–  Hosts Ron MacLean and Tara Slone to shine a national spotlight on communities coast-to-coast throughout 2021-22 NHL season, starting Oct. 18 –

–  Fan-favourite Rogers Hometown Hockey festival returns for cross-country celebrations –

– Township of North Dumfries (ON), Lindsay (ON), Belleville (ON), Township of Oro-Medonte (ON) and Greater Sudbury (ON) to host Rogers Hometown Hockey stops throughout the first phase of the tour –

– Desjardins signs on as co-presenting partner of the tour, along with returning title sponsor Rogers and co-presenting partner Hyundai –

October 6, 2021 – Rogers Hometown Hockey presented by Hyundai and Desjardins is on the road again! Canada’s ultimate hockey festival is hitting the nation’s highways once again to celebrate passionate communities across the country and the cherished hockey memories, heroes, and legacies that connect us.

Returning in a reimagined format, the free, fan-favourite festival will feature a full weekend of hockey-themed activities, local vendors and live entertainment – all in compliance with local and provincial health regulations. Enhanced festival protocols for entry will include proof of full vaccination, mandatory face masks, social distancing, touchless activations, digital ticketing, contact tracing and health questionnaires. Tour organizers will continue to monitor and update festival protocols; full festival health & safety regulations are available here.

New this season, the Rogers Hometown Hockey broadcast hosted by Sportsnet favourites Ron MacLean and Tara Slone will take place every Monday evening, live from a central location in the host community. Local hockey fans will be able to take in the sights, sounds and spectacle of a national broadcast in their own backyard, in accordance with local health guidelines.

The eighth season of Rogers Hometown Hockey gets underway October 16 and 17 – the first weekend of the NHL season – in the Township of North Dumfries, ON. Festivities will be followed by the first pre-game show of the season on Monday, Oct. 18 leading into the New York Rangers vs. Toronto Maple Leafs broadcast on Sportsnet and via stream on SN NOW. The first phase of the tour schedule will also include the following stops:

• October 23-25– Lindsay, ON
• October 30 – November 1– Belleville, ON
• November 6-8– Township of Oro-Medonte, ON
• November 13-15– Greater Sudbury, ON

The remaining cross-country tour stops will be announced on a rolling basis due to the ever-changing nature of the COVID pandemic and public health regulations from province to province. The latest tour announcements will be available on the Rogers Hometown Hockey social channels and national broadcast, on hometownhockey.com, plus full broadcast details on sportsnet.ca and Sportsnet social channels.

Rogers Hometown Hockey is pleased to introduce Desjardins as the new co-presenting partner of the festival, along with returning title sponsor, Rogers, and co-presenting partner, Hyundai Canada. Harvey’s, Playmobil and Sobeys will also be joining the festival as event partners.

About the Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour presented by Hyundai and Desjardins
The Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour shines the national spotlight on communities across Canada this season with a weekend of free outdoor hockey festivities for all ages. The celebrations culminate Monday night with an outdoor viewing party of an NHL game broadcast on Sportsnet and SN NOW, with Ron MacLean and Tara Slone hosting live on site from the Sportsnet Mobile Studio. For more information on the tour, please follow Rogers Hometown Hockey on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About Sportsnet
Sportsnet is Canada’s #1 sports network. Uniting Canadians through sport, Sportsnet’s multimedia offerings include Sportsnet (consisting of 4 regional channels: East, Ontario, West, and Pacific), Sportsnet ONE, Sportsnet 360, Sportsnet World, the Sportsnet Radio Network, Sportsnet.ca, Sportsnet NOW, SN NOW+, the Sportsnet app, and podcasts. Sportsnet is the official Canadian NHL national multiplatform rights holder, and is the regional broadcaster for the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and Toronto Maple Leafs. Sportsnet also has extensive coverage of the Toronto Blue Jays and Toronto Raptors, as well as NBA, MLB, Grand Slam of Curling, National Bank Open presented by Rogers, IndyCar, WWE, Super League Rugby, Premiership Rugby, Bundesliga, FA Women’s Super League, and FA Cup. Sportsnet is part of Rogers Sports & Media, which is a subsidiary of Rogers Communications Inc. (TSX, NYSE: RCI). Visit Sportsnet.ca.

About Rogers
Rogers is a proud Canadian company dedicated to making more possible for Canadians every day. Our founder, Ted Rogers, purchased his first radio station, CHFI™, in 1960. We have grown to become a leading technology and media company that strives to provide the very best in wireless, residential, sports, and media to Canadians and Canadian businesses. Our shares are publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RCI.A and RCI.B) and on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: RCI).