Mentioned in this article
- The 2020 NHL All-Star weekend integrates gaming by kicking off the league’s 2020 esports campaign with the Chel Gaming Challenge in the lead-up to the All-Star game on Saturday.
- The event will take place at the St. Louis’ Ballpark Village, where participants from the worlds of hockey, baseball, WWE, gaming and content creation will compete in the NHL 20 game as well as in a series of fun hockey-themed challenges.
- Unlike the rest of the All-Star weekend, the Chel Gaming Challenge will be broadcast on the NHL’s official Twitch channel, not the NHL Network or NBC.
Today, the 2020 NHL All-Star weekend hosted by the St. Louis Blues kicks off in the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri. During the event, which according to the St. Louis Business Journal could bring a $20M USD economic impact to the city, the National Hockey League (NHL) will host the Chel Gaming Challenge, a pro-am competition in which athletes, content creators, and esports professionals will play the EA SPORTS’ NHL 20 video game and take on a series of fun hockey-themed challenges.
The Chel Gaming Challenge (Chel is a term used for NHL by pronouncing only the H and L part of the phrase, which mostly refers to the game series) will take place on Saturday, in the lead-up to the NHL All-Star game, from 1 pm to 4 pm ET at the St. Louis’ Ballpark Village. The event will be hosted by former professional ice hockey player and social media influencer Paul “BizNasty” Bissonnette and Blues reporter Angella Sharpe.
Participating will be personalities from the worlds of hockey, baseball, WWE, gaming and content creation, including NHL All-Star players Jack Eichel (Buffalo Sabres), Seth Jones (Columbus Blue Jackets), Matthew Tkachuk (Calgary Flames), Hilary Knight (American Hockey All-Star), WWE superstar (and host of the YouTube gaming show UpUpDownDown) Xavier Woods, Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cole Irvin, Missouri-native and former esports pro player Johnathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel, and NHL Gaming World Championship participant Andrew “Nasher” Telfer.
“Last year’s House of Chel showed that hockey gaming is more than a trend, it’s a lifestyle,” said Chris Golier, NHL vice president of business development, in an NHL article. “We want to continue that momentum and fuel the passion of our NHL gaming community with the Chel Gaming Challenge and showcase gaming on the biggest stage possible – our All-Star weekend. We’re thrilled to have an incredible roster of NHL players, celebrities, and gaming community members join us for this event.”
While the competition won’t be shown on NBC, where the All-Star game is televised, or on NHL Network, where the All-Star skills competition is shown, the Chel Gaming Challenge can be watched on the NHL’s official Twitch channel.
Furthermore, the event will officially kick off the NHL’s esports efforts, culminating with the NHL Gaming World Championship. Several teams around the league, including the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Washington Capitals, and Minnesota Wild, have also organized tournaments as part of the NHL gaming ecosystem.
