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NHL partners with NARCh |
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March 3 , 2005 - For Immediate Release NHL
Partners With NARCh NEW YORK (March 2, 2005)—The National Hockey League (NHL) announced today that it has joined in a partnership with the North American Roller Hockey Championships (NARCh). The new multi-tiered relationship now forms the largest grassroots roller hockey initiative across North America. Launched in 1994, NARCh has become the premier roller hockey tournament provider in the U.S. and Canada. Annually, NARCh tournaments feature more than 11,000 roller hockey players on 900 plus teams competing in amateur divisions ranging from ages 6 and under to 35 and over. NARCh’s annual tournament schedule launches with the invitational Winternationals in January, and operates over 25 regional tournaments that culminate with the NARCh Finals in July. The NARCh Finals is the largest roller hockey championship in the world, featuring approximately 400 teams competing for titles in the silver, gold and platinum divisions. The NHL’s commitment to roller hockey spans back to 1995 when the League launched its high-profile roller hockey summer tour—NHL Breakout. After seven successful years of the international tour, the program evolved into NHL Streetfest featuring NHL BREAKOUT, an invitational roller hockey tournament and fan festival. Between 1996 and 1998, the League also operated the International Ice Hockey Federation’s Inline Hockey World Championships. “The NHL remains focused on deepening its commitment to the roller hockey community,” said Alysse Soll, NHL vice president of fan development. “This new partnership unites two established, grassroots efforts within the hockey marketplace, creating an unprecedented high standard of programming, tournament organization and participant experience.” The NHL will provide the new partnership with an elevated platform of marketing and promotional opportunities across a variety of existing and new, joint NARCh/NHL events and activities. The first regional tournament under the new agreement is scheduled in Anaheim March 4-6. It will feature a new joint element, the NHL Junior All Stars, an all-tournament team selected from each age division based on outstanding play during the regional competition. Over the course of the regional tournaments, over 900 NHL Junior All Stars will be selected for the honor and qualify for the NHL Junior All Stars Sweepstakes, where one select player will win a trip to an NHL All Star game. “We are very excited about the partnership and feel it will enhance the sport of roller hockey at every level,” said Daryn Goodwin, NARCh President. NARCh also will be showcased as a partner on the NHL.com Network, the world’s largest hockey portal, extending the reach, promotional and commercial offerings of the roller hockey tournament internationally. The NARCH regional tournament schedule is as follows: Mar
4-6 Anaheim Hockey Club Anaheim, CA Apr
1-3 Center Circle Rahway, NJ May
6-8 The Bladium Denver, CO Jun
3-5 West Coast Roller Hockey Langley, BC |
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