LA Kings Set to Participate in NHL Player Gaming Challenge

In coordination with ESL Gaming, the National Hockey League (NHL) announced the first-ever NHL Player Gaming Challenge™ presented by Honda featuring NHL players representing all 31 Clubs.

The NHL Foundation and EA SPORTS are teaming up to donate a combined $100,000 in support of the CDC Foundation's COVID-19 relief efforts. Together with hockey fans, they are raising funds to support priority needs for public health agencies across the U.S. and Canada.

The CDC Foundation is an independent nonprofit that helps the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) save and improve lives, including during the COVID-19 response.

Beginning Thursday, April 30, TV Play-by-Play Announcer Alex Faust will host the series of weekly matchups, which will be released on Thursdays and Saturdays.

NBC Sports will air the first series of games, including Calgary vs. Ottawa and Columbus vs. Winnipeg, beginning at 5 p.m. ET on NBCSN as part of its Hockey Happy Hour programming. Sportsnet Now has committed to broadcast one match per week on its linear TV channels and all matches on Sportsnet.ca. NHL Network will also air all matches.

Weekly matchups, storylines and broadcast details will be revealed at the beginning of each week.

All featured matches also will be streamed on the NHL's social platforms: Twitch, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook Premiere and NHL.com. Hockey and gaming fans can follow along using the hashtag #HockeyAtHome.

The NHL Player Gaming Challenge™ presented by Honda reminds fans to stay safe, stay home and play together. With competitors streaming from the comfort of their homes, fans will get a taste of how NHL players are keeping their hockey skills sharp and handling the pause of the 2019-20 NHL® season.

ESL Gaming, the world's largest esports company, is providing the production, creative direction, and logistical guidance for the event. All matches will be played using PS4 gaming consoles.

"Over the past several weeks, the NHL, its Clubs and player community have been very active with gaming initiatives in an effort to connect with fans while social distancing - such as charity tournaments, simulated games and nightly streams," said Chris Golier, NHL Vice President of Business Development.

"The NHL Player Gaming Challenge presented by Honda will take gaming to another level. We know how competitive our players are, and coupled with the interaction between players, these series of competitions will be extremely fun to watch."

Honda, the NHL's Official Automotive Partner in the United States and Canada, has supported the League's esports initiatives since the inception of the NHL Gaming World Championship™ in 2018. Honda's commitment to support NHL programming during the 2019-20 season pause shows its dedication to keeping fans engaged during this unique time.

As the NHL community continues to practice social distancing and take all necessary precautions during this time, the League will continue to help fans stay connected to players and the game by providing access to unique content and archived games. NHL Pause Binge™ aggregates NHL video, editorial and digital content available on NHL.com, the NHL app and across the NHL's social channels.

Scheduled participants:

• Anaheim Ducks: Cam Fowler
• Arizona Coyotes: Conor Garland, Clayton Keller
• Boston Bruins: Jake DeBrusk, Charlie McAvoy
• Buffalo Sabres: Brandon Montador
• Calgary Flames: Noah Hanifin, Matthew Tkachuk
• Carolina Hurricanes: Warren Foegele
• Chicago Blackhawks: Drake Caggiula, Alex DeBrincat,
• Columbus Blue Jackets: Elvis Merzlikins, Zach Werenski
• Colorado Avalanche: J.T. Compher
• Dallas Stars: Stephen Johns, Jamie Oleksiak
• Detroit Redwings: Madison Bowey, Anthony Mantha
• Edmonton Oilers: Caleb Jones, Darnell Nurse
• Florida Panthers: TBA
• LA Kings: Michael Amadio, Blake Lizotte
• Minnesota Wild: Devan Dubnyk, Jordan Greenway
• Montreal Canadiens: Victor Mete, Nick Suzuki
• Nashville Predators: Filip Forsberg
• New Jersey Devils: Mackenzie Blackwood
• New York Islanders: Matt Martin
• New York Rangers: Chris Kreider
• NHL Seattle: Luke Willson, Seattle Seahawks (NFL)
• Ottawa Senators: Brady Tkachuk, Chris Tierney
• Philadelphia Flyers: James van Riemsdyk
• Pittsburgh Penguins: Zach Aston-Reese, Bryan Rust
• San Jose Sharks: Evander Kane, Marcus Sorensen
• St Louis Blues: Colton Parayko, Robert Thomas
• Tampa Bay Lightning: Tyler Johnson
• Toronto Maple Leafs: Zach Hyman
• Vancouver Canucks: Thatcher Demko, Adam Gaudette
• Vegas Golden Knights: Ryan Reaves, Alex Tuch
• Washington Capitals: Evgeny Kuznetsov
• Winnipeg Jets: Kyle Connor