Event to Be Broadcast on NHL Twitch Channel Beginning at 2 p.m. ET
January 31, 2023
NEW YORK (Jan. 31, 2023) – The National Hockey League today announced that the first LAN event of the EA SPORTS™ NHL 23 World Championship™ esports season will be played at the Truly Hard Seltzer NHL All-Star Beach Festival at Fort Lauderdale Beach on Thursday, Feb. 2, with on-site activities beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET and a live stream on Twitch starting at 2 p.m. ET.
The event will showcase four international hockey superstars taking their talents to the virtual ice. EA SPORTS NHL 23 cover athlete and Olympian Sarah Nurse will be joined by Canadian teammate Emily Clark and a pair of U.S. rivals in Hilary Knight and Alex Carpenter to compete in a fun and friendly gaming competition of their Chel skills.
The EA SPORTS NHL 23 All-Star Open Final will immediately follow, with four top Chel players – Ben ‘un-insta1i’Thomson, Matthew ‘gren-35-’Grenier, Ethan ‘Polgz’ Kerr-Polgar and Ben ‘Dunkindeli’ Pasqua – all competing for prize money, bragging rights and a locally flavored Championship trophy. While un-insta1i, gren-35- and Polgz are NHL esports veterans and were finalists in last year’s NHL GWC North American Club Championship, it’s the rookie Pasqua who will enter the final stage of the event as the No. 1 seed.
The Final format will consist of best-of-three bracket play (1v4, 2v3), followed by the Championship. All matches will be played on the PS5 console. As well as a trip to 2023 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend in South Florida, the players also automatically qualified for the North American Console Final.
The NHL 23 All-Star Open is supported by 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.
Meet the Elite Players:
Alex Carpenterskated for the NCAA’s Boston College Eagles for four seasons and was awarded the Patty Kazmaier Award in 2014-15 as the top collegiate player – one of three occasions she was named a finalist for the honor (also 2012-13 & 2015-16). The North Reading, Mass., native went on to claim more hardware beyond the boards of Conte Forum, winning two silver medals at the Olympics (2014 & 2022) and five gold medals at the Women’s World Championships (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017 & 2019). Carpenter currently is skating for Team Scotiabank of the Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association (PWHPA) in 2022-23.
Emily Clark donned the cardinal and white for the University of Wisconsin Badgers for five seasons from 2014-15 to 2018-19, highlighted by an NCAA championship in her final campaign. After graduation, Clark became an inaugural member of the PWHPA and translated her experience into success with Team Canada. The native of Saskatoon, Sask., captured a gold medal at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics following a silver medal at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Clark was recently recognized as the 2022 Female Athlete of the Year at the Saskatchewan Sport Awards, where coaches, athletes and volunteers are acknowledged for their contributions to the province’s amateur sport community. Clark currently is skating for Team Harvey’s of the PWHPA in 2022-23.
Hilary Knight is one of three University of Wisconsin alumna at the NHL’s 2023 All-Star gaming event after she spent four seasons with the program from 2007-08 to 2011-12. Her time there included the first 80-point season for the Badgers (45-38—83 in 2008-09), while her 47 goals in 2010-11 remain the most in a single season for the women’s program. Internationally, the Sun Valley, Idaho, native has one Olympic gold medal to go along with three silver medals. She also has led the Women’s World Championship in goals five times – including Most Valuable Player honors in 2015 and 2016. At the IIHF Women’s World Hockey Championship in September 2022, Knight collected her 87th point to overtake Hockey Hall of Famer Hayley Wickenheiser to become the all-time leader in points. Knight currently is skating for Team Sonnet of the PWHPA in 2022-23.
Sarah Nursesuited up for the University of Wisconsin Badgers from 2013-14 to 2016-17 – a stretch that included three Western Collegiate Hockey Association conference titles and four NCAA Frozen Four appearances. Her 25-goal campaign in 2016-17 was tied with teammate Annie Pankowski for the second-most among all NCAA skaters. Since then, the Hamilton, Ont., native has become the first woman on the cover of the EA SPORTS NHL franchise. She also set a Winter Olympics record for points and assists in the women’s tournament (5-13—18 in 2022). Nurse currently is skating for Team Adidas of the PWHPA in 2022-23.
