Even though Cameco Hockey Day in Saskatchewan is officially Saturday, the Town of Wadena is getting the event started Wednesday and making the once in a lifetime celebration a week long event.

Host Committee Chair Kent Armbruster said people have been ready to showcase their community since word broke in October about them being the hosts of the annual event.

"Volunteers starting to come in even before that, there was rumblings that we had secured the Cameco Hockey Day in Saskatchewan festivities. Ever since we got word of it and then we launched in October it's been crazy the amount of people that have stepped up and offered their time and services."

Wednesday the five day event begins with a pair of local hockey games, they will have a couple more Thursday before Friday's banquet featuring TSN's Darren Dutchyshen.

Armbruster says the excitement is starting build across east-central Saskatchewan.

"Having Darren Dutchyshen coming in is helping that out, good local support for that. Out of town is starting to come in now, everybody's excitement is growing out past the borders of Wadena so that's a good sign too."

Cameco Hockey Day in Saskatchewan will culminate with a day long list of festivities on Saturday highlighted by the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League game between the Battlefords Stars and Notre Dame Hounds.

Armbruster explains where the legacy of the event will be left.

"The rink was built back in the early to mid 1960's, it's one of the centennial rinks so it's one of the older barns but we had some engineers come look in and look at the structure and it's still solid so we figured we might as well get it up to par seeming we have a strong future here in Wadena."

There is also a pancake breakfast being held on Saturday morning plus kids' activities at the hill near the rink.

For more information about the event or to purchase tickets for the banquet call Armbruster at 306.38.8111 or call Angela Jones at 306.338.7695.

You can hear more from Armbruster below in his interview with Bolt FM's Clark Stork.