The Town of Taber, Alberta, was named the 2026 Kraft Hockeyville champion Saturday night on Hockey Night in Canada by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. “It is now my pleasure to announce the Kraft Hockeyville 2026 championship winner decided by a nationwide vote,” Bettman said. “Congratulations to Taber, Alberta.” “We are overwhelmed, honoured, and so deeply grateful to be named the 2026 Kraft Hockeyville Champion,” the community said in a media release. “Taber, this is a moment we will carry with us for the rest of our lives.” People in Taber’s Community Centre Auditorium, many of them children wearing hockey jerseys, jumped and cheered on TV when the news was delivered. Taber receives $250,000 for upgrades to the Taber Community Centre, the chance to host an NHL pre-season game in 2027 and $10,000 worth of youth hockey equipment, courtesy of the NHLPA Goals and Dreams and the NHL/NHLPA Industry Growth Fund. The community is raising funds to rebuild its arena and community centre after an explosion in December severely damaged it. The explosion was caused by a fuel leak from a Zamboni. An investigation revealed that the explosion was caused by a failure of a component within the fuel system of the Zamboni, which created a gas cloud within the ice surfacer room and across the small ice surface. When the gas cloud came in contact with an electric heater, the fumes ignited. Tumbler Ridge Taber beat out Tumbler Ridge, B.C. in the final national vote and extended its best wishes to the community as it grieves from a Feb. 10 mass shooting, where eight victims were killed, including 13-year-old Ezekiel Schofield, who played hockey for the Tumbler Ridge Raptors. “We are honoured to have been alongside you this entire time,” the Town of Taber posted on social media. “Your community spirit and resilience is something we will remember forever, and we wish you all the veery best as your community continues to heal and move into the future. Our two communities are forever joined in Kraft Hockeyville history.” Another Raptors player, Maya Gebala, was also seriously injured in the attack. Late last month Gebala was transferred out of the intensive care unit and will now focus on recovery and rehab. “We didn’t take home the win this time, but what an incredible journey it’s been!” the District of Tumbler Ridge posted on Facebook on Saturday night. “Congratulations to Taber on their well-deserved win. It was a great competition, and we’re proud to have been part of it alongside such strong communities.” The estimated cost of rebuilding its ice rinks and community centre is $11 million. In late March, the town hosted a street hockey tournament featuring a number of former NHL players and three-time Olympic gold medalist Rebecca Johnston. “We will have far more to say in the coming days, weeks and months about the future of the arena and details of the grand prize, but for now thank you to everyone who was part of Team Taber,” the community posted. Taber is about 263 kilometres southeast of Calgary and about 53 kilometres east of Lethbridge. With files from The Canadian Press and CTV News’ Karsen Marczuk
