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Binovi Technologies $VISN.ca Appoints Olympic & World Champion Jennifer Botterill to Binovi Performance Advisory Board $EYPT $KALA $PTON

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 1:42 PM on Thursday, October 22nd, 2020
http://www.smallcapepicenter.com/binovi%20square.png
  • Announce the appointment of 3-time Olympic Gold Medalist and 5-time World Champion Jennifer Botterill as a Binovi Ambassador and to the Binovi Performance Advisory Board
  • Will contribute to the development of the Binovi Performance Platform
  • Jennifer will promote resources within the Binovi Product Platform that are advantageous to sports performance users

October 22, 2020  Toronto, New York – Binovi Technologies Corp., (Binovi) (TSXV:VISN ) | ( OTC:BNVIF) is proud to announce the appointment of 3-time Olympic Gold Medalist and 5-time World Champion Jennifer Botterill as a Binovi Ambassador and to the Binovi Performance Advisory Board where she will contribute to the development of the Binovi Performance Platform.

“In bringing on someone of Jennifer’s caliber and expertise to the Binovi Performance Advisory Board, we hope to expand the Binovi offering to even more top-end hockey relationships and their athletes, increasing the already very high skill and performance ceiling seen in professional sports. We’re excited to see what she can bring to the table in our growing industry,” commented Adam Cegielski, Founder and CEO

As a Binovi Ambassador, Jennifer will promote resources within the Binovi Product Platform that are advantageous to sports performance users. She will also assist with the promotion of Binovi to hockey teams and organizations such as current Binovi users the Dallas Stars and Eli Wilson Goaltending . She represents the latest wave of sport influencers supporting technology alongside traditional coaching methods to help improve the performance of athletes of all ages and skill levels. She is amongst an elite group of female athletes actively incorporating performance technology as a skill development resource.

“I am honoured to be a part of the Binovi team. It will be a privilege to collaborate with Binovi to help others achieve the highest level of success that is possible, and I recognize the importance of vision in our lives and in sport performance. I look forward to working closely with Binovi’s cutting edge research & technology to give athletes and individual users the edge to perform at their very best.” commented Jennifer Botterill, Excel In Life, Olympian and World Champion.

“Jennifer has earned herself a place at the top of women’s hockey in Canada and has cemented herself, alongside other greats, as a powerful voice in the sports performance market. Her experience and expertise in international sports, from the World Championship tournaments to Olympic Gold and Silver medals, positions her as a voice of influence when it comes to advanced human performance,” commented Tania Archer, Head of Global Marketing, Commercialization and Strategic Partnerships

Jennifer will be competing in Season 6 of CBC’s Battle of the Blades (premiering Thursday, October 22 at 8 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. NT), on behalf of The Canadian Cancer Society with two-time World pairs champion and Olympic gold and bronze medalist Eric Radford. Battle of the Blades pairs NHL, Olympic, and professional hockey players with World and Olympic figure skaters in an elimination competition with the hope of winning the grand prize of a $100,000 donation to the charity of their choice. Jennifer will be one of three female hockey players participating in this season’s competition.

About Jennifer Botterill

Jennifer Botterill is one of Canada’s most successful athletes of all-time : she was a member of the Canadian Women’s Hockey Team for fourteen years and competed in 4 Olympic Games; she is a three-time Olympic Gold Medalist (2002, 2006, 2010) , an Olympic silver medalist (1998) and was named to the 2006 Winter Olympic All Tournament Team . She is also a five-time World Champion and was twice (2001, 2004) named the most valuable player of the championship. She also received the Directorate Award as Best Forward (2001) at the IIHF Women’s World Championship. At Vancouver 2010, Jennifer assist ed on the gold medal winning goal.

Jennifer is a graduate of Harvard University, and completed her degree with honours, where she was team captain, won a National Championship, and became the highest scoring collegiate athlete in history. She is the only person to ever win the NCAA female national player of the year award twice.

