CHEL Intel: North American Championship Edition will provide players and fans an overview of the EA SPORTS NHL 24 North American Championship and profile the eight players who have qualified for the final round. The final round of the EA SPORTS NHL 24 North American Championship will take place in-person on Sunday, March 24 at the NHL Flagship Store in New York City. The full live stream will be available on the NHL’s Twitch channel beginning at 1 p.m. ET.
Now in its seventh season, the EA SPORTS™ NHL 24 World Championship is the NHL’s premier global esports competition and concludes by crowning a World Champion on April 7, 2024. News, qualifier information and results can be found in real time on the tournament’s website, www.nhl.com/NHL24. Fans can follow along on social media using #NHL24WC.
Returning for consecutive seasons, the NHL24WC North American Championship broadcast team will be led by gaming expert and play-by-play announcer, Cameron ‘NoSleeves’ Halbert, and Anthony ‘GrizGoal’ Scibilia III providing color commentary, player background and analysis.
Cam and Grizz will be joined by host, Anna Dua, for the North American Championship and World Championship – a regular with NHL Network and NHL.com. Dua joined the NHL in March 2022 after covering the NHL with NBC Sports from 2019 to 2022. She grew up playing ice hockey, in addition to becoming a certified hockey coach. She channels her passion for sports from being a lifelong athlete into coverage as a sports reporter. She has covered major NHL events such as the Winter Classic and Stadium Series, in addition to routine coverage of the regular season and Stanley Cup Playoffs for the League and the NHL Network.
EA SPORTS NHL 24 North American Championship Format
The North American Championship will be played among the top eight players from the North American Console Final. The eight players will be split into two pools of four players who will compete in a best-of-one round robin. Players will be assigned to a round-robin pool based on order of seeding from the North American Console Final. Each round robin match will be scored as two points for a win, one point for an overtime loss, and zero points for a regulation loss. Ties will be broken by (1) head-to-head record, (2) goal differential, (3) number of total goals for, (4) fewest number of goals against, and then (5) a coin flip.
The top two finishers from each pool will advance to a semifinal round. The highest finisher in one pool will play the second finisher in the other. The semifinal and final rounds of the North American Championship will be a best-of-three to determine the North American Champion.
EA SPORTS NHL 24 North American Champion and runner up will also automatically qualify for the EA SPORTS NHL 24 World Championship held on April 7 in New York.
The North American and World Final will be played on the PlayStation 5 Console.
The EA SPORTS NHL 24 World Championship is produced by NHL24WC partner DreamHack Sports Games (DHSG), a brand of the ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), the leading esports and video game entertainment company. EFG is dedicated to creating worlds beyond gameplay and builds innovative ecosystems that enable global communities of players, fans and creators around esports and video games.
Let’s meet the finalists:
Nikolas Kritikos (Boogie x 91) is 24 years old and one of three gamers from Quebec (also Deeks and Sauceshow) in the EA SPORTS NHL 24 North American Final. Boogie x 91 qualified to the North American Bracket by placing as runner up in the Carolina Hurricanes Club Championship, the team he is representing in the NHL 24 North American Final. He has also qualified for three previous NHL Gaming competitions but has never made it as far as he has this season. Though he enters the NHL 24 North American Final as an underdog – Kritikos previously lost in the semifinal of his first LAN event in New York – he sees this as an advantage as he doesn’t feel the pressure is on him.
Boogie x 91 votes for Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon to be on the cover of NHL 25 because of his talent on the ice and reliability during crucial plays. His favorite player, however, is Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos for his leadership style and teamwork, which Boogie x 91 hopes to emulate. Kritikos has been playing ice hockey all over Canada and the U.S. since the age of five and has attended several big hockey events like the Quebec Peewee tournament.
Being new to the 1v1 scene, Kritikos doesn’t have too many rivals, but does hope he beats his provincial rivals. Boogie plays for the SJS Gaming team in EASHL 6’s. His EASHL team consists of his neighbors and friends, including Wrxsto, Mcniips and Hxdman, who all grew up playing at the rink and joined the CHEL community together. Boogie x 91’s teammates and family will be cheering him on, and if he wins, he hopes to take his family out to a nice dinner to thank them for their support.
