Molson Canadian is Taking Hockey to New Heights with an Epic #AnythingForHockey Rooftop Rink

TORONTO, Jan. 7, 2016 /CNW/ - The mysterious rooftop hockey rink spotted above Toronto's financial district is a mystery no more. As part of its #anythingforhockey campaign, Molson Canadian is taking Canada's passion for the game of hockey to new heights with a rink built 32 stories high in downtown Toronto.

Last year's #anythingforhockey campaign saw some of Canada's most passionate hockey fans flown to the top of the world for a once-in-a-lifetime game of shinny on a mountain rink in the Rockies. This year's epic rink was built to reward four more of the country's die-hard hockey fans with an once-in-a-lifetime hockey experience alongside the Toronto skyline.

"Molson Canadian is passionate about hockey and sharing the love for the game with our fans," says Chris Blackburn, Director of Marketing, Molson Canadian. "Through our #anythingforhockey campaign, we are offering unforgettable experiences that will quite literally elevate the game to new heights and we look forward to sharing our winners' experience with the world in February."

This year's contest, which closed on December 10, 2015, asked hockey fans to share stories, images and videos over Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, demonstrating how irrationally obsessed they are with the sport.

"Although we built the rooftop rink exclusively for our contest winners, we know there are many more fans out there who would love to skate on it," added Blackburn. "We have certainly been listening to every comment and hope to share some exciting news soon."

Building an epic hockey rink of this magnitude doesn't come without its challenges, giving the team of multiple engineers and crew members more than a few weather-based hurdles to overcome before construction. The operational cost of the rink is more than $100,000 per week, which leads to an additional layer of obstacles, but also a lot of really cool facts.

Molson Canadian Rooftop Rink – Key Facts

• The rink is half the size of an official NHL sized-sheet, perfect for a three-on-three game.
• While many locations were considered, the Toronto building was the only one that could accommodate the rink at a significant height.
• The rink project began November 29, as equipment was lifted onto the rooftop by utilizing the cranes on a neighbouring building. Though the ice surface and boards are in place, construction will not be complete until January 10.
• Complicated elements include leveling for the ice structure, infrastructure for piping, drainage, relocation of vents, water pipes and erecting a stair system for access to the roof.
• Since shoveling snow off the roof isn't a possibility, snow is melted on the roof under hot water and then drained.
• Due to weight limitations, there is a strict capacity in the amount of people that can be on the roof at the same time.
• To clear the ice, a flooding machine will use hot water to flood the rink and an ice scrapper to smooth it out.
• Regulation glass and nets will be in place to protect pucks form flying over the edge.

The entire construction can be seen in a time lapse video available for viewing here:
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For more information, please visit: www.molsoncanadian.ca/anythingforhockey  

About Molson Coors Canada:
Molson Coors Canada is the Canadian division of Molson Coors Brewing Company, a global brewer with operations in Canada, the U.S., the U.K. and Asia. The company proudly offers some of the most popular brands in Canada with an award-winning brand portfolio that includes Molson Canadian, Coors Light, Molson Export, Rickard's and Molson Canadian 67.

Molson Coors Canada employs 3,000 Canadians, operates seven breweries, including boutique breweries Creemore and Granville Island, and invests in communities from coast-to-coast through its various charitable initiatives and sports and entertainment sponsorships. Molson Coors Canada is committed to promoting its products and events in a responsible manner as part of an active, healthy lifestyle.

Twitter: @Molson_Canadian
Facebook: MolsonCanadian
Website:  http://www.molsoncanadian.ca/
Instagram: MolsonCanadian
Hashtag: #AnythingforHockey

The release should be accompanied with the following video up top: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TST3BbW4-Us

SOURCE Molson Coors Canada

Video with caption: "Building a rooftop rink only took 30 seconds. Give or take. ‪#‎AnythingForHockey". Video available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TST3BbW4-Us

Media only: for more information, to request access to the rink or an interview, please contact: Erin Banting at Citizen Relations at [email protected] or 416.414.8637