Jennifer is a keynote speaker, performance coach, consultant, brand ambassador and a television broadcaster. She is an analyst for the NHL’s New York Islanders with MSG Networks. During her career, she has worked with CBC, TSN, and Sportsnet in various roles covering Hockey Canada, the Winter Olympics and the NHL. During the 2019-20 NHL season, Jennifer was an in-studio analyst for NBC’s historic first all-female broadcast team.

She has been a leader for mentorship and has worked as an athlete ambassador for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at the Youth Olympic Games and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to improve the women’s game globally.

@JenBotterill – Twitter & Instagram

For additional information on the Company, please visit https://www.binovi.com/investor-reports/

@BinoviVISN – Twitter & Instagram

About Binovi Technologies Corp.

Binovi is a best-in-class neuro-visual performance platform designed to test, analyze, track, and report on individual cognitive performance. Binovi combines hardware, software, specialized expert knowledge, and unique data insights to deliver customized, one-on-one training and learning protocols ideal for K-12 Students, Vision Care Specialists, and Sports Performance testing and training. Designed for vision optimization and the enhancement of skills related to cognitive performance, Binovi provides measurable results in less time, and with less effort. Binovi is currently used in over 1,500 locations across 20 countries.

Terry Booth

Chairman

Adam Cegielski

Founder | CEO | President

Tania Archer

Head – Global Marketing | Strategic Partnerships

Investor Relations

Email: [email protected]

Toll-free: 1 (844) 866-6162

https://www.binovi.com/investor-reports/

@BinoviVISN – Twitter & Instagram

Forward looking information:

Certain statements contained in this news release constitute “forward-looking information” as such term is used in applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information is based on plans, expectations and estimates of management at the date the information is provided and is subject to certain factors and assumptions, including, that the Company’s financial condition and development plans do not change as a result of unforeseen events and that the Company obtains regulatory approval. Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause plans, estimates and actual results to vary materially from those projected in such forward-looking information. Factors that could cause the forward-looking information in this news release to change or to be inaccurate include, but are not limited to, the risk that any of the assumptions referred to prove not to be valid or reliable, that occurrences such as those referred to above are realized and result in delays, or cessation in planned work, that the Company’s financial condition and development plans change, and delays in regulatory approval, as well as the other risks and uncertainties applicable to the Company as set forth in the Company’s continuous disclosure filings filed under the Company’s profile at www.sedar.com . The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, other than as required by applicable law.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Binovi $VISN.ca Congratulates @DallasStars on Their National Hockey League #NHL Western Conference Championship $EYPT $KALA

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 4:10 PM on Friday, September 25th, 2020
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  • Congratulates the National Hockey League’s (NHL) Dallas Stars on their Western Conference Championship and berth in the Stanley Cup Finals
  • The Stars last made the finals in 2000, and last won the championship in 1999
  • As part of their quest for the cup, the Dallas Stars have added Binovi vision training to their training programs , with the goal of improving the vision performance –and overall human performance– of every member of the team from the net forward
  • Binovi is proud to support the Dallas Stars players and training staff in their goals and wish the team all the best in this year’s championship series against the Tampa Bay Lightning

Toronto, New York – September 25, 2020 – Binovi Technologies Corp. , (Binovi) (TSXV:VISN ) | ( OTC:BNVIF) wishes to congratulate the National Hockey League’s (NHL) Dallas Stars on their Western Conference Championship and berth in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Stars last made the finals in 2000, and last won the championship in 1999.

The Stanley Cup has often been called the “hardest trophy to win” in professional sports, and the hard work and sacrifice that go into getting a team to such a high level is often overlooked. The players on the ice are one thing, but the support their teams put behind them –from coaching, to trainers, and support staff– is another beast entirely.