Kritikos works full-time as a financial analyst when he’s not practicing Chel.
Road to the North American Championship
NA Championship: Console Final - Playdown Round of 16 (series win 2-1 vs. DunkinDeli)
NA Championship: Console Final - Playdown Round of 32 (series win 2-0 vs. Prestaraa)
NA Championship: Console Final - Playdown Round of 64 (series win 2-0 vs. MattLA91)
NA Championship: Console Final - Playdown Round of 128 (series win 2-0 vs. Larcenistt)
NA Club Qualifier: Carolina Hurricanes – Playdown Final (series loss 0-2 vs. PapaGoesMmmm) **
NA Club Qualifier: Carolina Hurricanes – Playdown Semifinal (series win 2-0 vs. rangers18)
NA Club Qualifier: Carolina Hurricanes – Playdown Quarterfinal (series win 2-0 vs. melo250)
NA Club Qualifier: Carolina Hurricanes – Playdown Round of 16 (series win 2-0 vs. Imawinner6001)
NA Club Qualifier: Carolina Hurricanes – Playdown Round of 32 (series win 2-0 vs. SafirSodouri)
\* Player automatically qualified for the North American Console Final as Club Runner Up*
Find Boogiex91’s HUT Team HERE
* * * * *
Deeks (Dany-Karl Lévesque) from Saint-Hyacinthe, Que., is taking the NHL gaming world by storm this season and continues to make a name for himself in LAN competitions. After qualifying for the EA SPORTS NHL All-Star Open and winning a trip to Toronto, Deeks hopes his luck continues in New York this weekend as he vies for the $15,000 USD grand prize and North American Championship title. He was also recently a finalist with MapleLeafsGaming Season 4.
An ice hockey player himself, Lévesque has chosen to represent his hometown Montreal Canadiens in competition and lists former defenseman and current ESPN analyst P.K. Subban as his favorite NHL player.
One of the youngest players in the field, Deeks started playing the NHL title on NHL 15 and says he first started playing Chel standing because his TV was too high and he didn’t have a chair! He considers his fellow NA finalist Regs as the G.O.A.T. of Chel and DunkinDeli as his biggest rival. He will upgrade his streaming setup and save up for a car if he wins the North American title and $15,000 USD prize.
Deeks needs a strong coffee or an energy drink to help him get fired up for his games and lists his strengths as hitting and taking a straightline approach. As well as 1v1, he also plays 6’s with his team, The Underdogs.
Road to the North American Championship
NA Championship: Console Final - Playdown Round of 16 (series win 2-0 vs. Sitful94)
NA Championship: Console Final - Playdown Round of 32 (series win 2-1 vs. Boily)
NA Championship: Console Final - Playdown Round of 64 (series win 2-0 vs. Swan1020)
NA Championship: Console Final - Playdown Round of 128 (Bye)
NA Club Qualifier: All-Star Open – Playdown Semifinal (series loss 2-0 vs. Polgz) **
NA Club Qualifier: All-Star Open – Playdown Quarterfinal (series win 2-0 vs. hockeyflow92)
NA Club Qualifier: All-Star Open – Playdown Round of 16 (series win 2-1 vs. Blouin_x9)
\* Player automatically qualified for the North American Console Final as finalist for All-Star Open*
Find Deeks’ HUT Team HERE
* * * * *
Gren (Matthew Grenier) is an accomplished competitive player who resides in Tomball, TX. As the Club Champion, the 22-year-old Grenier is representing the Buffalo Sabres for the EA SPORTS NHL 24 North American Championship. Last year, Grenier won the inaugural NHL 23 All-Star Final when he represented the Dallas Stars.
Gren is an offensive machine and often outscores his opponent by wide margins. He lists offense and the mechanics of the game as his best skills and says that his experience in many LAN tournaments will be a major advantage. If he captures the EA SPORTS NHL 24 North American Championship, Grenier plans to save his entire winnings. Gren made NHL GWC history in 2022 by securing five straight appearances in an NHL gaming event (2018-22) and continues to be at the top of his game heading into this weekend.
Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is his favorite NHL player and fellow finalist, Regs, is his biggest North American World Championship rival. Grenier says New York Rangers forward Matt Rempe should be on the cover of NHL 25.
