Posts tagged with "Hockey"

THE PETER AQUILONE WINTER CLASSIC

Special Olympics New York Hosts the Peter Aquilone Winter Classic at Jacob K. Javits Center in NYC. More Than 300 Athletes are Expected to Attend.

The New York City Region is thrilled to host one of the year’s most anticipated sporting events as the Peter Aquilone Winter Classic returns to the Javits Center. Details are as follows:

When: Saturday, December 3, 2022, from 9:30am to 4pm
Where: Jacob K Javits Center (429 11th Avenue, New York, NY 10001)
What: Competition in Floor Hockey Team and Skills, with additional offerings in Young Athletes, Developmental Sports, and Field Days
Who: More than 300 Special Olympics New York athletes and more than 200 volunteers

The event will also play host to Special Olympics NY’s Health Programs, of which there will be five disciplines: Healthy Hearing, Special Smiles, Fun Fitness, Health Promotions, and Fit Feet.

In addition to the more than 200 volunteers supporting the event, another 100 volunteers from New York City and Vicinity District Council of Carpenters will be on-hand to set up the floor hockey rinks.

Sponsors for this year’s competition include Liberty Dental Plan, New York City and Vicinity District Council of Carpenters, ESPN, accessiBe, Liberty Coca-Cola Beverages, Disney, Local 388, NHL, Nestlé Health Science, and ACA NY.

About Special Olympics New York

Special Olympics New York is the largest state chapter in the country, serving more than 31,000 athletes across New York with year-round sports training, athletic competition, and health screenings. The organization also partners with about 250 schools statewide to offer Unified Sports, where students with and without disabilities compete as teammates. All Special Olympics New York programs are offered at no cost to athletes, their families or caregivers. The organization has earned the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.com, making it one of the most trusted charities in the business nationally. For additional information about Special Olympics New York, to learn more about getting involved, or to make a donation, visit www.specialolympicsNY.org.

Winter Olympian NFTs

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As the eyes of the sports world focus on Beijing for the start of the winter games, Dolphin Entertainment (NASDAQ: DLPN) announced the upcoming availability of a new NFT digital collectible program that artfully brings together the worlds of comic book heroes and groundbreaking athletes. The drop is themed Winter Sports Champions and features a combination of legends and current winter athletes, including many current competitors in the February games along with skating legend Nancy Kerrigan.

The Winter Sports Champions collection will be released in partnership with FTX.US, allowing fans to purchase the NFTs with credit and debit cards as well as cryptocurrency. Future NFT collections featuring different groups of athletes in superhero form will be released in the coming months.

Winter Sports Champions will be sold in packs and made available on this website beginning on February 4. Each fierce athlete in the collection will be imagined as a bold adventure comic book hero by former senior Marvel Studios visual artist Anthony Francisco and his team of creatives at Dolphin Entertainment, with animation created by Dolphin subsidiary Viewpoint Creative.

The athletes featured in this collection are (alphabetically):

Kendall Coyne Schofield – American ice hockey player
Red Gerard – American snowboarder
Lindsey Jacobellis – American snowboarder
Gus Kenworthy – British-American freestyle skier
Nancy Kerrigan – American figure skater
Hilary Knight – American ice hockey player
Joey Mantia – American speed skater
Chris Mazdzer – American luge
Tina Maze – Slovenian Alpine skier
John Shuster – American curler

“Two of the biggest pop culture events of early 2022 are the expansion of NFTs to mainstream audiences and the upcoming winter games,” said Bill O’Dowd, CEO of Dolphin Entertainment. “Anthony Francisco and his team of visionaries at Dolphin had a blast transforming this awesome roster of winter sports champions into comic book heroes, creating the opportunity to own a truly rare piece of art whether you are a sports fan or an expert NFT enthusiast.”

Winter Sports Champions Collectibles will be sold in packs and assigned a level of rarity (Common, Bronze, Silver, Gold) based on how many NFTs of each athlete will be made available and the design attributes of the collectible.

Along with collecting their favorite athletes and building their super team of Winter Sports Champions, NFT holders will be able to unlock rare, digital items and real-life rewards such as an actual luge ride or a signed piece of pro sports gear hand-picked by the athletes themselves.

