DAUPHIN, MB - The countdown is on as the third annual Dauphin Kings Ukrainian Night presented by Ruff's Furniture hits the ice this Saturday.
Fans have lots to look forward to and it all starts at about 5:00pm with dancing in the lobby at Credit Union Place.
Enter the arena and the first things you'll see, and hear, is the music at the top of the stairs. Fans can also enter the bed races which will take place in the second intermission. You can also find the finalists for the Ruff's Furniture "Ugliest Chair Contest" at the top of the stairs.
As fans walk to the right they will find the tables for the Kubassa Toss. Fake rings of Kubassa will be sold for $2.00 each. Walk a little further down the walking track and you will find the Cossack's table in the south east corner of the building. On the east side of Credit Union Place (Back Wall) will be the jersey auction.
When you get to the north east corner of Credit Union Place you'll hit the Snow Spruce Construction & North of 51 Chase The Ace booth, which coming into Saturday's game sits at $3,390.00. It'll start at that total and add half the evening's sales!
Pre game activities begin at 6:50pm with the teams hitting the ice for warm up. All warm up songs will be Ukrainian songs.
After warm up teams will take a break before the Kings Ukrainian Player Introductions. Following the introductions the Winnipeg Blues will come to the ice and take part in a special presentation.
Smith Jackson Elementary School will sing both O'Canada and the Ukrainian National Anthem before puck drop just after 7:30pm!
There'll be lots going on throughout the game, so make sure you're in attendance to see it all. And come early, because Temptations Concession will be making special Ukrainian plates for the evening!
TOP FIVE REASONS TO ATTEND UKRAINIAN NIGHT 2018
NUMBER 5 - PLAYER INTRODUCTIONS
Fans will once again be treated to the special Dauphin Kings Ukrainian Players Introductions at Saturday's game.
Stephen Jaddock will be behind the mic for these introductions with on ice lights provided by Roncin Sound in Dauphin and the Cossacks helping out on the ice.
Last season the Dauphin Kings Ukrainian Night Player Introductions were posted to YouTube. Currently the video has just under 80,000 views.
NUMBER 4 - BED RACES
In the second intermission the Ruff's Furniture Bed Races return to the Credit Union Place ice surface.
Couples will team up with a chance at winning a new mattress from Ruff's Furniture, but they'll have to run the gauntlet together first, with a few obstacles along the way!
As mentioned above, you can enter for the Bed Races at the top of the stairs when you come into the arena!
NUMBER 3 - KUBASSA TOSS
Before the second intermission is the first intermission and that's where the annual Kubassa Toss will take place.
The toss continues to get bigger and better each season and this time will feature over 500 rings of the fake meat for fans to throw onto the ice.
Last year fans threw their Kubassa rings into a freezer located at center ice. The winner took home $400.00. This year that total is expected to be much bigger.
Be sure to get to the rink early though, last season the Kubassa was sold out before warm up was complete!
NUMBER 2 - THE JERSEYS
Last season the Dauphin Kings / Ruff's Furniture Ukrainian Night featured special one of a kind Kings jerseys which were seen all over the world.
This year it will be the same, and people who have seen the jerseys are already calling them better than last year's edition.
These jerseys will of course be a very special edition, as they'll feature a Dauphin Kings 50th Anniversary patch on the shoulder.
The jerseys will not be posted until the night of the game, so be sure to be in attendance to see them!
NUMBER 1 - THE GAME
Last season fans took in a great game. A close one with lots going on, and that's expected to happen again this season.
The Dauphin Kings host the Winnipeg Blues at 7:30pm on Saturday and the only suggestion we can make to you now is to show up early, and if you can, buy your tickets in advance as the game is expected to very close to or a sell out.
Everything starts at 5:00pm. The Dauphin Kings South Ticket Office will be open beginning at 12:00pm on Saturday.
#LongLiveTheKings
Trevor Selk the overtime hero in front of 1720 fans at Credit Union Place tonight! #StandWithUs #MJHL 🦁👑🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/d8KFlbYjoK
— Dauphin Kings (@dauphinkings) January 29, 2017