Gren has played the NHL title competitively since 2015 and his list of accomplishments is proof of his competitiveness. His resume is loaded with NHL Club tournament wins as well as 2018 and 2019 NHL Gaming World Championship Regional runner up and fifth place in the World Championship both years. He was also the Canadian runner up in 2020 and the North American Champion in 2021.
Grenier is great with numbers and played travel hockey until he was 17.
Road to the North American Championship
NA Championship: Console Final - Playdown Round of 16 (series win 2-0 vs. Blouin_x9)
NA Championship: Console Final - Playdown Round of 32 (series win 2-0 vs. Tdxbzz)
NA Championship: Console Final - Playdown Round of 64 (series win 2-0 vs. Hanek16)
NA Championship: Console Final - Playdown Round of 128 (series win 2-0 vs. Th3_dude181)
NA Club Qualifier: Buffalo Sabres – Playdown Final (series win 2-0 vs. skyistaken) **
NA Club Qualifier: Buffalo Sabres – Playdown Semifinal (series win 2-0 vs. GeneralObomber)
NA Club Qualifier: Buffalo Sabres – Playdown Quarterfinal (series win 2-0 vs. Zbrenon)
NA Club Qualifier: Buffalo Sabres – Playdown Round of 16 (series win 2-0 vs. NotJopo)
NA Club Qualifier: Buffalo Sabres – Playdown Round of 32 (series win 2-0 vs. hockeyflow92)
NA Club Qualifier: Buffalo Sabres – Playdown Round of 64 (series win 2-0 vs. Zubovl21l)
NA Club Qualifier: Buffalo Sabres – Playdown Round of 128 (series win 2-0 vs. Duch)
\* Player automatically qualified for the North American Console Final as Club Champion*
Find Gren’s HUT Team HERE
* * * * *
Polgz (Ethan Kerr-Polgar) is a 21-year-old gamer and avid hockey fan from Newmarket, Ont. He has chosen to represent his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs in the EA SPORTS NHL 24 North American Championship. He lists offense as his best skill and hopes to score lots of goals and imitate his favorite NHL player Auston Matthews on the virtual ice this weekend as he vies for the North American title.
For consecutive years, Polgz qualified to the North American Bracket by winning (1 of 4) entries to the EA SPORTS NHL All-Star Open held at the All-Star Game in Toronto this past February. Last season, Kerr-Polgar was a runner-up in the inaugural EA SPORTS NHL 23 All-Star Open at Fort Lauderdale Beach during the 2023 NHL All-Star Weekend and won $1,000. He has been playing NHL video games since NHL 14 and believes that Chicago Blackhawks rookie sensation Connor Bedard should be the cover athlete of NHL 25. He lists former GWC broadcaster Nasher as the Chel G.O.A.T.
Polgz is an outgoing individual who likes to listen to music ahead of his important matches and believe it or not, Polgz has two brothers (he’s a triplet!) and one sister. And though he started off playing soccer when he was younger, Polgz has played competitive ice hockey for most of his life. His family supports him during live and virtual events, and he also lists his mom as his biggest fan.
Polgz is a Twitch partner and YouTube content creator and has an extensive gaming resume with wins in several NHL Club tournaments in both 1v1 and 6’s play.
Road to the North American Championship
NA Championship: Console Final - Playdown Round of 16 (series win 2-0 vs. Gumba)
NA Championship: Console Final - Playdown Round of 32 (series win 2-0 vs. ChelCat08)
NA Championship: Console Final - Playdown Round of 64 (series win 2-0 vs. Hairyperry10)
NA Championship: Console Final - Playdown Round of 128 (Bye)
NA Club Qualifier: All-Star Open – Playdown Final (series loss 1-2 vs. CadCooks) **
NA Club Qualifier: All-Star Open – Playdown Semifinal (series win 2-0 vs. Deeks)
NA Club Qualifier: All-Star Open – Playdown Quarterfinal (series win 2-0 vs. Skyistaken)
NA Club Qualifier: All-Star Open – Playdown Round of 16 (series win 2-0 vs. Detrma95)
\* Player automatically qualified for the North American Console Final as finalist for All-Star Open*
Find Polgz’s HUT Team HERE
* * * * *
A consistent performer on the EA SPORTS NHL circuit, Regs (Justin Reguly) has won his fair share of NHL gaming competitions including winning the North American Gaming World title in 2022 and Canadian Championship in 2020. He placed as runner up in the 2021 GWC North American Final. Regs’ impressive gaming resume also includes wins with several NHL Clubs over the years including Caps Gaming, Tampa Bay Lightning, Montreal Canadiens and Leafs Gaming League.
