A Dalmeny minor hockey team will suit up with hockey legend Jarome Iginla at the Dalmeny arena on Saturday, April 13.
The Dalmeny U15 Sabres earned the honour after the team won the ‘Practice with a Pro’ contest sponsored by Dr. Oetker’s Giuseppe Pizzeria.
The pizza brand will bring a taste of professional hockey to Saskatchewan courtesy of the Dalmeny U15 Sabres and their special guest, National Hockey League Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla.
After the overwhelming success of last year’s inaugural Practice with a Pro event, Giuseppe and Iginla are back to throw another epic hockey and pizza party, this time for the Sabres, and members of the community.
Between November 2023 and January 2024, people in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba were invited to nominate their favourite youth hockey team, with the winning entry provided the opportunity to team up with one of hockey’s greatest teammates.
The winning team viewed a video message on February 1, from Iginla – and learned they will get the opportunity to take to the ice for a practice with the Canadian hockey legend, and then indulge in delicious Giuseppe Pizza.
The Practice with a Pro campaign is about forging strong and authentic relationships between Giuseppe and Canadians, said Cecile Dhanani, Marketing Manager at Dr. Oetker Canada Ltd.
She added that there is nothing that connects people at a grassroots level more than hockey.
After reviewing many submissions, the Dalmeny Sabres were chosen based on not one – but a number of community-assists they provided over the course of several months.
“I’ve had the honor of watching these kids overcome challenges together, learn lessons, face failures, and celebrate successes and they’ve always been examples of good leadership, great integrity, and overall kindness,” said Dalmeny U15 Sabres Team Manager Christine Woodland. “These players did not know they were being nominated, nor did the coaches or parents. This was a simple way to show them they are appreciated and valued members of this community.”
Giuseppe is the perfect teammate for any hockey watching experience, and that will certainly be the case when the Practice with a Pro event and community pizza party led by Giuseppe and one of the greatest teammates in hockey history, takes place on Saturday, April 13 in Dalmeny.
Dr. Oetker was established in Canada in 1960. Giuseppe Pizzeria was the latest addition to the Dr. Oetker line of frozen pizzas. The brand has been supporting hockey and local communities across Canada since it launched in 2015.
Jarome Iginla was a six- time NHL all-star, scoring 625 goals and 1,300 hundred points over an illustrious 21-year NHL career; the majority as captain and spirited leader of the Calgary Flames. He is a three-time Olympian and two-time gold medal winner, including the 2002 Winter Games where he helped lead Canada to its first Olympic hockey championship in 50 years. Jarome was inducted in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020.