About Dolphin Entertainment

Dolphin Entertainment is a leading independent entertainment marketing and production company. Through their subsidiaries 42West, The Door, Shore Fire Media, and B/HI (a division of 42West), they provide expert strategic marketing and publicity services to many of the top brands, both individual and corporate, in the film, television, music, gaming, and hospitality industries. All three PR firms were ranked among the most recent Observer’s “Power 50” PR Firms in the United States, an unprecedented achievement. Viewpoint Creative and Be Social complement their efforts with full-service creative branding and production capabilities as well as social media and influencer marketing services. Dolphin’s legacy content production business, founded by Emmy-nominated CEO Bill O’Dowd, has produced multiple feature films and award-winning digital series. Dolphin’s Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) division is dedicated to designing, producing, distributing, and promoting NFTs for itself and its clients within the film, television, music, gaming, epicurean, and technology industries. The NFTs division is composed of executives across all six of Dolphin’s wholly-owned subsidiaries blending their collective expertise in creative services, digital design, production, marketing, sales, and public relations.To learn more, click HERE.

ELLE Canada’s Exciting June Issue

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KO Média is excited to unveil the June issue of ELLE Canada, featuring the stories of three inspiring women’s hockey players who believe equal sweat deserves equal opportunity. “A common misconception about women’s hockey is that we’re not skilled enough, but the game has changed drastically in the past 10 years and there are so many more opportunities allowing girls to work on their skills from a younger age and develop faster,” says Olympic silver medalist Brigette Lacquette, the first First Nations woman to play for Canada’s Olympic hockey team.

No stranger to discrimination, Kirby Howell-Baptiste of The Good Place and the upcoming live-action film Cruella opens up about her rise to fame and why it’s harder for Black actors to make it in London than in Hollywood–as well as what it says about a film set’s inclusivity when there’s no hair stylist who can do her hair.

In fashion, this month is all about how psychedelics are inspiring kaleidoscopic colors and botanical motifs on the runway. Meanwhile, Toronto-based designer Kathryn Bowen talks about her latest collection influenced by old competitive figure skating outfits she rediscovered while home during the pandemic (think youthful sentimentality, elevated sophistication and non-binary tailoring). And we peek behind the scenes at a Chanel runway show where Kristen Stewart was the only guest.

In accessories, we’re looking back on the history of the clog, from Holland to Hermès, and we’re featuring summer sunglasses that prove that la vie is truly en rose (or blue or purple). Plus, the new eyebrow trend everyone’s talking about (and how to do it at home); nautical-inspired styles; and a guide to the summer’s best swoon-worthy romance novels – including recommendations for what to read if you loved Bridgerton or Love Actually.

The June issue of ELLE Canada will hit stands on May 17, 2021.

NFL Highest Average Franchise Value

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NFL Highest Average Franchise Value Among North American Sports Leagues – Over $3B in 2020

The North American sports industry is one of the most lucrative industries in the world. Since 2010 the average franchise value of the four major North American sports leagues has risen at a dramatic rate. Iconic franchises such as the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Yankees and the Dallas Cowboys, just to name a few, are now worth billions of dollars.

According to data presented by Safe Betting Sites, the NFL had the highest average franchise value among the major North American sports leagues while the NBA had the highest CAGR from 2010-2020.

NFL Average Franchise Value Over $3B in 2020; NHL Only League to Experience A Decline

In 2020 the average value of NFL franchises stood at $3.045B – the highest average franchise value among the four major North American sports leagues. This figure was a 6.5%YoY increase from 2019’s value of $2.86B. The NBA had the second-largest average franchise value after leapfrogging MLB in 2019.

The average value of an NBA franchise stood at $2.123B in 2020, a 13.65% YoY increase from 2019 – the highest rate of increase among the four leagues. The NHL was the only North American sports league that experienced a decline in its average franchise value for 2020. The average value of an NHL team in 2020 stood at $653M, 2.1% less than 2019’s average value of $667M.

NBA Had Highest CAGR from 2010-2020 – 19.19%

North American sports leagues enjoyed significant growth in the last decade. In 2014 the average franchise value of the NFL, NBA and MLB had all crossed the $1B mark while the NHL crossed the $500M mark for the first time. In the period from 2010-2020, it was the NBA that experienced the highest growth among North America’s sports leagues.

