CHL Central Hockey League

CHL Partners With Maple Leafs TV Network

Published on October 19, 2004 under Central Hockey League (CHL) News Release


The Central Hockey League has today announced a partnership with Maple Leafs TV and Maple Leaf America which will broadcast 20 CHL contests from the coming season under a CHL Game of the Week package each Thursday evening. In addition, a 12-part reality series, titled "On the Bus", will begin taping later this month for broadcasts beginning in January. Maple Leafs TV is a 24 hour a day, seven day a week network formed in 2001 focusing on the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ontario-related hockey players. Last season, 39.2 % of the CHL's season-opening rosters listed Ontario as their home province. The first four installments of the CHL Game of the Week will feature Amarillo at Lubbock from October 29th, Corpus Christi at Rio Grande Valley on November 6th, Tulsa at Oklahoma City on November 11th, and Oklahoma City at Bossier-Shreveport on November 20th. The broadcasts will air Thursdays at 8:00 PM EST, beginning on November 4th. "On the Bus" will feature four pairs of CHL rivalries, with the Maple Leaf America video crew spending two weeks with each pair of CHL clubs, beginning October 27th with the Laredo Bucks and Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees. Later this season, Maple Leafs TV will also feature the Tulsa Oilers and Oklahoma City Blazers, the Colorado Eagles and New Mexico Scorpions, and the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs and Austin Ice Bats in their "On the Bus" series. "Leafs TV has always viewed itself as a place where good quality hockey can gain much needed exposure," said John Shannon, Vice President of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment and Executive Producer of Leafs TV. "We are thrilled that the Central Hockey League will have a regular time slot on our network."

"We are very pleased to further expose the Central Hockey League, our member teams and our players through our partnership with Maple Leafs TV," said CHL President Brad Treliving. "We expect to have each of our 17 member clubs involved in Game of the Week programming, and the "On the Bus" series will provide fans a unique behind-the-scenes look into the world of professional hockey and the CHL."

Rob Simpson, Producer/Host for Maple Leaf America added "This is an exciting project for us. We're going to have a very busy winter traveling around the CHL producing Maple Leaf America and the CHL Game of the Week. I'm looking forward to seeing the rinks, visiting the cities, and meeting all of the great hockey people and fans. Bottom line, this is a wonderful creative opportunity, and of course it's all about our number one passion, the game of hockey."

The Central Hockey League begins its 13th season of play this Friday, and once again led all North American professional "AA" leagues in average attendance during the 2003-2004 regular season, welcoming 4,501 fans per contest this past year. The Central Hockey League is operated by Global Entertainment Corporation through its WPHL, Inc. subsidiary. Global (OTCBB: GECO) is a diversified sports management, arena development and licensing company. Its subsidiary companies include: International Coliseums Company, a project manager for arena development and responsible for management agreements associated with arena facility operations; Global Entertainment Marketing Systems that pursues licensing and marketing opportunities related to the Company's sports management and arena developments and operations; Global Entertainment Ticketing (GetTix.net), an in-house ticketing company for sports and entertainment venues; and Cragar Industries, Inc., the licensor for CRAGAR, its nationally recognized, branded automotive wheels and products.

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Central Hockey League Stories from October 19, 2004


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