Coyotes to play in ‘Kraft Hockeyville’ preseason game in El Paso

The Arizona Coyotes will be traveling to El Paso, Texas, to play the Dallas Stars in a preseason game as part of Kraft Hockeyville USA 2020 on Oct. 3.

El Paso was the winner of Kraft Hockeyville USA 2020, a contest designated to find the most-spirited hockey communities in the country. El Paso was awarded $150,000 in rink upgrades from Kraft Heinz, as well as $10,000 worth of new equipment gifted from the NHLPA Goals & Dreams fund.

The event was not hosted in 2020 due to COVID-19.

“We are thrilled to participate in the Kraft Hockeyville game in El Paso,” Coyotes President and CEO Xavier Gutierrez said in a press release Wednesday. “We are grateful to the NHL, NHLPA, Kraft Heinz and the Dallas Stars for this incredible opportunity and we look forward to interacting with the El Paso community to grow the great game of hockey in Texas.

The game will be played at the El Paso County Events Center, with puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m. MST. The El Paso County Events Center originally opened its doors in 1942 to host rodeos, but the supporters of the rink rallied together and voted online, proving to be the most passionate Hockey community in America, according to the press release.

After launching in 2006 in Canada, Kraft Hockeyville has impacted more than 80 communities with over $4 million in rink upgrades across Canada and the United States.

The El Paso Local Organizing Committee will be distributing tickets for the game. For more information, visit Kraft Hockeyville USA 2020’s Facebook.

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