In 2010 the average franchise value of the NBA stood at only $367M. Since then, this value has experienced an impressive 10-Year CAGR of 19.19% – the highest CAGR among the leagues. MLB registered the second largest CAGR of 14.2% while both the NFL and NHL had a CAGR of just over 11%.

Dallas Cowboys, NY Knicks, NY Yankees and NY Rangers Most Valuable Franchises Per League

The Dallas Cowboys of the NFL is the most valuable North American sports franchise with an estimated value of $5.5B in 2020. New York solidified its place as North America’s most lucrative sports market with the three other most valuable teams in their respective leagues calling it home. The Yankees, Knicks and Rangers were worth $5.25B, $5B, and $1.65B respectively in 2020.

You can read more about the story with more statistics and information here.

Blink and You’ll Miss it!

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Canadian Ice Hockey

Watch just one professional ice hockey match and we guarantee you will be hooked for life. It’s one of the most exciting and fast-paced sports in the world; with players skating at up to 25mph and a puck flying towards the goal at 100mph, you will understand why you can’t afford to blink!

Betting is a huge part of Canadian ice hockey culture and one that is featured heavily by all of the best sports betting sites on wetten.com, where you are certain to find a bookmaker that fits the bill.

You can certainly add even more excitement by betting on ice hockey matches, although we don’t recommend some of the in-play options until you are fully conversant with what’s happening on the ice!

Love the sport – how do I bet?

Ice hockey is one of the rare games played over three sessions rather than two halves. Play is three 20-minute periods, with sufficient time between each for the players to get their breath back and plan strategy, for the Zamboni to restore the ice to pristine and for spectators to grab a much-needed beer.

The most common type of bet is Moneyline, which means a straight wager on which of the two teams you think will win the match. There are lots of others too; you could place a bet on your prediction of the score, or total number of goals at the end of each period of play, for example.

Ice hockey is both addictive and interactive. Although it is unlikely you will be able to attend a live match for a while yet, extended TV coverage and live-streaming from select bookmakers is currently bridging the NHL gap, both doing their best to keep the fan base happy until spectators are let loose again.

I want to bet – what’s the best plan?

The NHL currently comprises 31 teams, 24 located in the US and 7 from Canada. During the regular ice hockey season, each team will play 82 matches, 41 at their home rink and 41 away games. As you can see, that is a lot of matches and one hell of a lot of statistics.

If you intend to wager seriously based on studying stats, then your first port of call has to be the official NHL website, where you will find more statistics than you can comprehend, as well as all of the ice hockey rules and regulations too.

Don’t be daunted, if you only want to wager for fun, there are plenty of more ‘novel’ bets to catch your attention. Emotions run high on the ice and players often resort to physicality to settle their differences, usually leading to penalties plus a time-out in the ‘sin bin,’ you can even bet on that aspect if you like.

I prefer to follow the Canadian teams – where can I find out more?

No country in the world loves ice hockey as much as Canada and it has more professional teams than any similarly-populated part of the US, from a per capita perspective.

There are seven NHL teams playing out of Canada, all with their own websites and fan pages, where you can find out everything you need to know about the teams and individual players:

•Montreal Canadians

•Toronto Maple Leafs

•Vancouver Canucks

•Edmonton Oilers

•Calgary Flames

•Ottawa Senators

•Winnipeg Jets

Canada undoubtedly has some of the best ice hockey teams in the world and we know exactly how seriously Canadians take this sport. If your betting strategy is based largely around the seven Canadian teams playing in the NHL, then keeping up with all of the latest news is vital.

Particularly so for this season, as current Covid restrictions mean that changes have been made to Canadian match arrangements, which could affect your strategy.

Which bookie is best for Canadian ice hockey?

Canadian bookies come in many shapes and sizes, all of them offering betting on NHL matches. However, there are a select few Canadian operations that specialise in ice hockey betting, which we believe can offer you the best all-round experience.

Don’t forget to have fun!

It really doesn’t matter whether you have just discovered the joys of ice hockey or you are a lifelong fan, everyone sings off the same hymn sheet in the crowds, dress up in your team jersey and be prepared to shout, cheer and stamp as necessary.

