NHL Continues to Miss the “Punk Rock” Memo with NHL Face-off Performers

NEW YORK / TORONTO (September 29, 2010) – Three of Canada’s top musical acts have joined the line-up for NHL Face-Off™, the Oct. 7 opening day hockey and entertainment festival at Dundas Square in downtown Toronto, the National Hockey League (NHL) announced today. Multi-platinum chart toppers Hedley will perform a number of its hits at the 2010-11 season opening celebration. Juno-nominated hometown sensation Down With Webster will bring its explosive musical set to the NHL Face-Off stage. Critically acclaimed rock band Hey Rosetta! will open the free concert with a late-afternoon performance. Fans will be able to take part in the festivities at Dundas Square and enjoy the free performances and a host of other activities starting at noon.

Hedley is currently in the midst of their second, sold-out Canadian national arena tour. The Vancouver-based group – lead singer Jacob Hoggard, bassist Tom McDonald, guitarist Dave Rosin and drummer Chris Crippin – is riding high on the success of their current album, The Show Must Go. Released in Canada in November 2009 – and coming soon on Island Def Jam in the U.S. – the album has produced a trio of Top 5 singles, including “Perfect,” “Don’t Talk to Strangers” and “Cha Ching,” which they performed in the Closing Ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics. The band recently scored three wins at the 2010 MuchMusic Video Awards, including Video of the Year (“Perfect”) and Pop Video of the Year (“Cha-Ching”). The band also recently had a record-breaking tenth #1 video on MuchMusic.

Since their self-titled debut in 2005 with Universal Canada, Hedley has received 11 Juno Award nominations. Their first album went double-platinum, producing the chart-topping single, “On My Own” and other hits “Gunnin,” “3-2-1” and “Trip.” Their second album, Famous Last Words (Universal Music Canada) released in 2007, also went double platinum with Top 5 hits “For the Nights I Can’t Remember,” “Never Too Late” and “Old School” and garnered five MuchMusic Video Awards at the 2008 ceremony. Hedley will be hitting the road in the U.S. starting Oct. 4. For tour dates and more details, visit http://www.hedleyonline.com.

Described as a seven-member, genre-bending, musical juggernaut, Down With Webster (DWW) draws on disparate influences to create a wholly original musical feast. Grammy Award-winning producer and rapper Timbaland calls DWW “the most amazing, creative and innovative band that will come out in 2010. They’re the illest group I’ve ever seen live.” A relentless touring band, DWW has built a fanatical following with nearly every DWW show sold out. Down With Webster begins a six-week North American tour with 3Oh!3 in mid-October.

DWW’s Universal Motown debut, the mini-album, Time To Win, vol. I was released in October 2009. The album has already spawned three Canadian hit singles and music videos – platinum-selling “Rich Girl$,” which peaked at #9 on the Canadian charts, Top 40 in the U.S. and #1 on MuchMusic; platinum-selling “Your Man” which reached #7 on the charts and #1 on MuchMusic; and the latest single, “Whoa Is Me,” which has just cracked the Top 20 and is rocketing up the chart – and garnered industry accolades, including the band’s first Juno Award nomination for Best New Group and two MuchMusic Video Award nods. The follow-up mini-album, Time To Win, vol. II, will be released in early 2011. For the latest news on DWW, visit http://www.facebook.com/downwithwebster.

Hey Rosetta! is a six-piece rock band from the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Band members Tim Baker (vocals, guitar, piano), Josh Ward (bass, backing vocals), Adam Hogan (lead guitar), Phil Maloney (drums), Kinley Dowling (violin) and Romesh Thavanathan (cello) have been hailed for their intelligent songs, powerful recordings and energized and evoking live shows.

In only five years, Hey Rosetta! has received numerous honors – including three East Coast Music Awards in 2009, the Canadian Music Week’s Indie Award for Best Album in 2009, XM Canada’s 2008 Verge Award for Best Album – and was a finalist for the 2009 Polaris Music Prize, all for the 2008 album, Into Your Lungs (and around in your heart and on through your blood). In 2009, the band released a 7” single and digital EP entitled Red Songs. They recently completed work on a third full-length album to be released early 2011. For more about Hey Rosetta!, visit http://www.heyrosetta.com.