The 23-year-old, Thunder Bay, Ont. native won his ticket to the North American Bracket as a finalist of the Toronto Maple Leafs Club Championship, the club he will also represent throughout the North American Final. Regs loves playing at LAN events and says that he elevates his game while playing in-person and lists his game strengths as puck possession, puck vision and stick checking.
Reguly has been playing the NHL title for most of his life and says he is calm and relaxed during play knowing he has the support of his family, friends (Group chat Mad Lads) and his girlfriend Sadie watching on stream. He notes that fellow finalist Gren is his biggest rival and likes listening to country music while playing his matches. If he captures the North American title, Regs plans to save his winnings to put towards a house.
Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak is his favorite player and also the player he hopes will be on the cover of EA SPORTS NHL 25 because he loves the way he plays and his style off the ice. Regs also played ice hockey when he was younger from age 4-15.
One of Regs’ most impressive wins was the New York Islanders Showcase match, which pitted him against reigning World and European Champion Eki.
Road to the North American Championship
NA Championship: Console Final - Playdown Round of 16 (series win 2-1 vs. Fussy)
NA Championship: Console Final - Playdown Round of 32 (series win 2-0 vs. deathbound43)
NA Championship: Console Final - Playdown Round of 64 (series win 2-0 vs. PapaGoesMmmm)
NA Championship: Console Final - Playdown Round of 128 (series win 2-0 vs. Born\to\Dangle)
NA Club Qualifier: Toronto Maple Leafs (results unavailable) **
\* Player automatically qualified for the North American Console Final as Club Finalist*
Find Regs’ HUT Team HERE
* * * * *
As the youngest player in the NHL 24 North American Final field, 19-year-old Sauceshow (Matteo Russo) from Montreal, Que., is the Club Champion from the San Jose Sharks, the Club he is representing this weekend. He says his gaming strengths depend on the day -- sometimes his offense is on point and other times his defense makes up for a lack of scoring. Sauceshow is an up-and-comer on the NHL gaming scene and will try to remain calm during his first LAN event in New York this weekend.
Sauceshow remembers playing EA SPORTS NHL games with his dad growing up but started playing on his own with NHL 14 (with Martin Brodeur on the cover). Since then, he has placed in the Top 16 (2021) and Top 8 (2022 and 2023) in the North American bracket. He counts CHEL veterans Gren and Regs as the greatest players and favorites to win the NHL 24 World Championship. Sauceshow’s favorite NHL player is Montreal Canadiens forward Cole Caulfield, though he agrees with many of his NHL 24 opponents that Penguins captain Sidney Crosby should be on the cover of NHL 25.
Russo is an avid hockey player himself and recently finished playing two years of varsity hockey at Upper Canada College. He moved from Montreal to Toronto for his hockey career and hopes to play next in a Junior League. He has “strong aspirations to always play at the highest level and am always looking to improve on and off the ice.”
He hopes his collective on-ice hockey and virtual hockey skills translate to a win this weekend.
Road to the North American Championship
NA Championship: Console Final - Playdown Round of 16 (series win 2-0 vs. VanilllaZ)
NA Championship: Console Final - Playdown Round of 32 (series win 2-0 vs. W20)
NA Championship: Console Final - Playdown Round of 64 (series win 2-0 vs. Yardy)
NA Championship: Console Final - Playdown Round of 128 (series win 2-0 vs. Reticman9)
NA Club Qualifier: San Jose Sharks – Playdown Final (series win 2-0 vs. JonaBruhh) **
NA Club Qualifier: San Jose Sharks – Playdown Semifinal (series win 2-1 vs. hwktee)
NA Club Qualifier: San Jose Sharks – Playdown Quarterfinal (series win 2-0 vs. Parkzy)
NA Club Qualifier: San Jose Sharks – Playdown Round of 16 (series win 2-0 vs. jufugazi)
NA Club Qualifier: San Jose Sharks – Playdown Round of 32 (series win 2-0 vs. oGrxndzy)
NA Club Qualifier: San Jose Sharks – Playdown Round of 64 (series win 2-0 vs. TrappedBirds)
\* Player automatically qualified for the North American Console Final as Club Champion*
Find Sauceshow’s HUT Team HERE
* * * * *
Segween (Tristan Aun) is a 21-year-old gamer from Dallas, TX. and is representing his hometown Dallas Stars in this year’s competition. He qualified for automatic entry to the North American Bracket play after going undefeated and winning the Stars Club Championship.