You will never find another sport where everything moves so fast and where every second counts. Whether you are betting or not, you will certainly enjoy!

HockeyTech × VIJHL Extend Technology Partnership

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HockeyTech and the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL) announce a digital services partnership extension to provide the league with HockeyTech powered websites, scoring, scouting and mobile app services.

“We’re happy to have more VIJHL services powered by HockeyTech,” stated HockeyTech CEO Stu Siegel. “Both fans and staff will benefit from our seamlessly integrated HockeyTech core solutions.”

The VIJHL has been broadcasting all regular season and playoff games on HockeyTV since 2016. Beginning with the 2020-2021 season, all VIJHL games will be scored using HockeyTech’s LeagueStat scoring technology. LeagueStat scorekeepers can track endless game statistics to provide the most advanced live game stats of any system on the market. LeagueStat can be accessed via a secure online portal that displays information in real-time, providing fully customizable integration into league/team/official’s administration. These statistics are then immediately available on the VIJHL website and mobile application.

VIJHL President Simon Morgan expressed his pleasure with the new partnership, “The VIJHL is excited to partner with HockeyTech and their industry leading expertise for digital information and data management. As we continue to grow our profile and improve access to information to our players, fans and partners, we are very pleased to have HockeyTech, the leading innovator and provider of digital tools for the sport of hockey, provide the technical platform and expertise for this growth.”

The VIJHL will kick off their 2020-2021 season on October 1st, 2020.

About HockeyTech

HockeyTech (hockeytech.com) is the worldwide leader in providing hockey-related technologies, analytics, and information services. HockeyTech was founded in 2012 by Stu Siegel, a technology entrepreneur, and former Florida Panthers (NHL) Managing Partner/CEO. HockeyTech has made six company acquisitions to date, integrating, and developing one-of-a-kind hockey-focused tools. HockeyTech’s brands have been Digitally Powering HockeyTM since 1998.

About the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL)

The Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL) consists of nine teams in two divisions: The North Island Division consists of the Campbell River Storm, Comox Valley Glacier Kings and Oceanside Generals, Nanaimo Buccaneers; the Kerry Park Islanders, Victoria Cougars, Peninsula Panthers, Saanich Braves and Westshore Wolves form the South Island Division.

NHL suspends season owing to Covid-19 fears

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The 2019-20 season of National Hockey League (NHL) has been suspended until further notice owing to coronavirus fears. Gary Bettman, the Commissioner of the league announced via a statement recently that considering the ongoing developments related to Covid-19 and after detailed consultations with medical experts and Board of Governors, the NHL has paused the ongoing season starting March 12, 2020.

The NHL players Association termed the decision as the right course of action. It came within 24 hours of suspension of the NBA, after a player in the basketball league tested positive for novel coronavirus. Bettman admitted that the suspension of NBA was one of the factors in pausing the NHL season. He shared that it’s only a matter of time that someone from the NHL community would also test positive for the virus, and in that light it’d not appropriate to continue playing games.

NBA Cancellation

NBA cancelled the game between Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder at the last minute on March 11th, Wednesday night, after Rudy Gobert, the Jazz’ centre player tested positive for Covid-19.

The Toronto Raptors announced the next day that the travelling staff, coaches and players had been advised to self-isolate themselves for at least a couple of weeks. As a cautionary measure, the Raptors’ travelling party and team members were tested for coronavirus.

NHL Suspension a wise decision

It’s worth noting that several NHL teams share their arenas with NBA teams, including Toronto Raptors and the Toronto Maple Leafs. NHL is currently urging community members to take all possible precautions, including self-quarantining themselves, if required. The NHL statement was released only a few hours after it instructed the teams to cancel their meetings and practices with immediate effect. Needless to say, considering the extensive NHL odds that are offered by several bookmakers, the move is also expected to have a major impact on NHL betting world.

Bettman has revealed that NHL will resume the paused season as soon as things get back to normal, so that they can get through with the remaining games in a worry-free environment, and hand over the Stanley Cup to the rightfully deserving team.