NHL Face-Off is the NHL’s annual season-opening event. This year, the celebration

comes to Dundas Square in downtown Toronto on Oct. 7. From noon until the conclusion of the Montreal Canadiens vs. Toronto Maple Leafs game at Air Canada Centre, the NHL® will treat fans at Dundas Square in Toronto to live musical performances; interactive attractions that test hockey skills; prizing and giveaways, including a trip to the 2011 NHL Heritage Classic™; special guest appearances, including former NHL players; food, beverage and merchandise tents; and live CBC and VERSUS game broadcasts on giant screens, including the Dundas Square video boards. CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada, VERSUS and the NHL Network™ will broadcast live from the event throughout the day, including portions of CBC’s pre-game show, Scotiabank Hockey Tonight, beginning nationally at 6:30 p.m. ET.

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NHL/NHLPA Finally Agree on Something: Fighting Cancer

NEW YORK / TORONTO (September 29, 2010) – Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness Month will once again share the spotlight in October with the start of the 2010-11 NHL season. For this season’s month-long initiative, the National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) have partnered with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Prostate Cancer Canada, ZERO – The Project to End Prostate Cancer and the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network to raise funds and awareness for this important cause. The NHL and the NHLPA will distribute more than $475,000 in grants to these four organizations as well as local cancer charities in all 30 NHL markets. For the 13th straight year, the NHL and the NHLPA will mobilize the entire hockey community in hopes of exceeding the $650,000 raised as part of last year’s efforts.

Hockey Fights Cancer will donate to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to fund a Pediatric Research Grant. Hockey Fights Cancer’s grant to Prostate Cancer Canada will establish a fund to support the needs of Canadian men fighting the disease. ZERO – The Project to End Prostate Cancer will use its donation to provide free on-board testing in select markets and fund several grants to medical centers and hospitals conducting prostate cancer education and screening programs for high-risk populations. Hockey Fights Cancer’s contribution to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network will be used to co-sponsor an innovative research grant, which supports cutting edge research in pancreatic cancer. In addition, Hockey Fights Cancer will distribute $10,000 to each NHL club to support local cancer organizations in their respective markets.

For the first time ever, fans can now donate to the cause via mobile phone. Starting today, U.S. residents

can text HFC to 90999 to make a $5 U.S. donation to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Canadian residents can text HFC to 45678 to make a $5 CAD donation to the Canadian chapter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. A one-time charge of $5 U.S. or CAD will be added to the donor’s mobile phone bill. Message and data rates may apply.

The entire hockey community, including all 30 NHL clubs, players, management and fans, will once again

join the fight with a busy month of events and activities. Each NHL® club will designate one home game as its

Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness Night. Events will include on-ice presentations, 50/50 raffles, promotional

giveaways, contests and discount ticket offers. Arena suites and tickets will be donated to children’s hospitals

and cancer-affiliated programs, and young patients will be involved with in-game opportunities – including rides on

the ice resurfacer, puck-drops, radio booth visits and player meet-and-greets. There also will be on-line, live and

silent auctions of signed items including helmets, sticks, jerseys and other team merchandise. Several clubs will

continue to promote awareness by participating in local hospital visits and fundraising runs and walks.

Lavender, which represents awareness for all cancers, returns as the designated color for this year’s initiative and will be worn by the hockey community throughout October. And back by popular demand is the commemorative Hockey Fights Cancer tie. The dark lavender tie is custom woven, 100% silk with stripes and featuring an embroidered Hockey Fights Cancer logo throughout. The tie, manufactured by Fairway & Greene, also features a custom woven Hockey Fights Cancer label. NHL coaches, broadcasters and team personnel will wear the commemorative tie during all regular-season games in October and players will wear a Hockey Fights Cancer decal on their helmets.

In addition to the commemorative tie, fans of all ages will have a wide assortment of one-of-a-kind apparel and products to purchase in support of Hockey Fights Cancer, including ladies’ track jackets and men’s caps by Reebok; ladies’ caps by New Era; men’s, ladies’ and kids’ tees by Old Time Sports; and the NHL® Dream Capsule by UPI Marketing. Rounding out this year’s catalog is Best of the Decade: Reflections of Hockey’s Past Ten Years, the fourth book is an annual visual celebration series, published by the NHLPA and the NHL, together with Getty Images, NHL Images and Greystone Books. This edition chronicles the highlights and candid, behind-the-scenes images highlighting the NHL’s first ten years of the new millennium.