Even though he is a newcomer to EA SPORTS NHL competitions, and this will be his first LAN event, Segween says his calm demeanor and laid-back style will be beneficial for high pressure situations. When scoring goals, his celebrations are spontaneous. His skills include adjusting well to other players’ tendencies and strong defensive play, which he attributes to his pre-game ritual of warming up his thumbs ahead of games.
If he wins the North American championship, Aun says he will invest some, spend some on himself and share some with his parents. His favorite NHL player is Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen because of his smooth style, and he thinks Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger should star on the cover of NHL 25.
Segween has been playing the EA SPORTS NHL title since NHL 15, but only started to play competitively since NHL 20. His fans are his friends from school and the “9th Wonder Guys.” In his spare time, Aun loves running and playing spikeball and pickleball. He was five years old when he first learned how to ice skate and began playing ice hockey at six. He once made ESPN’s top 10 plays of the day.
He lists fellow NA finalist Regs as the Chel G.O.A.T. but hopes to take home the Championship himself this weekend.
Road to the North American Championship
NA Championship: Console Final - Playdown Round of 16 (series win 2-0 vs. Geimer)
NA Championship: Console Final - Playdown Round of 32 (series win 2-1 vs. Jayymaz)
NA Championship: Console Final - Playdown Round of 64 (series win 2-0 vs. hwktee)
NA Championship: Console Final - Playdown Round of 128 (series win 2-0 vs. dirtydangles_514)
NA Club Qualifier: Dallas Stars – Playdown Final (series win 2-1 vs. Swan1020) **
NA Club Qualifier: Dallas Stars – Playdown Semifinal (series win 2-0 vs. SacredPine43714)
NA Club Qualifier: Dallas Stars – Playdown Quarterfinal (series win 2-0 vs. GibbyNHL)
NA Club Qualifier: Dallas Stars – Playdown Round of 16 (series win 2-0 vs. BlakeLeafsX11)
NA Club Qualifier: Dallas Stars – Playdown Round of 32 (series win 2-0 vs. Beauvi71)
\* Player automatically qualified for the North American Console Final as Club Champion*
Find Segween’s HUT Team HERE
* * * * *
Sky is Taken (Nick Ilievski) is a 21-year-old gamer from Webster, NY who will be representing the Buffalo Sabres and qualified for the North American Console Finals by defeating last year’s North American Champion CadCooks in the EA SPORTS NHL 24 North American Championship Bracket Play.
One of three Americans in the final field, Skyistaken has also represented the Philadelphia Flyers (2023), Anaheim Ducks (2022) and Tampa Bay Lightning (2021) and took home the championship from Leaf Gaming Season 3.
Ilievski has played the NHL title since 2017 and describes himself as an efficient goal scorer with offensive strength. His favorite NHL player is Pittsburgh Penguins veteran Evgeni Malkin, though he believes Penguins captain Sidney Crosby should be the cover athlete of NHL 25. Sky says that he loves the support he gets from his family and the “Ennis Gang” during competitive matches and plans to save his earnings if he wins the North American Final.
Sky claims he does not have a rival going into the North American Final, but he names Regs as the Chel G.O.A.T. and favorite to win the World Championship. Though Ilievski describes himself as easygoing, we can expect his competitive side to emerge at this year’s North American Final, as he placed in the top four at last year’s EA SPORTS NHL 23 North American Final. If he’s not cooking in this year’s final, Skyistaken can be found cooking elsewhere: he enjoys making homemade pizza on his outdoor pizza oven in his spare time!