“We’ve been following the Stars closely during their playoff run and have been amazed by the team’s skill and determination. We look forward to reviewing their scores and results to see how vision training can impact performance at such a high level. Best of luck team in their upcoming games!” said Adam Cegielski, Binovi Technologies CEO

As part of their quest for the cup, the Dallas Stars have added Binovi vision training to their training programs , with the goal of improving the vision performance –and overall human performance– of every member of the team from the net forward. We are proud to support the Dallas Stars players and training staff in their goals and wish the team all the best in this year’s championship series against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

For additional information on the Company, please visit https://www.binovi.com/investor-reports

Twitter: @BinoviVISN

Instagram: @BinoviVISN

Facebook: BinoviVISN

About Binovi Technologies Corp.

Binovi is a best-in-class neuro-visual performance platform designed to test, analyze, track, and report on individual cognitive performance. Binovi combines hardware, software, specialized expert knowledge, and unique data insights to deliver customized, one-on-one training and learning protocols ideal for K-12 Students, Vision Care Specialists, and Sports Performance testing and training. Designed for vision optimization and the enhancement of skills related to cognitive performance, Binovi provides measurable results in less time, and with less effort. Binovi is currently used in over 1,500 locations across 20 countries.

Terry Booth

Executive Chairman

Adam Cegielski

Founder | CEO

Tania Archer

Head – Global Marketing | Strategic Partnerships

Investor Relations

Email: [email protected]

Toll-free: 1 (844) 866-6162

https://www.binovi.com/investor-reports/

Forward looking information:

Certain statements contained in this news release constitute “forward-looking information” as such term is used in applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information is based on plans, expectations and estimates of management at the date the information is provided and is subject to certain factors and assumptions, including, that the Company’s financial condition and development plans do not change as a result of unforeseen events and that the Company obtains regulatory approval. Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause plans, estimates and actual results to vary materially from those projected in such forward-looking information. Factors that could cause the forward-looking information in this news release to change or to be inaccurate include, but are not limited to, the risk that any of the assumptions referred to prove not to be valid or reliable, that occurrences such as those referred to above are realized and result in delays, or cessation in planned work, that the Company’s financial condition and development plans change, and delays in regulatory approval, as well as the other risks and uncertainties applicable to the Company as set forth in the Company’s continuous disclosure filings filed under the Company’s profile at www.sedar.com . The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, other than as required by applicable law.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Esports Entertainment Group $GMBL Begins Onboarding Hundreds of Affiliate Partners to Newly Relaunched VIE.gg #Esports Betting Platform $TECHF $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $TNA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 7:06 AM on Monday, May 18th, 2020
  • Company has officially begun onboarding hundreds of affiliate marketing partners to its newly relaunched VIE.gg wagering platform
  • Affiliate partners include esports teams, influencers, streamers, leagues, and super affiliates from Asia, Europe, North America and South America
  • Company believes its Affiliate Marketing program will play a significant role in its organic growth

BIRKIRKARA, Malta, May 18, 2020 — Esports Entertainment Group, Inc. (NasdaqCM: GMBL, GMBLW) (or the “Company”), a licensed online gambling company with a focus on esports wagering and 18+ gaming, has officially begun onboarding hundreds of affiliate marketing partners to its newly relaunched VIE.gg wagering platform. The affiliate partners include esports teams, influencers, streamers, leagues, and super affiliates from Asia, Europe, North America and South America. The Company believes its Affiliate Marketing program will play a significant role in its organic growth.

MALTA LICENSE AND NASDAQ LISTING ARE MAJOR ATTRACTIONS FOR AFFILIATES

The Company’s recently announced Malta gaming license and recent listing on NASDAQ are cited by our affiliate partners as very strong factors in their decision to partner with VIE.gg.  Though the Company first began registering a small sample of interested affiliates in 2018, these two factors have generated noticeable enthusiasm from existing and new affiliates who take great comfort in knowing the Company is working within one of the strictest licensing and listing regulatory environments, as compared to private operators.

Moreover, the Company’s financial strength as a result of its successful $8.4million public offering now provides VIE.gg with the resources necessary to support and grow its soon to be large affiliate partner base. 

