NHL gaming presents first-look tournament of EA SPORTS NHL 21

NEW YORK - The National Hockey League, in association with Electronic Arts Inc., today announced a unique EA SPORTS™ NHL®21 activation ahead of the game's release date on Oct. 16. For the first time ever, NHL gaming fans will have the opportunity for a sneak peek of EA SPORTS™ NHL®21, hockey's premier video game franchise, with the NHL Gaming First Look™: EA SPORTS NHL 21 tournament. The tournament, which will feature top players and influencers from the NHL gaming community, will be broadcast on
twitch.tv/nhl
on Saturday, Oct. 3, at 3 p.m. ET. Encore presentations also will air on NBCSN in the U.S., Sportsnet in Canada and Viasat in Europe as well as social platforms of the NHL and its global broadcast partners.

This invitational, produced remotely by NHL partner Engine Shop, will feature Minnesota Wild forward J.T. Brown and Ottawa Senators forward Brady Tkachuk - both avid gamers. The duo will be joined by participants:
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• A biology student at the University of Florida, LeafyTV has played NHL video games her entire life. She's also an avid NHL fan and full-time streamer. In a household full of die-hard Toronto Maple Leafs fans growing up, Sydney had to secretly root for her favourite player Sidney Crosby for many years.
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• Primarily an EASHL player and full-time streamer, OGKevinBacon tags himself as a multi-dimensional entertainer who lives in Dallas, Texas - a stone's throw from the home of the Western Conference champion Dallas Stars. He attends all Stars home games and lists captain Jamie Benn as his favorite player.
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• Based in Toronto, this Kamloops, B.C., native is the editor-in-chief for Canadian operations of The Athletic Media company and a frequent writer on all things hockey. The father of two started playing NHL20 regularly earlier this year when the pandemic forced the cancellation of his beer league games.
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• A full-time content creator and YouTube enthusiast from Windsor, Ont., THRASH is an EA SPORTS GameChanger. He lists Detroit Red Wings legend Steve Yzerman as his favorite NHL player of all-time and Pavel Datsyuk as the most mesmerizing player to watch.
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• A reporter for the Los Angeles Kings, Bathe grew up an avid hockey fan - with her father,
  Frank
  , playing 224 career games with the Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers as well as her four brothers, along with herself, playing at various levels of the sport. Among her many other interests, Bathe is a gaming enthusiast who enjoys competition off and on the ice.
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• A resident of Vancouver, B.C., HeyBarber could have the best hands in the competition. He is a stickhandling skills specialist, trick shot artist and social media influencer who travels the world teaching his craft. He also has played professional indoor hockey, field hockey and floorball for Team Canada. Barber helped EA SPORTS with the motion capture for NHL®21.
  "The date for the release of the new EA SPORTS NHL game is always circled on the calendar by both avid and casual gamers," said Chris Golier, NHL Vice President of Business Development and Innovation. "We are thrilled to collaborate with Electronic Arts this year on a showcase event ahead of public sale. The group of talented gamers and influencers we have assembled are sure to entertain while providing viewers with an advanced look at the tips, tricks and new game modes."
  The regular NHL GWC broadcast team of

and

along with reporter

will do what they do best - analyze plays, highlight new game elements, talk to the players and, most importantly, chirp the competitors during high-pressure situations!
Matches will be played in a variety of formats to allow participants to compete in a wide range of game modes, including the innovative Hockey Ultimate Team (HUT) RUSH. HUT RUSH is a streamlined version of HUT that lets players jump into HUT games quickly, rack up achievements, and unlock rewards with a scoring system that encourages skill and creativity.
NHL Gaming First Look™: EA SPORTS NHL 21 is supported by NHL Gaming World Championship™ North American partner Honda, Scotiabank in Canada and Navy Federal Credit Union in the United States.
To further support the inspiring work being done by Boys & Girls Clubs across North America, a donation of $7,500 USD will be made in the name of the winning competitor, with an additional $2,500 donated in the name of the competitor who scores the most points in the creative challenges. Donations are intended to help build and support youth hockey and skating programming for communities that need it the most through local Boys & Girls Clubs.
EA SPORTS NHL 21 launches worldwide on October 16th. Carve your path to superstardom in an expanded Be A Pro mode and go down as one of the league's greatest. On the ice, change up your attack with all new moves, dekes, dangles and evasive maneuvers, inspired by the league's most groundbreaking innovators. Recognize Creativity, Recognize Revolutionary, Recognize Future. NHL 21. Recognize Greatness. Pre-order
here
.