeyville Celebration
West Elgin Secondary Student (WESS) Jak Beattie couldn’t believe he was getting this close to hockey’s Holy Grail.
“Stanley Cup here is amazing, this is my first time seeing it in person and it’s mind blowing that is happening right now,” says Beattie, who also plays hockey in the West Lorne Minor Hockey Association.
The Stanley Cup made its rounds in the West Elgin community Tuesday, with a number of stops including the afternoon visit to WESS.Buffalo Sabres Mascot SabreTooth at the Kraft Hockeyville celebration in West Lorne, Ont. (Source: Brent Lale/CTV London)
“I’m excited for the game, and the whole school gets to so see the practice in the morning, so it’s really exciting,” says Estee Fodor, 17, who plays hockey for the Bluewater Hawks.
The trophy was in town as part of the Kraft Hockeyville community celebration.
“There is so much energy here,” says Bill Denning, West Elgin councillor.
“It’s such a wonderful positive thing for our arena that provides service for all three communities of Rodney, West Lorne and Dutton. Neighbours, friends and new people who have come to the community in the past couple of years can come together and congratulate each other for all our hard work”.
Tuesday afternoon the organizing committee offered a free skate, food trucks, games, and a meet and greet with NHL Alumni Darcy Tucker (Toronto Maple Leafs) and Rob Ray (Buffalo Sabres).Buffalo Sabres Alumni Rob Ray (Right) poses with a fan during the Kraft Hockeyville celebration in West Lorne, Ont. (Source: Brent Lale/CTV London)
“A lot of people never get to go watch a game, and this will be their first opportunity to watch an NHL game,” says Ray.
“It’s great for the community and a lot of alumni grew up in small towns, and any time they can give back, they love doing it”.
Wednesday morning, school children will take in the morning skate in St. Thomas, Ont.
In the evening, more than 1,500 community members will be able to watch the preseason game between the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

BREAKING All 41 workers rescued from collapsed tunnel in India after 17-day ordeal
Rescuers in northern India have successfully removed all 41 workers trapped in a collapsed tunnel under the Himalayas, the climax of a 17-day rescue operation to drill through rock and debris.
Seeing a sick person triggers your body to start preparing for illness: study
New research suggests that just being around a sick person is enough to trigger your body to start preparing to fight the illness.
Up to 35 cm of snow in some areas, fog in other: Weather advisories in place in parts of Canada
Environment Canada issued several weather alerts Tuesday, with warnings ranging from fog to blizzards.
Conservative deputy calls MP 'unhinged' for linking Poilievre and Winnipeg killings
Federal Conservative deputy leader Melissa Lantsman is calling a Metro Vancouver MP 'unhinged' for a social media post that questioned if there was a connection between Pierre Poilievre and a weekend shooting in Manitoba that killed four people.
Life expectancy for Canadians fell in 2022 for third year in a row, says StatCan
Life expectancy for Canadians decreased for the third straight year in 2022, and more people died of COVID-19 than in any other year since the pandemic began, according to a report released Monday.
Israel and Hamas extend their truce, but it seems only a matter of time before the war resumes
A truce between Israel and Hamas entered its fifth day on Tuesday, with the militant group promising to release more civilian hostages to delay the expected resumption of the war and Israel under growing pressure to spare Palestinian civilians when the fighting resumes.
Mother of 2 and 4 exchange students identified as victims killed in crash in Huntsville, Ont.
The woman killed in a head-on collision in Huntsville over the weekend that also claimed the lives of four teenagers has been identified.
How Western Canada's sugar shortage is affecting bakeries, chocolatiers
Amid an ongoing strike at Western Canada's largest sugar refinery, bakery owners and chocolatiers are finding it hard to locate the amounts of sugar they need to keep their businesses going as we head into the holiday season.
Six teens in court in connection with beheading of French teacher
Six teenagers go on trial behind closed doors on Monday in connection with the beheading of French history teacher Samuel Paty in 2020, a murder that shocked the country.