Meet the Elite Gamers:
Dunkindeli (Xbox One winner)
Team: New Jersey Devils
All-Star seed: 1 (2,073 points)
A relative newcomer to NHL esports events, Dunkindeli is a Twitch streamer and pro EA SPORTS NHL player for Dot City Gaming. As well as being a die-hard Devils hockey fan, this gamer from New Jersey spends his time teaching others how to play the game.
Road to NHL 23 All-Star Final
- Final: 2-0 win vs. xresolverrrr
- Semifinal: 2-0 win vs. gumbaI11I
- Quarterfinal: 2-0 win vs. xpiorier97
- Round of 16: 2-0 win vs. markiiss77
* * * * *
gren-35- (PS5 Runner-up)
Team: Dallas Stars
All-Star seed: 2 (2,067 points)
Matthew Grenier has shown he belongs among the competition’s elite and stands as the only player to advance to the NHL’s esports tournament Final in five consecutive seasons (2018-22). Last season, Gren placed as runner-up in the NHL GWC North American Club Championship after capturing the Championship in 2021. Also representing his hometown Dallas Stars in the 2022 tournament, Gren is an offensive machine and typically outscores his opponent by wide margins. He lists offense and the mechanics of the game as his best skills. As a veteran in the gaming space, YungGren’s resume is padded with NHL Club tournament wins including tournaments with the Washington Capitals, Toronto Maple Leafs, Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers.
Road to NHL 23 All-Star Final
- Final: 0-2 loss to Prestara (winner unable to attend Final)
- Semifinal: 2-0 win vs. j-yardy
- Quarterfinal: 2-1 win vs. bigbets17
- Round of 16: 2-0 win vs. jamesie_tw
* * * * *
Polgz (XboxX/S Winner)
Team: Washington Capitals
All-Star seed: 3 (2,063 points)
Ethan Kerr-Polgar is a Twitch partner, YouTube content creator and current pro EA SPORTS NHL player with Caps Gaming. Last season, Polgz won the GWC Xbox S/X Console Final and was a finalist in the 2022 NHL Gaming World Championship: North American Club Final. Kerr-Polgar is no stranger to esports success after claiming 6v6 championships with Prodigyforthe CBJ Kroger, IGT Circuit and SJS Pacific Cup, and 3v3 Caps Gaming, and 1v1 for the 2022 Bolts Chel Challenge and 2021 Caps Gaming Invitational.
Road to NHL 23 All-Star Final
- Final: 2-0 win vs. boilyxph
- Semifinal: 2-0 win vs. desyd19
- Quarterfinal: 2-1 win vs. buhckle
- Round of 16: 2-0 win vs. bouch26
* * * * *
un-insta1i (PS4 Runner-up)
Team: Edmonton Oilers
All-Star seed: 4 (2,034 points)
Ben Thomson has represented his hometown Edmonton Oilers for three consecutive years. He was a top-eight finalist in the recent 2022 NHL Gaming World Championship: North American Club Final after also placing in the top 10 during the 2021 campaign. His ability to find passing lanes, which he says gives him an advantage over some of his competitors, helped him capture a championship during the Denver University Tournament. His favorite Hockey Hall of Famer is Jarome Iginla, who “taught him how to be a leader and do whatever it takes to achieve his goals.” Thomson is a competitive EA SPORTS NHL player for Dot City Gaming, a Twitch partner and EA Creator.
Road to NHL 23 All-Star Final
- Final: 0-2 loss to Biouinx9 (winner unable to attend Final)
- Semifinal: 2-0 win vs. yab0yfrank–
- Quarterfinal: 2-0 win vs. schweitz67
- Round of 16: 2-0 win vs. i_parkzy_i
Longtime EA SPORTS™ NHL 23 World Championship™ corporate partners – Great Clips (North America), Scotiabank (Canada) and Honda (U.S.) – will support the event with signage and in-stream commercials.
Registration for the EA SPORTS™ NHL 23 World Championship™ opened on Dec. 20, with the registration portal closing on March 2 for Europe and on March 9 for North America. Players and fans can stay up to date and follow all the action on the official tournament website, www.nhl.com/NHL23, and on social platforms using #NHL23WC.
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COURTESY NHLmedia.com
