Molson Canadian Transports 11 #ANYTHINGFORHOCKEY Winners to Hockey Heaven

Winners from across Canada participated in once-in-a-lifetime game of shinny atop the mountains of BC

TORONTO, March 25, 2015 /CNW/ - Molson Canadian has revealed the 11 winners of its #ANYTHINGFORHOCKEY contest, who demonstrated their unwavering dedication to the game of hockey. The winners were flown to a remote mountain-range near the Rocky Mountains to play the game of their lives atop an unforgettable, professionally-made mountain rink.

Over the last four months, thousands of hockey obsessed Canucks from coast-to-coast submitted a range of unique, often moving, stories across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram,  as part of Molson Canadian's #ANYTHINGFORHOCKEY campaign. Winners were selected based on their incredible love for the game.

Among the winners were Don Dietrich of Deloraine, Manitoba who continues to play hockey despite having Parkinson's Disease, Carolyn Hazell of Ottawa, Ontario, who was selected for dedicating her time and effort to support women's hockey in Canada and abroad, and Rich Lewis of Cartwright, Labrador who petitioned to bring back a rink to his hometown after it had been without one for 15 years.

"Hockey is everything to me – even though I struggle with my body, when I am on the ice it all goes away," says Don Dietrich. "Having the opportunity to skate in such a unique, isolated location is something that I never thought I would be able to do. It was the trip of a lifetime and I am very grateful to Molson Canadian for making it possible."

The 11 winners, who recently returned from their trip, were transported by helicopter to the top of the world near the Rocky Mountains where they participated in a once-in-a-lifetime game of shinny on a remote, custom-built ice rink, surrounded by British Columbia's picturesque mountains.

Their adventure was taken to new heights thanks to a visit from the iconic Molson Canadian Beer Fridge, officiating from a former NHL® referee, who oversaw over 1,300 NHL games, and a very special, surprise appearance by one of the NHL's most celebrated icons to be revealed in the upcoming #ANYTHINGFORHOCKEY TV spot, scheduled to air on April 4, 2015 just in time for the Stanley Cup® Playoffs.

"We wanted to not only focus on rewarding fans for their hockey passion, but also bringing those fans together by delivering a truly memorable, undeniably Canadian experience they'll never forget," says Jeff Harrop, Senior Marketing Director, Molson Coors Canada. "Giving them a chance to play together against a spectacular mountain backdrop was a fitting way of recognizing their contributions to both the sport and the communities they've touched. These winners would truly do anything for hockey."

Given the location and weather conditions, construction of the rink began 17 days prior to filming the event, with equipment - including snowmobiles and snow blowers - air lifted by helicopter into the rink area. Adding to the atmosphere, the crew of eight froze large-scale, fabric Molson Canadian and NHL logos into the ice.

The full list of winners, includes:

Don Dietrich, Deloraine, Manitoba

• Don was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease but that hasn't held him back as he continues to coach and play hockey. Dietrich's story can be viewed here.

Rich Lewis, Cartwright, Labrador

• Rich petitioned for a community rink in his remote town of Cartwright, Labrador to give everyone the opportunity to play hockey after 15 years without a rink. Community members were so excited that it led to the creation of a homemade Zamboni machine to go along with it. Lewis's story can be viewed here.

Jeremy Rupke, Huntsville, Ontario

• Jeremy creates free hockey training videos and articles so that everyone can learn to play hockey, or improve their skills. Rupke's story can be viewed here.

Carolyn Hazell, Ottawa, Ontario

• Carolyn is an avid hockey player who travelled to Nicaragua to teach the game to kids. Hazell's story can be viewed here.

Shawn Mayze, Port Coquitlam, British Columbia

• Shawn lost his hearing at six months but that didn't dampen his love of the game. He is now the lead organizer of the BC Rockies Deaf and Hard of Hearing hockey program.

Sean Markham, Hamilton, Ontario

• Sean is a member of the ASHL team made up of current serving members of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry. This group created an annual Christmas Classic Charity Hockey game against another infantry regiment, which offers free entry with a toy donation to City Kidz.

Mike McDonald, Whitby, Ontario

• Mike loved hockey so much that he invested his money into his education to play in the NCAA, even though he set a record for most single-season losses by a goalie in school history.

Sylvain Jutras, Saint-Célestin, Quebec

• Sylvain got married to his wife on centre ice. 

Brandon Barber, Vancouver, British Columbia

• Brandon spent more than 24 hours clearing snow, flooding and building an outdoor rink for 15 friends and then hired a camera crew to film it all.

Bradley Friesen, Vancouver, British Columbia

• Bradley is a helicopter pilot whose love for the game has brought die-hard hockey fans to some of the world's most remote locations, but also almost cost him his life when he got stranded on top of a mountain in freezing conditions. Friesen's story can be viewed here.

Mike Paron, Ottawa, Ontario

• Mike took a group of kids to Australia to teach the game of hockey and is now bringing a group of kids from Australia to Ottawa to play each other years later.

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.

NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup and the word mark NHL Winter Classic are registered trademarks and NHL Face-Off name and logo, the NHL Winter Classic logo and the NHL All-Star Game logo are trademarks of the National Hockey League. All Rights Reserved. 

SOURCE MOLSON CANADIAN

Image with caption: "Molson Canadian #ANYTHINGFORHOCKEY Winners arrive at epic outdoor rink in the Rocky Mountains (CNW Group/MOLSON CANADIAN)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150325_C7636_PHOTO_EN_13541.jpg

or an interview with one of the winners contact: Catherine Flint, Harbinger, [email protected], [phone]