Mulmur residents await 2025 Kraft Hockeyville Competition results

March 6, 2025 · 0 Comments

Written By PAULA BROWN

LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER

Mulmur residents have rallied together to show their love of hockey, and now the waiting game begins for the final results of the 2025 Kraft Hockeyville Competition.

“This has been an incredible display of community and people coming together,” wrote the My Honeywood initiative. “Some people went above and beyond to show their support and to make things happen for others. When we do more than what is asked of us, everyone wins.”

Kraft Hockeyville is an annual competition between communities across the country to receive a grand prize of $250,000 for arena upgrades. It is sponsored by Kraft Heinz, the National Hockey League (NHL), and the NHL Players’ Association (NHLPA).

The 2025 Kraft Hockeyville Competition started on Jan. 1 with the “Nomination and Rally” phase, which officially wrapped up on Sunday, March 2.

Community members submitted nomination stories, sharing why the North Dufferin Community Centre (NDCC), commonly known as the Honeywood Arena, is important to them and the community, and how winning the competition would help enhance the space for future generations.

“Rally and Nomination” points contribute to 20 per cent of the total scoring of the competition, while judges evaluate the nomination stories for the remaining 80 per cent.

The Top 3 Runner-Ups of the Kraft Hockeyville Competition will receive $25,000 for arena upgrades.

The North Dufferin Community Centre (NDCC), located in Honeywood has been a long-standing fixture in the community for more than a century. The first rink was built in 1912 by Thomas Crawford but collapsed in 1921 under the weight of heavy snow. In 1948, a total of $91,000 was raised to build a new arena, which opened the following year.

The Honeywood Arena experienced another tragedy, on Jan. 24, 1965, it burned to the ground. The arena was rebuilt and opened by Christmas 1965 following fundraising efforts from the community.

The Honeywood Arena has seen notable hockey players pass through their doors, including Bert Wilson, who became Honeywood’s first NHL player and Aaron Downey, who won the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in 2008.

In a January press release announcing their participation in the annual event, the Township of Mulmur highlighted how the Kraft Hockeyville Competition could bring “much-needed” renovations to the Honeywood Arena.

The Township added that the prize money would enable them to make upgrades and repair the aging facility, provide a safe and more welcoming space for skaters and hockey players, and continue to foster a love for hockey for future generations.

The final results of the 2025 Kraft Hockeyville will be announced on March 15.