Win or lose, it’s been fun to witness the buzz around Austin’s Riverside Arena making the top 10 of hockey rinks to qualify for the “Kraft Hockeyville” competition.

If Austin wins, Riverside could get up to $150,000 for arena upgrades. Each of the 10 finalists will be awarded funds for arena upgrades from Kraft Heinz, and the grand prize winner will be awarded $150,000 and the opportunity to host an NHL Pre-Season game televised live on NBCSN.

Voting at www.krafthockeyville.com ended yesterday, but it already feels like Austin won something. The competition has brought excitement to the community, with many people posting on social media and chatting at workplaces about the competition.

With the rise of the Austin Bruins in recent years, Riverside Arena has sort of taken on the role of a winter community gathering place. When Austin sinks into the depths of winter, area residents can still take in a hockey game with their neighbors.

The city of Austin completed a $1.4 million renovation of Riverside Arena in 2015 and will have summer ice for much of this year — something that can prove costly.

And more improvements are needed, from new scoreboards to locker room improvements.

On April 24 and 25, the field will be shaved to two; and the winner will be announced the end of the month.

Regardless of that result, Austin residents should feel good about the community pride shown through the contest.