PORT McNEILL—A prize offer from two-time Stanley Cup winner Willie Mitchell proved plenty of incentive for Port McNeill’s Minor Hockey players to boost the club’s finances.
Mitchell offered a chance for one of Port McNeill’s teams to join him, Vancouver Canucks general manager Trevor Linden and others in a skate-around at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.
Each team was asked to raise at least $1,500 to qualify, and most of the teams have wildly exceeded that goal.
“It’s gone 10 times beyond what we expected,” said Glenn Moore, association vice president. “We’ve had teams raise six and seven thousand.”
The contest ran through the month of November. The winning team will be selected during a pizza party and draw at Gate House Theatre this Saturday at 3 p.m.
Teams not drawn for the big prize will get to keep a portion of their earned money to use as the team sees fit. The rest goes to Port McNeill Minor Hockey.