“Our Affiliate partners are a very important part of our organic growth strategy in 2020 and beyond, so it has been a high priority of ours to provide the comfort and security they need to partner with us and drive their valuable global audiences to VIE.gg,” said Grant Johnson, CEO of Esports Entertainment Group.  “We believe that with the combination of our NASDAQ listing, capital raise and Malta license over the last 30 days we have a formidable competitive advantage to attract, support and grow with affiliate partners that we believe will lead to rapid organic growth for our newly relaunched VIE.gg esports wagering platform.”

Esports Entertainment offers bet exchange style wagering on esports events in a licensed, regulated and secure platform to the global esports audience at VIE.gg. Utilizing this peer-to-peer wagering system, the Company offers real-money, exchange-style wagering on esports events worldwide in a secure environment. The VIE.gg platform provides customers the ability to match bets against one another with Esports Entertainment taking a small commission on the winnings.

“Affiliate marketing is a proven growth model for online gambling,” commented Christian Heinrichs, Esports Affiliate Manager. “Our affiliate streamers broadcast to massive, global esports audiences. Combined with the credibility and support of the many teams and leagues we continue to sign as affiliates, we believe our VIE.gg platform can quickly become the industry standard for safe, secure esports betting.”

ABOUT ESPORTS ENTERTAINMENT GROUP

Esports Entertainment Group, Inc. is a licensed online gambling company with a specific focus on esports wagering and 18+ gaming. The Company holds a license to conduct online gambling and 18+ gaming on a global basis in Malta and Curacao, Kingdom of the Netherlands and is able to accept wagers from over 149 jurisdictions including Canada, Japan, Germany and South Africa. Esports Entertainment offers fantasy, pools, fixed odds and exchange style wagering on esports events in a licensed, regulated and secure platform to the global esports audience at vie.gg. In addition, Esports Entertainment intends to offer users from around the world the ability to participate in multi-player mobile and PC video game tournaments for cash prizes. Esports Entertainment is led by a team of industry professionals and technical experts from the online gambling and the video game industries, and esports. The Company maintains offices in Malta. For more information visit www.esportsentertainmentgroup.com

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

The information contained herein includes forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future events or to our future financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements since they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond our control and which could, and likely will, materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects our current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to our operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. We assume no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. The safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 protects companies from liability for their forward-looking statements if they comply with the requirements of the Act.

Contact:

U.S. Investor Relations 
RedChip Companies, Inc.
Dave Gentry
407-491-4498
[email protected]

Media & Investor Relations Inquiries
AGORACOM
[email protected]
http://agoracom.com/ir/eSportsEntertainmentGroup

#NHL Teams Are Utilizing #Esports To Keep Fans Engaged During #Coronavirus Pandemic $TECHF $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $TNA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 5:48 PM on Friday, May 15th, 2020

SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment Group (GMBL:NASDAQ) – Millions of people from around the world tune in to watch teams of video game players compete with each other. In first quarter 2020, YouTube reported 1.1 billion hours watched, an increase of 13% when compared to fourth quarter 2019. Wagering on Esports is projected to hit $23 BILLION this year although that number will likely be eclipsed due to the recent pandemic. Esports Entertainment Group is the next generation online gambling company designed for the purpose of facilitating as much of this wagering as possible.  LEARN MORE.

NHL Teams Are Utilizing Esports To Keep Fans Engaged During Coronavirus Pandemic

  • According to team figures, a simulated NHL 20 game between the Devils and Philadelphia Flyers drew over 60,000 live viewers across its platforms and more than 30,000 in games against Calgary, the New York Islanders, Columbus Blue Jackets and Carolina Hurricanes
  • Other teams that joined in and hosted NHL 20 games included Montreal, Winnipeg, Nashville, Edmonton, Washington, Colorado and Dallas

By: Shlomo Sprung

When the National Hockey League suspended play on March 12 due to the coronavirus pandemic, its 31 teams were suddenly confronted with no games, no open arenas, no concession or parking revenue and no obvious, direct way to keep their tens of millions of fans interested and engaged as the world faced months of quarantine and isolation.

