[January 14, 2020]

NHL Teams Join Forces With North America Scholastic Esports Federation to Offer "2020 Chel Invitational" With Live Finals at DreamHack Anaheim

The thrill of hockey now extends from the ice to the computer, and the 2020 Chel Invitational offers hockey fans and esports players a chance to compete for scholarships and team prizes. NASEF, the North America Scholastic Esports Federation, is teaming up with the Anaheim Ducks, LA Kings, Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers for this exciting event.

Each team will host a qualifying regional esports competition for youth and adults. Winners of those local events will receive a trip to Southern California to compete on-stage in a live finals event at DreamHack Anaheim. Scholarships, grants, and team prizes totaling more than $50,000 will be awarded.

"Scoring a goal or blocking a shot is always exciting, whether it happens in the chill of a rink or in a competitive on-screen battle. We're thrilled at the increased number of fans playing NHL online," said Mark Deppe, commissioner, NASEF. "The youth focus is fantastic - this is a great way to connect with fans of all ages, encouraging their love of hockey and showing them how they can have related career paths on and off the ice."

NASEF leverages massive youth interest in esports by teaching students about career options that exist in esports, professional sports, and other industries. In the Chel Invitational, high schoolers can win scholarships for their own college education and grants for their high schools Additional scholarships will be given to students who win analytic and creative "Beyond the Game" competitions with a hockey theme.

The 2020 Chel Invitational will use EA Sports NHL 20 for concurrent Swiss-style brackets divided by region and platform (Xbox, Playstation). Each of the participating NHL teams will manage its local event for participants age 18 and up. Live Finals will be held at DreamHack Anaheim on February 22.

Learn more about each regional qualifier at the links below:

Anaheim Ducks Gaming: anaheimducks.com/nhl20.

Vegas Golden Knights: https://www.nhl.com/goldenknights/community/chel-invitational.

LA Kings: LAKings.com/CHEL.

Florida Panthers: FloridaPanthers.com/CHEL.

High school students across North America can learn more at https://www.esportsfed.org/league/nhl/. They must opt-in by January 31 for the Invitational through the NASEF club at their high school or community-based organization. There are hundreds across North America; establish a club for free if there isn't one in your area yet. An additional bracket has been established to enable students to participate in this exciting tournament even if they live outside the four regions.

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View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200114005732/en/

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