St. Michael-Albertville In Final Four Of 'Hockeyville, USA' Contest

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- We all know, Minnesota is the "State of Hockey," but now a Minnesota city is trying to earn the title "Hockeyville USA."

The St. Michael-Albertville youth hockey association is one of the final four groups remaining, in a national contest from Kraft Foods. Already, they've earned enough votes to get $20,000 for arena upgrades.

That one rink provides ice time for more than 500 players.

Josh Opiola, the president of the STMA Hockey Association, says he's overwhelmed by the support for the league and his players.

"Everyone has rallied around magnificently," he said. "The fact that we're even nominated means the world to us. We're very, very fortunate to be here."

They're up against associations in Illinois, Michigan and Pennsylvania. If St. Michael-Albertville wins the contest, they'd get $150,000 and the opportunity to host an NHL pre-season game this fall.

How To Vote

There are three ways to vote in the Kraft Hockeyville USA contest. Fans can text "Albertville" to 35350, call in a vote at 1-855-255-5975, or visit KraftHockeyville.com and vote online. Voting is open to all those 13 years of age and older, and voters can submit 50 votes via EACH method, for a total of 150 entries each day. Further details are on the Kraft Hockeyville website.

Supporters in STMA have also set up a website with information about the contest at VoteSTMA.com, and a Facebook Event site with voting reminders and instructions is also available.