Road to the North American Championship
NA Championship: Console Final - Playdown Round of 16 (series win 2-1 vs. CadCooks)
NA Championship: Console Final - Playdown Round of 32 (series win 2-1 vs. GGrimmzzz)
NA Championship: Console Final - Playdown Round of 64 (series win 2-0 vs. Avez_12)
NA Championship: Console Final - Playdown Round of 128 (series win 2-0 vs. bliinq)
NA Club Qualifier: Buffalo Sabres – Playdown Final (series loss 2-0 vs. Gren) **
NA Club Qualifier: Buffalo Sabres – Playdown Semifinal (series win 2-1 vs. Effect)
NA Club Qualifier: Buffalo Sabres – Playdown Quarterfinal (series win 2-0 vs. chrispy8120)
NA Club Qualifier: Buffalo Sabres – Playdown Round of 16 (series win 2-0 vs. Sabre4k)
NA Club Qualifier: Buffalo Sabres – Playdown Round of 32 (series win 2-0 vs. Jarred_315)
NA Club Qualifier: Buffalo Sabres – Playdown Round of 64 (series win 2-0 vs. Majhud)
\* Player automatically qualified for the North American Console Final as Club Runner Up*
Find Skyistaken’s HUT Team HERE
* * * * *
EA SPORTS NHL North American Championship History
YEAR
WINNER
RUNNER UP
2023
CadCooks (Samuel Landry)
Jos x 10 (Joseph Olmstead)
2022
Regs (Justin Reguly)
Gren-35- (Matthew Grenier)
2021
Gren-35- (Matthew Grenier)
Regs (Justin Reguly)
2020*
CAN: Regs (Justin Reguly)
USA: OF’s HF (Josh Fuss)
CAN: YungGren (Matthew Grenier)
USA: Top Shelf Cookie (Matthew Gutkoski)
2019*
CAN: MgxNuclear (Karl Caslib)
USA: Top Shelf Cookie (Matthew Gutkoski)
CAN: YungGren (Matthew Grenier)
USA: JohnWayne90 (John Casagranda)
2018*
CAN: Foolx90 (Nicola Bruna)
USA: Jr Pens (David Roebuck)
CAN: YungGren (Matthew Grenier)
USA: JohnWayne90 (John Casagranda)
*Regional Tournament format
For the fourth-straight and sixth time overall, the EA SPORTS NHL European Champion is Eki (Erik Tammenpää). The Finnish phenom won the title in the tournament’s inaugural year 2018 and again in 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. The competition, which took place Sunday evening at the Copenhagen Media Facility in Copenhagen, Denmark, was a rematch of last year’s Final which saw Eki of the New York Islanders defend the title against Temppanen (Teemu Karvonen), representing the Anaheim Ducks.
Both players have secured a spot in the EA SPORTS NHL 24 World Championship taking place in April in New York City.
EA SPORTS NHL European Championship History
YEAR
WINNER
RUNNER UP
2024
Eki (Erik Tammenpää)
Temppanen (Teemu Karvonen)
2023
Eki (Erik Tammenpää)
Temppanen (Teemu Karvonen)
2022
Eki (Erik Tammenpää)
J-_-JamalTheMan (Jimi Rönkkönen)
2021
Eki (Erik Tammenpää)
NikkeDangles (Niklas Tukiainen)
2020
Artuzio (Arttu Mustila)
MrNipsuli (Roni Kajan)
2019
Eki (Erik Tammenpää)
Hansulino (Hannes Kettunen)
2018
Eki (Erik Tammenpää)
Artuzio (Arttu Mustila)
March 24: EA SPORTS NHL 24 North American Championship (in-person, New York, NY)
- 1 p.m. ET stream: twitch.tv/NHL, YouTube
April 3 – CHEL Intel: World Championship Edition
April 6: EA SPORTS NHL 24 World Championship (in-person, New York, NY)
- 1 p.m. ET stream: twitch.tv/NHL, YouTube
Full stream: EA SPORTS NHL European Championship
Full stream: EA SPORTS NHL All-Star Open
Full stream: EA SPORTS NHL Stadium Series Open
QUICK CLICKS:
- Tournament Results North America
- Tournament Results Europe
- Rules and Regulations
- FAQ’s
- NHL24WC Discord
- Tournament Video Explainer
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- Social: #NHL24WC
