Elliot Lake hockey fans came out by the thousands on Sunday in Sudbury to see their NHL heroes up close. 

It was a big moment for the community which was experiencing a string of bad news up until their victory during the Kraft Hockeyville competition earlier this year. 

Elliot Lake's only arena was suddenly shutdown in September 2023 out of fears the 55-year-old wooden structure could collapse. Hockey players in the community have had to travel to neighbouring towns over the last year to get some ice time. 

Being Kraft Hockeyville winners has meant $250,000 in funding to help repair the arena, and priority access to tickets for a pre-season game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Ottawa Senators.

Several young hockey fans told CBC it was the first time they experienced an NHL hockey game. They talked about how important hockey is to the community, and how eager they are to have a rink of their own once again. 

Amanda McKay is the past president of Elliot Lake Minor Hockey, and was part of the committee that worked to win the Hockeyville competition. 

She says several young players dropped out of hockey after the arena shutdown. She hopes winning Kraft Hockeyville  will rekindle the community's love of the sport, and that many will sign up to play again once the local rink reopens. 

McKay says the pre-season match was an opportunity for the community to gather and celebrate. 

"It's like a family reunion or a high school reunion that I never had," she said. "I'm running into people I haven't seen in years. And lots of hugs and congratulations and yeah, it's been great."