PITTSBURGH & CHICAGO – January 1, 2020 – Kraft Hockeyville™ USA is back again this year to find America’s most-spirited hockey community. Together with the National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA), Kraft Heinz is looking to crown one hockey community in America with the Kraft Hockeyville™ USA 2020 title, award $150,000 in rink upgrades along with $10,000 worth of hockey equipment through the NHLPA Goals & Dreams program, and provide the chance to host an NHL® Pre-Season Game in their community rink.

“The incredible response we’ve seen from hockey communities over the years has been an inspiration,” said Magen Hanrahan, vice president of media and marketing services, Kraft Heinz. “Every year, we’ve seen communities come together to support their local rinks, and we’re proud to be a small part of the passion that ignites hockey communities each year.”

Kraft Hockeyville™ USA is proud to rally local communities around their true passion for hockey. The 2020 program was announced live during today’s broadcast of the 2020 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic® outdoor game in Dallas, Texas, featuring the Dallas Stars against the Nashville Predators.

How Kraft HockeyvilleTM USA 2020 Works

Hockey communities hoping to become the next Kraft Hockeyville™ winner can kick off their chance during the nomination phase, where they can share unique stories about their local rink, teams and passion for hockey. Throughout the submission process, hockey towns need to rally their fans on the mobile-friendly platform at www.KraftHockeyville.com, where communities earn Rally Points by adding notes, uploading photos and videos, and tweeting from the community page. Finalists will be selected based on the best stories and their community’s total Rally Points through three periods:

• Period 1 (January 1 – February 29, 2020) – Local communities head to www.KraftHockeyville.com to submit their story on why their rink should be crowned Kraft Hockeyville™ 2020. Once submitted, it’s up to the fans and hockey community to engage with the story online to boost their digital Rally Points. Communities are judged based on a combination of total Rally Points and the best story.
• Period 2 (March 22 – 27, 2020) – Once the judges read through each rink’s story and calculate the total Rally Points of each submission, the top four finalists will be announced on March 22, 2020. After the official announcement, the weeklong rally begins for each of the four finalists to bring their community and supporters nationwide together in preparation for the live voting event.
• Period 3 (March 28 – 29, 2020) – The four finalist communities will compete to receive as many votes as possible at www.KraftHockeyville.com from 7 a.m. ET on March 28 until 11 a.m. ET on March 29. The winner of Kraft Hockeyville™ USA 2020 will be announced on March 29, 2020 during an intermission of an NHL game on NBCSN and will be awarded the grand prize of $150,000 in rink upgrades from Kraft Heinz and an opportunity to host an NHL Pre-Season Game. The First Prize rink will receive $30,000 in rink upgrades while the Second Prize rinks will each receive $10,000 in rink upgrades. Each of the four finalists will also receive $10,000 worth of new hockey equipment from the NHLPA Goals & Dreams program.

This year, one lucky fan will also win a trip for two to a Stanley Cup® Game from Kraft Heinz. Starting March 22 through 29, fans can register online at www.krafthockeyville.com to be entered. Additionally, each vote cast during the 28-hour voting phase from March 28 to 29 equals one entry into the sweepstakes, so fans are encouraged to vote multiple times for their favorite community1.

Since launching in Canada in 2006, Kraft Hockeyville™ has positively impacted more than 120 communities with more than $5 million awarded in rink upgrades across Canada and the U.S. During the program, Kraft Heinz will feature its diverse portfolio of products to unite hockey fans in their celebrations of the sport and their communities, including Planters, Kraft Natural Cheese, Maxwell House, Oscar Mayer, Heinz Ketchup and Kraft Macaroni & Cheese.

For complete contest rules and nomination applications, visit www.KraftHockeyville.com. Kraft HockeyvilleTM USA can also be found on Facebook (KraftHockeyvilleUSA), Twitter (@HockeyvilleUSA) and Instagram (@KraftHockeyvilleUSA). Fans can join the conversation using #HockeyvilleUSA.

NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup, and the word mark NHL Winter Classic are registered trademarks and the NHL Winter Classic logo, and HOCKEYVILLE are trademarks of the National Hockey League. © NHL 2019. All rights reserved.

NHLPA, National Hockey League Players’ Association and the NHLPA logo are registered trademarks of the NHLPA. © 2020. All rights reserved.

About The Kraft Heinz Company

For 150 years, we have produced some of the world’s most beloved products at The Kraft Heinz Company (NASDAQ: KHC). Our Vision is To Be the Best Food Company, Growing a Better World. We are one of the largest global food and beverage companies, with 2018 net sales of approximately $26 billion. Our portfolio is a diverse mix of iconic and emerging brands. As the guardians of these brands and the creators of innovative new products, we are dedicated to the sustainable health of our people and our planet. To learn more, visit https://www.kraftheinzcompany.com/or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About the NHL

The National Hockey League (NHL®), founded in 1917, consists of 31 Member Clubs and proudly welcomes its 32nd franchise, based in Seattle, for the 2021-22 season. Each team roster reflects the League’s international makeup with players from more than 20 countries represented, all vying for the most cherished and historic trophy in professional sports – the Stanley Cup®. Gary Bettman has served the NHL as Commissioner since February 1, 1993 and has guided the world’s top professional hockey league to more than $5 billion in annual revenues and partnerships with more than 40 blue chip corporate sponsors. Every year, the NHL entertains more than 670 million fans in-arena and through its partners on national television and radio; more than 151 million followers - league, team and player accounts combined - across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube; and more than 100 million fans online at NHL.com. The League broadcasts games in more than 160 countries and territories through its rightsholders including NBC/NBCSN and the NHL Network™ in the U.S., Sportsnet and TVA in Canada, Viasat in the Nordic Region, Yandex in Russia and CCTV and Tencent in China. The NHL reaches fans worldwide with games available online in every country including via its live and on-demand streaming service NHL.TV™. Having entered the esports world in 2018, the League hosts the NHL Gaming World Championship™ annually, drawing record digital streaming audiences during the 2019 campaign. Fans are engaged across the League’s digital assets on mobile devices via the free NHL® App; across nine social media platforms; on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio™; and on NHL.com, available in eight languages and featuring unprecedented access to player and team statistics as well as every regular-season and playoff game box score dating back to the League’s inception, powered by SAP. The NHL is committed to building healthy and vibrant communities through the sport of hockey by increasing youth participation and engagement; fostering positive family experiences; promoting inclusion, positive culture and leadership; and supporting sustainable community impact.

About the National Hockey League Players’ Association

The National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA), established in 1967, is a labour organization whose members are the players in the National Hockey League (NHL). The NHLPA works on behalf of the players in varied disciplines such as labour relations, product licensing, marketing, international hockey and community relations, all in furtherance of its efforts to promote its members and the game of hockey. In 1999, NHLPA Goals & Dreams was launched as a way for the players to give something back to the game they love. Over the past 20 years, more than 80,000 deserving children in 34 countries have benefited from the players' donations of hockey equipment. NHLPA Goals & Dreams has donated more than $25 million to grassroots hockey programs, making it the largest program of its kind. For more information on the NHLPA, please visit www.nhlpa.com.  

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