The American Hockey League and the Canadian Hockey League have also put their respective seasons on hold. The suspension of NHL is amongst the many high profile sports event cancellations that have happened in North America lately. A large number of political rallies, music concerts, sporting events, festivals and conferences have gotten nixed in the fear of coronavirus spreading pretty swiftly among large crowd gatherings.

The Canadian and US Health officials have advised people to refrain from gathering in large numbers and to avoid crowded places. It should be noted that a normal NHL arena seats anywhere from 15,000 to 20,000 fans.

At the time of writing this piece, over 170,000 people across the world have been diagnosed with Covid-19. There have been over 6,500 deaths due to the virus so far.

Ultimate Rivals: The Rink

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The glass ceiling has finally been shattered in video games. For the first time ever, female athletes can compete against, or alongside, male athletes. Ultimate Rivals: The Rink, from Bit Fry, is a new, fast-paced “2 vs. 2” hockey game that features many of today’s top athletes – men and women.

The game features female soccer stars such as Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan and Carli Lloyd, and WNBA stars Diana Taurasi, Skylar Diggins-Smith and Elena Delle Donne who can play against the likes of LeBron James, Russell Wilson, Mookie Betts, Mike Trout and Alex Ovechkin. For example, Megan Rapinoe can team up with LeBron James to take on a team featuring Diana Taurasi and Clayton Kershaw.

Another first for this game — star athletes from all the major sports leagues are playing with and against each other. Bit Fry has secured groundbreaking licensing agreements with nine major professional sports organizations, including the NHL, NHL Players’ Association (NHLPA), NBA, National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), MLB, MLB Players Association (MLBPA), NFLPA, Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA), USWNTPA, as well as Wayne Gretzky.

More information is at UltimateRivals.com

A trailer for the game can be seen here

UNTUCKit × MLB

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UNTUCKit, one of the fastest-growing retail brands in North America, announced today its first-ever product collaboration with Major League Baseball.

The UNTUCKit MLB Signature Series features the logo of one of eight individual MLB teams stitched into the sail of a classic UNTUCKit best-selling, wrinkle-free shirt. Team logos available include the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, and Atlanta Braves.

Beginning on Opening Day, baseball fans can support their favorite team in style when they pick up an MLB Signature Series shirt from UNTUCKit’s stores or website, on MLBShop.com or select team club houses.

The partnership is another step towards UNTUCKit’s growing presence in the sports industry. Last year, New Orleans Saints Quarterback Drew Brees, hockey legend Wayne Gretzky and NASCAR driver Chase Elliott were each introduced as athlete ambassadors and investors in the brand. In addition to building their roster of athletes, UNTUCKit has strategically increased marketing and advertising across sports television, radio and arenas across the country.

“We’re excited about this partnership with the MLB, our first with a major sports league, given the natural affinity between our customers and the sports industry. We’ve taken a few of our best-selling shirt styles and added a fun, exclusive element we know customers will be excited about—an ode to their favorite baseball teams—to wear at the next game,” says UNTUCKit co-Founder and CEO Aaron Sanandres.

About UNTUCKit

Created in 2011, UNTUCKit has given men a seamless way to look sharp and feel casual by creating shirts designed specifically to be worn untucked. UNTUCKit solves the problem millions of men struggle with every day with their perfectly contoured hemlines and more than 50 tailored fit options. Through the last 8 years, the brand has expanded to offering 13 product categories—ranging from T-shirts and polos to sports jackets and pants—in addition to a wide selection of shirts, dresses and blazers for women. UNTUCKit is dedicated to creating an unmatched shopping experience, with more than 50 physical retail locations across the U.S. and Canada. For more information visit UNTUCKit.com.

Dallas Stars Acquire Jamie Oleksiak From Penguins

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By Reid Urban

The Dallas Stars have decided to bring back a familiar name.

The Stars have reacquired Jamie Oleksiak from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a 2019 fourth-round pick. This news also comes with the latest announcement from the Stars that Marc Methot will undergo season-ending left knee surgery, so Oleksiak is likely to take Methot’s place in the lineup

What’s interesting about this trade is that the fourth-round pick Dallas is sending back was the same one that Pittsburgh sent to Dallas to acquire Oleksiak last season.

It seems certain that Oleksiak will be in the lineup for the Stars on Wednesday when they play the Buffalo Sabres.