“How are we putting ourselves in a position that we can continue to provide a source of entertainment, a source of hope and help people heal throughout this process,” asked Jake Reynolds, the New Jersey Devils’ team president.

For a large number of teams, the answer was esports titles like EA Sports’ NHL 20. And with the NHL game day experience abruptly a thing of the past, clubs like the Devils wanted to provide as best an approximation of that game day feeling as it could. So New Jersey quickly mobilized its content and marketing staff to bring its fans NHL 20 simulations on every game night against its would-be opponents for the remainder of the 2019-2020 season.

New Jersey got Matt Loughlin, its radio announcer, to do the play-by-play for the games. The team integrated actual game day sponsors like M&Ms for its moment of the game, PSE&G for its power plays, Investors Bank for a team roll call and RWJBarnabas Health for the starting goalie matchup. After goalie Cory Schneider recorded 98 saves on 102 shots in a simulated game against the Calgary Flames on March 19, Loughlin interviewed him from his couch, with his excited kids climbing all over him.

“It brought a sense of realism to it,” Reynolds said. “And that was one of the things we heard from so many of our fans. That this was the first sense of normalcy that their children had had during the quarantine period through the first couple of weeks.”

According to team figures, a simulated NHL 20 game between the Devils and Philadelphia Flyers drew over 60,000 live viewers across its platforms and more than 30,000 in games against Calgary, the New York Islanders, Columbus Blue Jackets and Carolina Hurricanes. Other teams that joined in and hosted NHL 20 games included Montreal, Winnipeg, Nashville, Edmonton, Washington, Colorado and Dallas.

“When more teams cooperate,” Devils senior vice president of marketing Jillian Frechette said, “it benefits both teams. The engagement on social platforms is much stronger.

That’s what the Minnesota Wild did when they simulcasted a simulated game against the Devils and decided to stream the rest of their regular season schedule on their Twitch channel. But instead of letting the CPUs do the work, Minnesota enlisted local professional gamers to play the roles of the Wild and its opponents on the scheduled game nights. Though the Wild only got several hundred viewers on its still-growing Twitch, the team was encouraged by the results.

“The market for this is relatively small, but it’s growing,” said Jim Vanek, Minnesota’s senior manager of events and brand activation. “But the people who are interested branch out and consume anything and everything available. So they’re not sticking to just one particular team or market.”

Minnesota’s also gotten a lot of interest from some of its own players to represent the team in NHL 20 matchups, including forwards Jordan Greenway and Ryan Hartman and goalie Devan Dubnyk.

“Some of these younger players that come into the league grew up as gamers,” Vanek said, “and for these guys coming up now and having an affinity for this, it’s been really great for us.”

Greenway and Hartman have played the Nashville Predators duo of Nick Bonino and Roman Josi to a series of two-on-two games, something Nashville has done with some other teams.

“It brings another dynamic when you can have these players on headsets commentating on what’s happening,” Vanek said. “You hear the banter back and forth. It just adds a whole other layer to the viewing experience.”

A look at the Wild’s two-on-two gaming series against Nashville. Twitch screengrab. Twitch

The Florida Panthers tried engaging their fans in certain ways, that included a virtual 5K run that attracted nearly 500 runners in 26 states and two Canadian provinces, but they wanted to try their hand at esports as well after seeing other NHL teams’ success.

So they posted to Twitch for the first time on May 5, with TV analyst Randy Moller playing FloridaPanthers.com reporter Jameson Olive in a game of current Panthers against team alumni called by radio play-by-play announcer Doug Plagens. Olive has even gone on to play some fans in NHL 20 himself over the last week. Eventually, the Panthers are going to bring interested players like forwards Jonathan Huberdeau, Frank Vatrano and Mike Hoffman on board to do live Twitch streams as well.

