It took less than 48 hours to sell 1,000 tickets for the Ryan Pulock sweepstakes.
Up for grabs were round-trip economy flights for two from Winnipeg to New York. Add in three nights' accommodation, two Islanders games at UBS Arena, and two Pulock jerseys.
The entire package was donated by Ryan, who has always taken pride in giving back to his hometown.
Over the weekend during the Mud Bog celebrations in Grandview, James Morran's dream became a reality. He was the winner and is now set for the experience of a lifetime.
"I heard my last name over the speaker, but I couldn't tell if it was me," said Morran. "There are a few other Morrans in our area. It was pretty exciting."
Tickets were $20 each, and James said it was one of the easiest purchases he's ever made. The entire $20,000 raised through the sweepstakes is going to the ice plant project.
The new ice plant will service the GACC and the curling rink. It's expected to be operational for next season.
For James, the GACC is more than just a rink. It's where his kids grew up playing up until recently, when they outgrew the local age group. James himself grew up playing in that rink and watching the Comets. The GACC is widely regarded as the heartbeat of Grandview.
It's a hub where the community comes together to skate and celebrate.
"For me, personally, when my wife and I were talking about having kids and starting a family, there were a couple of factors why we moved back here," said Pulock. "First was family. The second deciding factors was the things we grew up with. A good, safe school, a hockey rink the kids could play in. Baseball diamonds."
The experience also includes post-game meet and greets, $250 food and drink credit at the arena, $250 Isles' lab credit, and $500 Uber credit. For James, it's a Christmas present that came a few months early.
He's New York-bound this winter and can't wait to soak it all in.
"I'm really looking forward to it; it's going to be crazy," Morran ended. "Really grateful to the Pulock family. They have been so good to us. Outside of this and during this. It's great."
Ryan has played 636 regular-season NHL games and 66 more in the playoffs.
