NHL Street Harbour Fest debuts in Halifax

The National Hockey League took over the Emera Oval on Sept. 12 and 13 to continue promoting accessible hockey in the Maritimes. 

The main event of NHL Street Harbour Fest was a three-on-three ball hockey tournament held over both days. 

There were six rinks for games, assorted booths — including the Halifax Mooseheads, the Halifax Tides FC and Hockey Fights Cancer —  and mascots from the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Edmonton Oilers and the Montreal Canadiens.

Rob Knesaurek, the NHL’s senior vice-president of community development and industry growth, says the location for the event was never in question.

“It just automatically felt like our first, second and third choice. We love Halifax,” he says. “Nova Scotia just seemed like the right place to start this because we really wanted it to feel like a community festival.”

Knesaurek has been connected to the Maritimes since he played varsity hockey for the University of New Brunswick. His son also played varsity soccer for the Dalhousie Tigers. 

“I could have picked anywhere in Canada to start this event, and I couldn’t think of a better place than Halifax, Nova Scotia,” says Knesaurek. “ [Events like these] are about creating access, sparking new friendships and inspiring the next generation of players and fans to feel connected.”

In the last year, Nova Scotia has drawn international attention for its hockey talent, as NHL superstars like Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon and Brad Marchand made headlines for their performances at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Among those in attendance was Dave Ritcey, Nova Scotia’s minister of communities, culture, tourism and heritage. Ritcey has a deep-rooted history in hockey, having previously spent multiple years as the president of the Maritime Junior Hockey League.

“Hockey’s just part of our DNA right here in Nova Scotia. From neighbourhood driveways and schools to local arenas and community rinks, generations of Nova Scotians have grown up with a passion for this sport,” said Ritcey in an address during the event.

The festival was full of energy throughout the weekend. Kids were running from rink to rink, clutching their hockey sticks and breathing in the atmosphere. Jeremy Rupke, a popular hockey YouTuber also known as Coach Jeremy, led a workshop on hockey skills for younger kids.

“I’m hoping that it leads to more hockey players playing ball hockey, roller hockey and street hockey,” says Rupke. “It’s a little sad because street hockey has kind of died. Nobody’s playing ball hockey on the road anymore. I would love to see more of a resurgence of not-so-serious hockey. Just playing for fun, getting together with your friends and ripping some balls in the driveway.”

Former Moosehead and current Dalhousie University hockey player, Jake Todd, was optimistic about the tournament’s goal. 

“They haven’t had ball hockey around here in a long time, so if they can bring it back, then it’ll be fun,” says Todd.

Todd played in the tournament on his team, the Dawg Pound, which won their division during the weekend.

The two-day festival concluded with a $25,000 donation from Rogers to the Black Ice Hockey and Sports Hall of Fame Society. The Nova Scotian non-profit organization promotes Black athletes in hockey. 

Former NHL players Georges Laraque and Bryce Salvador were among those who presented the donation. Salvador is currently a studio analyst for MSG Networks and was the third Black captain in NHL history.

“It’s awesome to see NHL player inclusion that brings hockey to everyone. There’s so many minorities more involved in hockey now,” said Laraque in a public statement. “You look at teams now, people from different backgrounds are playing, and they’re loving the game.”

The NHL will return to Halifax again to accelerate the growth of the game.

“This is only the beginning, Halifax, only the beginning,” said Knesaurek.