NHL in El Paso? City in running to host preseason game

EL PASO, Texas -- For a place known as the "Sun City," hockey might not be the first sport people associate with it.

But the NHL is open to the idea of playing in El Paso, after the city was one of four to qualify for the opportunity to host an NHL preseason game.

El Paso is in the Final Four of the Kraft Hockeyville sweepstakes, where the winner gets to host an NHL preseason game along with a $150,000 upgrade to their team's hockey facility.

Spearheading the effort are the El Paso Rhinos. Since 2006, the El Paso Rhinos have entertained fans at the El Paso County Coliseum to the tune of four Thorne Cup championships.

The Rhinos have been a member of the NA3HL but starting in 2021-2022, they will transition to the North American Hockey League (NAHL), one of the most prestigious junior hockey leagues in America.

To win the sweepstakes, the Rhinos need the help of everyone in the Borderland! Voting is unlimited and starts at 5 am on August 29 and ends on August 30 at 9 am (MT)* on the Kraft Hockeyville site.

In order to promote voting awareness, the Rhinos are turning to social media.

Throughout the next two weeks, the El Paso Rhinos' pages will share more videos and graphics that can also be used on any media platform, especially in the days leading up to the voting window.

Competing with El Paso for the top prize are East Grand Forks in Minnesota, Wichita in Kansas and River Falls in Wisconsin.