Winkler will be the national hockey epicenter this March when legend Ron MacLean arrives to broadcast live as part of the Hometown Hockey national tour.

Why was Winkler chosen? Mayor Martin Harder says the city has produced a number of NHL alumni, helping put the hockey community on the map.

"When you're successful at something it draws attention," he says, noting the city's also hosted high-profile sporting events. "That's what it did for Hometown Hockey, Winkler is on the list because of the successful events we've hosted in the past."

Harder expects approximately 4,000 people attending the outdoor live event. The city will close Main St. downtown for the celebrations.

"For Winkler and Southern Manitoba it's an exciting time," Harder says.

The fifth season of the Canada-wide hockey tour will see 25 communities become stops for a two-day show of live entertainment, NHL alumni, local celebrities capped off with an outdoor viewing party of a national NHL game, broadcast live by Ron MacLean and Tara Slone.

"From St. John's to Victoria to Whitehorse, Tara and I have had the privilege of honouring the tradition of hockey in Canada for the past four seasons – and we can't wait to unearth all the surprises that this season will have in store," MacLean says.

MacLean and Slone will host a pre-game, intermission and post-game show from their mobile studio, shining the spotlight on local culture, hockey history and unique stories of each hometown.

The Winkler event takes place March 2-3 for the Winnipeg vs Columbus game. Hometown Hockey moves on to Steinbach March 9-10.