“When I saw a couple of other teams going with simulations, I liked it, but we thought that we should do something a little different,” said Panthers vice president Shawn Thornton, who won a pair of Stanley Cup titles over his 14-year playing career. “We felt like we wanted to be a little more interactive with our fanbase.”

While Minecraft isn’t the typical esport you’d think of, teams like Minnesota, Anaheim and Las Vegas are using it to reach its youngest fans. They partnered with the North American Scholastic Esports Federation for a contest where teams of four kids between grades 3 and 12 can design team jerseys, logos or physical arenas. The contest runs through May 29, and all entries that design Wild elements will be sent to the team, Vanek said. A winner will be picked in each category and be given a prize pack, and a grand champion will get a player signed Minnesota jersey for the teams of up to four kids.

“We’re really excited to see what kind of creativity comes out of this and to be able to share those submissions with our audience,” Vanek said.

While the Devils were more experienced in producing esports events that can attract big audiences— with weekly Saturday night streams continuing with this weekend’s battle against the archrival New York Rangers— the Wild and Panthers have been encouraged by their initial forays into Twitch.

Minnesota plans on promoting matches more heavily on social media, creating its own gaming specific social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using the Wild Gaming handle. Vanek mentioned the Washington Capitals as a team it’s using as an example for gaming specific channels.

Florida plans on reaching the 500 minutes per months streaming threshold on Twitch to become a Twitch Affiliate, which enables streamers to monetize their content. The pause in play, Thornton said, allowed the Panthers to take a longer approach for their esports strategy even when things return to normal and NHL teams can go back to having fans in the seats. But as the league remains suspended, it’s still about keeping those fans engaged with their teams and brands.

“We have to stay relevant,” Thornton said. “So we’re constantly coming up with different ideas to try and keep the content flowing.”

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/shlomosprung/2020/05/14/nhl-esports-devils-panthers-wild-rangers-predators-capitals-minecraft-coronavirus-pandemic/#3df00172d403

With content consumption patterns changing, the #NHL continues to embrace #Esports with Player Gaming Challenge – SPONSOR Esports Entertainment Group $GMBL $TECHF $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $TNA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 1:00 PM on Friday, May 1st, 2020

SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment Group (GMBL:NASDAQ) – Millions of people from around the world tune in to watch teams of video game players compete with each other. In first quarter 2020, YouTube reported 1.1 billion hours watched, an increase of 13% when compared to fourth quarter 2019. Wagering on Esports is projected to hit $23 BILLION this year although that number will likely be eclipsed due to the recent pandemic. Esports Entertainment Group is the next generation online gambling company designed for the purpose of facilitating as much of this wagering as possible.  LEARN MORE.

With content consumption patterns changing, the NHL continues to embrace eSports with Player Gaming Challenge

  • One of the major things marking the 21st century is a radical shift in the way people consume their entertainment
  • Sports are no different, with eSports video streaming being the main way NASCAR, NBA, and NHL fans have been getting their fixes this spring

by Mike Usinger

It’s not lost on the National Hockey League brain trust that the world we once knew has changed in dramatic ways. And we’re not just talking about what will be remembered as one of the most culture-shifting periods in the history of humankind.

One of the major things marking the 21st century is a radical shift in the way people consume their entertainment. Music is all about streaming, after decades of vinyl, CDs, cassettes, and 8-tracks. There’s no need to head to the video store or multiplex when you’ve got Apple TV, Netflix, and Amazon Prime. And why spring for Nancy Silverton’s Breads From the La Brea Bakery when YouTube will walk you through every step of making sourdough?

Sports are no different, with eSports video streaming being the main way NASCAR, NBA, and NHL fans have been getting their fixes this spring.

Like other major organizations, the NHL has taken our lockdown times and found a positive among the uncertainty.

