At the beginning of September 2013, we were sworn to secrecy as we arrived at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario.

Tim Hortons – Store #1 – Hamilton, Ontario

It was very apropos that a Tim Horton’s commercial was being filmed in Hamilton, the birthplace of the very first Tim Hortons store!

Opened on May 17, 1964 – Fifty years ago this year!

Q and I stopped off for a visit on our way out of town.

He and I joined a couple of friends, Chris from Canadian Dad and Sharon from Speed Skating Mom and her two sons to spend the day as extras for the crowd shots in the Tim Hortons “Good Ol’ Hockey Game” commercial featuring Sidney Crosby.

The song they use is really catchy! The Northern Lights are calling, the sound screams our names…   

I have to admit, I teared up between takes when the concept of the commercial was explained to us. Canadians coming together… yup, that’s an easy way to make me cry! 

We joined a few hundred other extras that day. Our group sat in the stands about 5 rows up from the ice, directly to the right (if you’re looking at the ice from the stands) of the dressing room/bench entrance. We sat, we stood, we shouted, we jumped, we waved white plastic bangers (no idea what they’re really called) and we repeated that for hours. Each time the hockey players/actors came down that hall and jumped the boards, it was just as exciting as the time before. Not having done a commercial before, the repetitiveness of the day was actually interesting, each angle of filming, lighting, etc intrigued me.

Our group was then used to repeat the look of the crowd around the arena. I should’ve worn a brighter coat… 

It didn’t matter how many times Sidney Crosby came out to the bench, which was about 15 feet away, the look on my son’s face was priceless. Quinton is a huge hockey fan and this was one of those moments I wish I could have recorded his reaction. Unfortunately due to an NDA, we couldn’t take any pictures, videos, or even talk about our experience until the commercial aired on January 3rd.

It was hard to keep this secret, especially since we got to meet Sidney Crosby himself after the commercial wrapped! Again, no photos were allowed and I was thwarted as I tried to “sneak” in a 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics Gold Metal Men’s Hockey team picture for an autograph. Sidney was very kind and soft-spoken, he graciously shook our hands and talked with us briefly before he rushed to catch his flight out of there.

I’m very proud of myself, I didn’t embarrass my son at all…. I refrained from grabbing the cutie Crosby for an awkward, stalkerish, cougar-like type of hug…

Thanks, Tim Hortons for calling us up and including us on this very fun day! My kids come running every time the commercial comes on the TV, “mom, it’s your commercial, I see you!” shouts my 8-year-old. 🙂 Thanks honey, not quite but thanks for looking.

p.s. it goes by too fast to see me but it’s the thought that counts.

Go Team Canada!

Disclaimer: I was not paid to write this blog post, I am to receive compensation for being an extra in the commercial, just like every other “actor” there.