Help ‘Pack the PCC’ on March 31

Published 1:57 pm Thursday, March 23, 2017

PELHAM – Civic Complex Hockey director Erik Hudson is on a mission to “Pack the PCC” on Friday, March 31, as the city competes to win the 2017 Kraft Hockeyville prize of $150,000 in arena upgrades and a National Hockey League preseason hockey game.

Kraft Hockeyville is an annual competition sponsored by Kraft Foods, the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association in which communities compete for prizes by demonstrating their commitment to the sport of ice hockey.

“Pack the PCC” will feature a youth hockey game with kids 10 and under. The goal is to fill all 3,500 seats in the arena. To showcase the Panther spirit, one team will be the white team and the other will be the green team.

“At some point during the game, we will make a video to submit to the competition,” Hudson said. “We want to show the passion that fans have for hockey in Pelham.”

Hudson said he is envisioning 3,500 people in the area standing on their feet cheering.

“Can you imagine? That would be a sight to see,” Hudson said.

During intermission, there will be a Theatre on Ice figure skating performance, raffle prizes and a chuck-a-puck competition where guests will have an opportunity to throw foam pucks from the stands and try to hit a target on the ice. Whoever hits the target or the person who gets closest to the target wins a prize.

WBRC Fox 6 and Birmingham Professional Hockey are sponsoring the event.

The event is free to attend and concessions and alcoholic beverages will be available.