Proceeds from the tournament will benefit the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation

Xbox signs on as Presenting Sponsor

Philadelphia, PA | January 3, 2018 – North America’s top video hockey gamers will compete in the first-ever Snider Hockey Cup Sponsored by Xbox, Powered by WorldGaming – a competitive video gaming tournament that will be played across North America on EA SPORTS NHL 18.  Proceeds from the Tournament will benefit the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation which was created by the late Philadelphia Flyers owner to build lives and unite communities through the sport of hockey.

Leveraging WorldGaming’s platform, online qualifiers for The Snider Hockey Cup Sponsored by Xbox, Powered by WorldGaming will get underway on Wednesday, January 10, 2018, culminating with the Live Championships at Xfinity Live! Philadelphia, on Wednesday, March 7, 2018.  Players will compete for over $17,500 in prizing, including cash, merchandise, apparel, tickets and more. 

The Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation and WorldGaming will offer compelling, engaging content and a gameplay experience in the US and Canada, all while raising money for the over 3,000 student-athletes who participate in Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation programming.

The tournament has three stages: online qualifiers will run from January 10 through Feburary 10, 2018, online playoffs from February 17 through February 18, 2018, and the Live Championships at Xfinity Live! Philadelphia on Wednesday, March 7, 2018. Finalists will also attend the game between the Philadelphia

Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins that evening at the Wells Fargo Center. The Championship at Xfinity Live! Philadelphia will be open to the public. Fans can support Snider Hockey by visiting esyhf.org.

“Ed Snider was a visionary. What better way to honor Ed than to be the first foundation to embrace the esports industry with this tournament that will ultimately benefit the student-athletes of the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation,” said Scott Tharp, President, Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation.

“The WorldGaming team is thrilled to be partnering with the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation to bring this exciting competitive gaming tournament opportunity to players and fans throughout the US and Canada, especially given the support and awareness this will bring to the many student-athletes of the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation and its great cause and mission,” said Wim Stocks, General Manager, WorldGaming.

Registration for the tournament is available starting today at WorldGaming.com/SNIDER-NHL18. This tournament is open and eligible to all players in the US and Canada who are 14 years of age and older, on both Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Gamers can also join the conversation online by following WorldGaming on Facebook (Facebook.com/WorldGaming), Twitter (@WorldGaming), Instagram (@OfficialWorldGaming) and Twitch.  

Comcast Spectacor, the company Ed Snider founded and led as its Chairman until his death in 2016, recently established a professional esports team, the Philadelphia Fusion, which competes in the Overwatch League. Comcast Spectacor owns both the Flyers and the Wells Fargo Center, and is an ongoing supporter of Snider Hockey.

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About Snider Hockey

The Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation uses the sport of ice hockey to educate young people to succeed in the game of life. The mission is to build lives and unite communities. All Snider Hockey programs are delivered at no cost to under-resourced boys and girls. The programs uniquely blend a first rate hockey program with character development, life skills, physical fitness, nutrition, and a healthy dose of academics designed to keep our youth on-track for on-time graduation and post-secondary enrollment. The end goal is to turn out productive citizens who understand the importance of giving back to their community.

About WorldGaming

WorldGaming Network LP is an esports and competitive video gaming platform that facilitates online and ‘live’ tournaments, leagues and ladders, and acts as a social gaming community for competitive gamers around the world.  Launched in 2006, it is the premier destination for competitive and passionate gamers, with over 8,000,000 matches played and over $40,000,000 in cash prizes paid to gamers. WorldGaming is owned and operated by Cineplex, a leading entertainment and media company.  More information is available at WorldGaming.com.