NHL alumni visit Brockville, Ont. for annual Winter Classic, celebrate ‘one of Canada’s premier outdoor skating rinks.’

The Brockville Winter Classic logo on the boards at the Rotary Park Rink. (Jack Richardson/CTV News Ottawa)

A Family Day weekend tradition in Brockville, Ont. continues Saturday, celebrating the success of the Rotary Park Rink while raising funds for it.

The Brockville Winter Classic (BWC) runs from Thursday to Sunday at a variety of locations all over the city, wrapping up with a full exhibition game featuring NHL alumni at the Brockville Memorial Centre.

Some of the former NHL players hitting the ice include Hockey Hall of Fame Boston Bruins defensemen Ray Bourque, Al lafrate, Matthew Barnaby, Ron Tugnutt and Andrew Raycroft.

“It’s pretty cool,” said Corey Roth, who was watching his son take the ice.

“He gets to meet them and he’s in the dressing room with them and they have a great time.”

Saturday’s outdoor games are the time for the Rotary Park Rink to have the spotlight.

The rink, located just west of downtown Brockville, is a state-of-the-art outdoor hockey arena with a roof, a sound system, lights, boards, benches, a Zamboni and heated dressing rooms.

“I think it’s one of the best facilities around,” said BWC committee member Ryan Billings.

The Brockville Winter Classic started in 2015 as an effort to raise more funds for Rotary Park to build on the success of the revitalization committee five years prior. Since 2010, roughly $4 million dollars has been invested into improving the facilities.

The newest addition after the 2024 event was a handicap-accessible viewing platform along the glass.

The BWC committee is focusing on an additional goal moving forward, looking for ways to make hockey more affordable for kids in Brockville.

“Hockey is expensive, so could we actually help and find ways to make hockey affordable while we’re still doing things to this park,” Billings said.