Calgary tech companies know how to build products, raise capital, and grow teams. This August, they are being challenged to prove they can build a street hockey lineup, too.
Play On! Calgary will transform 10 blocks of downtown Calgary into a sprawling street hockey festival from August 20 to 22, complete with 20 rinks, live music, food trucks, and room for as many as 300 teams.
But one part of Calgary’s business community is still missing from the roster.
According to organizers, no local technology companies have registered for the event’s corporate division yet. With the registration deadline approaching, Play On! Canada is calling on Calgary’s startups, scaleups, and established technology companies to assemble their teams and represent the city’s innovation sector.
The event offers companies an opportunity to take team building beyond the office while competing alongside other Calgary businesses. No ice or skates are required, and teams can include between four and seven players.
Organizers expect Play On! Calgary to attract up to 3,000 participants and 18,000 spectators, making it the largest street hockey event held in Canada since 2017.
Play On! has staged 182 events across 43 Canadian communities, bringing the familiar neighbourhood game to large urban streets. The organization also holds the Guinness World Record for the largest street hockey event.
Beyond the competition, participating companies can use the event to support a local cause. Money raised through Play On! Calgary will go directly to the Calgary Police Youth Foundation.
The top fundraising teams will also receive priority picks in the Calgary Celebrity Draft, allowing them to select a celebrity participant to play for or coach their team. The announced lineup includes Stanley Cup champions, professional hockey players, Olympians, and other figures from the sport.
Among those scheduled to participate are former Calgary Flames players Tim Hunter and Colin Patterson, four-time Stanley Cup champion Duane Sutter, former NHL players Ron and Rich Sutter, PWHL defender Jess Kondas, and two-time Canadian Olympian Cassidy Gray.
Registration costs $75 per player and includes a commemorative event T-shirt. Teams have until August 16 to register.
Calgary’s tech community is accustomed to friendly competition for talent, investment, and customers. Play On! Calgary offers an opportunity to take that rivalry to the pavement—and answer one important question:
Which Calgary tech company will be the first to step up and enter a team?
Companies interested in participating can find details and register through the Play On! Calgary website.
Leave a Reply