Your favourite junior hockey stars will soon face off for virtual supremacy.
In partnership with Kia Canada and supported by veeZion, the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) today announced the premiere edition of the Memorial eCup presented by Kia, a 64-team eSports tournament featuring all 60 CHL Member Clubs across Canada and the United States plus four distinguished hockey personalities serving as guest participants.
“We are thrilled to launch this property and it only makes sense to do so with an innovative partner in Kia Canada,” said CHL President Dan MacKenzie. “The growth of gaming and eSports offers a new opportunity to stay better connected with our fans. It is also a fun way to give our players a chance to showcase their skills in a format that many of them enjoy in their spare time.”
The interactive eSports tournament will feature one player representative from all 60 CHL Member Clubs displaying his gaming abilities and competitive spirit in NHL 21 on Sony PlayStation 4 with all matches streamed on Facebook Live and Twitch, while hockey fans and gamers are also encouraged to follow along at CHL.ca/MemorialeCup and across social media via #KiaCHLeCup.
“Innovation is what drives us at Kia Canada; from leading-edge design to award-winning products like Stinger and Telluride, we continuously strive to stay ahead of the curve,” said Kia Canada Director of Marketing Michael Kopke. “This year, we have adapted to the challenges of COVID-19 by developing safe car-buying experiences that have led to record sales and we have prioritized national efforts on supporting Canadians in need with Food Banks Canada. In these unprecedented times, the Canadian Hockey League is similarly taking an innovative approach to uniting fans and families around our nation’s beloved sport and that resonates so strongly with us as their partner.”
The competition commences as a single-elimination tournament, with semifinal and final-round action then seeing players go head-to-head in a best-of-three format. Tournament play begins November 28 with a 10-game set while the ultimate champion will be crowned December 17.
The Memorial eCup presented by Kia tournament bracket and schedule as well as a complete list of guest participants and fan prizing information will be revealed prior to November 28.
60 CHL players competing in Memorial eCup presented by Kia
Acadie-Bathurst Titan – Dylan Champagne
Baie-Comeau Drakkar – Gabriel Belley-Pelletier
Barrie Colts – Luke Bignell
Blainville-Boisbriand Armada – Simon Lavigne
Brandon Wheat Kings – Luka Burzan
Calgary Hitmen – Luke Prokop
Cape Breton Eagles – Jacob Santerre
Charlottetown Islanders – Ryan Maynard
Chicoutimi Sagueneens – Samuel Houde
Drummondville Voltigeurs – Luke Woodworth
Edmonton Oil Kings – Jalen Luypen
Erie Otters – Brendan Hoffmann
Everett Silvertips – Jackson Berezowski
Flint Firebirds – Riley Piercey
Gatineau Olympiques – Pier-Olivier Roy
Guelph Storm – Danny Zhilkin
Halifax Mooseheads – Zach Jones
Hamilton Bulldogs – Zachary Roy
Kamloops Blazers – Kyrell Sopotyk
Kelowna Rockets – Cole Schwebius
Kingston Frontenacs – Braden Hache
Kitchener Rangers – Graham Dickerson
Lethbridge Hurricanes – Justin Hall
London Knights – Max McCue
Medicine Hat Tigers – Lukas Svejkovsky
Mississauga Steelheads – Ty Collins
Moncton Wildcats – Jacob Stewart
Moose Jaw Warriors – Cory King
Niagara IceDogs – Mason Howard
North Bay Battalion – Luke Moncada
Oshawa Generals – Allan McShane
Ottawa 67’s – Cam Tolnai
Owen Sound Attack – Sam Sedley
Peterborough Petes – Shawn Spearing
Portland Winterhawks – Kishaun Gervais
Prince Albert Raiders – Zack Hayes
Prince George Cougars – Majid Kaddoura
Quebec Remparts – Dylan Schives
Red Deer Rebels – Chris Douglas
Regina Pats – Carson Denomie
Rimouski Oceanic – Zachary Massicote
Rouyn-Noranda Huskies – Carter Murchison
Saginaw Spirit – Danny Katic
Saint John Sea Dogs – Riley Bezeau
Sarnia Sting – Justin O’Donnell
Saskatoon Blades – Rhett Rhinehart
Seattle Thunderbirds – Keltie Jeri-Leon
Shawinigan Cataractes – William Veillette
Sherbrooke Phoenix – Colin Ratt
Soo Greyhounds – Rory Kerins
Spokane Chiefs – Matt Leduc
Sudbury Wolves – Blake Murray
Swift Current Broncos – Bode Hagan
Tri-City Americans – Booker Daniel
Val-d’Or Foreurs – Jeremy Michel
Vancouver Giants – Trevor Longo
Victoria Royals – Ty Yoder
Victoriaville Tigres – Felix Pare
Windsor Spitfires – Xavier Medina
Winnipeg ICE – Michael Milne