Spend Money, Win Stuff

So, I got an email from Kent the other day asking if I wanted to take part in a promotion for the Nations. The idea and execution were simple: I would go to a Scotiabank, and they would give me a piece of plastic about three inches by two inches.

If you haven’t figured it out by now, I’ve decided to celebrate the Flames’ 8-1 destruction of the Oilers in the final battle of Alberta for the season by trading my old debit card out for a new Calgary Flames ScotiaHockey NHL Debit Card. The card is part of something called ScotiaHockey, and apparently it’s the official card of the NHL. Just by using it I’m going to be entered into Scotiabank’s Hockey Adventure of a Lifetime contest every time I purchase something – I’m going to have a chance to win a trip to the Stanley Cup or next season’s NHL Faceoff. They say I can feel like part of the team when I use it, and I’d have to concur – all NHL players have this card*. It’s actually part of the draft day festivities: jersey, hat, handshakes, photos and debit card. 


(*Not all NHL players have a ScotiaHockey NHL Debit Card.)



So, to feel like an NHLer, I walked into the branch last week and picked up a card. I was pretty surprised by how spacious the branch was, honestly. It’s close to my house and it’s new, but I’d never been in there before. Everyone was really friendly and even though there was a bit of commotion to start (obviously no one had any idea who I actually was), I only waited for about a minute and I was in the office of my (now) financial advisor and mortgage guru (I’m sure he’s certified), Dennis Blackburn. Dennis made the process easy, filled everything out for me and explained everything clearly. His computer system was undergoing upgrades (Fridays, right?) so for a while we talked about cars (which I love), being over 6’ (which I love) and the Flames (which, obviously, I love). Really cool dude.

As part of the arrangement, he also waived my first couple months worth of fees to allow me to test out the card and see what all of the benefits are. After I looked through all of the forms (thoroughly, of course!) and signed them, the card came out… and I’ll tell you what: it is slick. You’ve seen them in the commercials but IRL they have this sheen on them as well. It also has Interac Flash, which is awesome and actually cuts down on fraud (limited amount of transactions between pin input and a daily cap on spending through flash – both adjustable, of course). If you don’t have a tap card, you don’t know what I mean, and you should get one. If you do, well, you get it.

For more information on the ScotiaHockey NHL Debit Card and the Hockey Adventure of a Lifetime contest, you should click here.

If you really want to see NHL fandom at its finest – and funniest, check out this ScotiaHockey NHL Debit Card video.