Last week, the league gave traditional-hockey-starved fans something to get excited about by announcing the Player Gaming Challenge, a four-week charity tournament featuring players from every NHL team—including the Seattle Kraken! (And no, we don’t care if the NHL expansion franchise ends up being named the Seattle Grunge, Seattle Pioneer Squares, or Seattle Microsofties—there’s only one name that counts, and that’s the Kraken!)

But the league’s recognition of the booming world of eSports began long before the Player Gaming Challenge, starting with streamed NHL 20 video versions of cancelled COVID-19 games in mid-March.

When he’s reached by the Straight at his Connecticut home, NHL mobile marketing strategist Chris Golier is excited about how the league has successfully pivoted to eSports.

In some ways the shift isn’t new. Golier notes the ongoing success of the NHL Gaming World Championship, the 2020 version of which got under way on March 11. That’s where hockey-obsessed gamers from around the globe compete in online matches for this year’s pool of $200,000 in prize money.

“The objective, right from the beginning, has been ‘Let’s use this gaming platform as a way to reach the younger fans,’ ” Golier says of the eSports tournament, which is now in its third year. “It’s a touchstone for fandom—some people start to learn the game based on playing the game, and in some cases that’s because of the video game.”

With folks turning to eSports in record numbers to pass the time—think everything from eNASCAR races to NBA2K20 to NHL 20—the challenge became capitalizing on that. Giving hockey fans something to get excited about a time when the Stanley Cup Playoffs would normally be in full swing added an extra incentive.

It was out of this that the Player Gaming Challenge was born. Step one was reaching out to teams, and the response to the tournament was enthusiastic across the board. Fifty players from the 31 existing NHL franchises signed on, with Thatcher Demko and Adam Gaudette eager to represent the Vancouver Canucks.

The Player Gaming Challenge will see players from each team competing head-to-head from their homes, in games viewable on platforms ranging from Twitch, Facebook, and YouTube to television broadcasts on Sportsnet ONE and NBCSN.

Working with its teams as well as the NHL Players’ Association, the NHL had a good idea which players were already active on streaming platforms and social media. A short list of participants includes Ryan Reaves (Vegas Golden Knights), Filip Forsberg (Nashville Predators), Evgeny Kuznetsov (Washington Capitals), and Zach Hyman (Toronto Maple Leafs).

A big goal of the tournament is to engage fans through in-game banter—and if you’ve ever heard players miked up during an on-ice NHL game, you know that what gets said behind the play and between the whistles is fascinating. Considering that participants include the famously colourful likes of the Calgary Flames’ Matthew Tkachuk and his brother Brady from the Ottawa Senators, the NHL 20 gameplay in some ways seems like bonus content.

“The Tkachuk brothers were actually taped over the weekend, and you can imagine there was some good chirping going on,” Golier says with a laugh. “We tried to align the matchups in that way—either there was a common bond where they’d played together in the pros or juniors, or came from the same area and came up together in a province. In some cases we had college teammates. We tried to group them together in that way, so the actual matches themselves would be a whole lot of fun.”

Some games have already been taped for the tournament, which officially starts April 30, and Golier says there’s a major payoff for those who love hockey.

“It gives fans another point of reference for the players,” he suggests. “The players are human—they have families, and they’re in this quarantine together. They’re working out the best they can, much like we’re all trying to get a run in. To see that side of the players they normally don’t see—gaming is the conduit here. It’s the conversation starter, and it also allows the players to get their juices flowing again. They don’t want to lose, even though all this is for fun and for charity.”

And yes, hockey fans aren’t the only big winners of the Honda-sponsored Player Gaming Challenge. NHL 20 game publisher Electronic Arts donated $70,000 to COVID-19 relief as part of the initiative, an amount matched by the NHL.

The important message in a time of crisis is an oft-repeated one: we’re all in this together.

Source: https://www.straight.com/esports/with-content-consumption-patterns-changing-nhl-continues-to-embrace-esports-with-player