Linthicum Resident Vying for Ultimate Explorer Title

Linthicum resident Charles Schelle has a chance to finish his NHL arena journey in style but needs your votes to advance in the Ultimate Explorer challenge.

Schelle has advanced to the Top 10 round and will need to qualify in the Top 5 by 10 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Sept. 12. You can vote for free every day on Charles Schelle's Ultimate Explorer profile.

Paid votes are also an option earning additional votes, with donations going to the National Parks Foundation.

Schelle started his NHL arena journey in earnest in 2019 attending a game at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit when he realized he should start visiting some of the more stories venues before they close, and to expand his quest to see more of the country. By that time, he already attended NHL games at the then-MCI/Verizon Center (now Capital One Arena), the U.S. Airways Arena and the United Center in Chicago.

"I also wanted to feel the experience of what it means to be a fan in each of these cities. NHL fans are a passionate lot, and while I've seen my hometown Washington Capitals on the road with some thrilling victories, there's something special about bonding with the locals and sharing in their goal songs, their chants and at times, the hatred," he said. "While the Capitals Stanley Cup run was unforgettable, so was the madness at Nassau Coliseum when Jonathan Tavares returned for his first game on Long Island after signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Absolutely brutal."

As of today, what remains in his journey are:

• Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah
• KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York
• Little Caesars Arena in Detroit
• SAP Center in San Jose, California
• Scotiabank Arena in Toronto

The trip appears to never end, with a mix of new arenas coming online and franchise relocation—both in-market and out-of-market. That includes three arenas for the New York Islanders, and two for the Arizona Coyotes until the franchise was deactivated and its hockey operations moved to Salt Lake City this summer.

The visits have included state and national parks, wildlife refuges, shorelines, monuments and more along the way on both sides of the border including San Juan Islands National Historical Park, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, the Hoover Dam, Everglades National Park, Tucson Mountain Park, Denver Mountain Park, Pikes Peak, Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, Gateway Arch National Park, and several parks in Canada including Banff National Park.

Schelle chronicles his NHL arena visits on his blog, Hockey Nuts & Bolts.

If he wins the grand prize, he plans to tour national parks in the custom Winnebago® while visiting some of his favorite hockey arenas across the country and use the remaining funds to re-start his journey.

The grand prize includes:

• $10,000.00

• A personalized “National Park Expedition” in a Winnebago® camper van in 2024 or 2025, which includes requisite National Park permitting passes/fees, camp site reservations, fuel, and basic food/beverage supplies for up to 10 days/9 nights.

• An exclusive photo shoot to be photographed to be featured in a 2-page minimum advertorial spread in Outside Magazine.

Here is the schedule for the remaining rounds:

• Top 5 (begins September 5th and ends September 12th) - Public voting will help reduce each group to the top five (5) Competitors.
• Group Finals (begin September 12th and end September 19th) - Public voting will help reduce total Competitors to one (1) preliminary winner in each Group Finals group who will then advance to the Quarterfinals.
• Wildcard Round (begins September 20th and ends September 22nd) - Those Competitors who took second (2nd) place in their respective Group Finals group will compete in a shortened round for a chance to advance to the Quarterfinals. Votes will be reset, and public voting will determine the top one (1) Competitor from each group who will then advance to the Quarterfinals.
• Quarterfinals (begin September 23rd and end October 3rd) - The top Competitors from each Group Finals/Wildcard Round group will be divided into Quarterfinals groups. Votes will be reset, and public voting will determine the top one (1) Quarterfinalist from each group who will then advance to the Semifinals.
• Semifinals (begin October 4th and end October 10th) - The top Competitors from each Quarterfinals group will be divided into Semifinals groups. Votes will be reset, and public voting will determine the top one (1) Semifinalist from each group who will then advance to the Finals.
• Finals (begin October 11th and end October 17th) - Votes will be reset, and public voting will determine which Finalist will be the winner of the 2024 Ultimate Explorer Competition (the “Grand Prize Winner”). Grand Prize Winner will be announced on or before October 25th, 2024.