Starting October 1, the commemorative tie, jacket, caps, book, t-shirts and NHL® Dream Capsules will be available at shop.nhl.com, select team stores and the NHL Powered by Reebok store in New York City. Copies of the book autographed by team captains will be auctioned on nhl.com and nhlpa.com in mid-October. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of all these products will benefit Hockey Fights Cancer.

“Through Hockey Fights Cancer, the NHL family continues to build upon its long-standing tradition of addressing important social issues to demonstrate that our biggest assist happens off the ice,” said Kenneth Martin, Jr., NHL Vice President of Community Affairs. “We are proud to continue our support of the charitable work of our teams through a $10,000 donation to each club’s local cancer fighting efforts and national donations to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, ZERO – The Project to End Prostate Cancer, Prostrate Cancer Canada and The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. The NHL family has raised more than $11 million to support cancer awareness and research and remain committed to helping find a cure for cancer.”

“NHL players are proud to help continuing to make a difference through Hockey Fights Cancer, together with the entire hockey community, in this meaningful search for a cure to such a terrible disease that has tragically impacted us all,” said Devin Smith, NHLPA Director, Marketing & Community Relations. “We are looking forward to the month of October successfully furthering our efforts to raise awareness, an annual tradition for NHL players and the hockey community since 1998.”

Below is a schedule of Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness Nights:

October 15

Vancouver @ LOS ANGELES

October 16

Edmonton @ CALGARY

October 17

Phoenix @ ANAHEIM

Carolina @ VANCOUVER

October 18

Ottawa @ PITTSBURGH

Dallas @ TAMPA BAY

October 19

Carolina @ SAN JOSE

October 20

Vancouver @ CHICAGO

October 21

San Jose @ COLORADO

Calgary @ DETROIT

Pittsburgh @ NASHVILLE

Dallas @ FLORIDA

Anaheim @ PHILADELPHIA

October 22

Tampa Bay @ ATLANTA

Ottawa @ BUFFALO

Calgary @ COLUMBUS

October 23

Nashville @ DALLAS

San Jose @ EDMONTON

Buffalo @ NEW JERSEY

Pittsburgh @ ST. LOUIS

Atlanta @ WASHINGTON

Montreal @ OTTAWA

New York Rangers @ BOSTON

October 27

Atlanta @ NEW YORK RANGERS

October 28

Washington @ MINNESOTA

October 29

Montreal @ NEW YORK ISLANDERS

October 30

New York Rangers @ TORONTO

Tampa Bay @ PHOENIX

Florida @ MONTREAL

November 3

New York Islanders @ CAROLINA

Hockey Night in 3D

He shoots, he scores and the puck is so close Canadians can almost touch it. Imagine watching Canada’s favourite sport in 3D! CBC and Panasonic Canada announced today they will bring the first-ever 3D broadcast of CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada into Canadian homes. Two broadcasts of CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada will be available to Canadians in 3D this upcoming season – Montreal versus Toronto on Saturday, December 11, and the Heritage Classic from McMahon Stadium in Calgary on Sunday, February 20, 2011.

“We are very pleased to partner with Panasonic on this unique and ground-breaking initiative,” says Scott Moore, Executive Director, CBC Sports and General Manager, CBC Media Sales and Marketing. “Together we will be bringing an experience to Canadian hockey fans that has never been done before. This is a Canadian first and a very exciting time for television and hockey in Canada.”

“Panasonic is at the forefront of 3D innovation, leading the charge on developing technology for both industry professionals and everyday Canadians,” says Ian Kilvert, General Manager, Corporate Brand Management, Panasonic Canada Inc. “Panasonic’s state-of-the-art Professional Full HD 3D Camera is poised to take Hollywood by storm, and our award-winning Full HD 3D VIERA televisions, and recently launched Consumer 3D Camcorder are bringing the 3D experience home. With our expertise and cutting edge products, it makes sense to partner with the CBC to help bring the first-ever 3D hockey viewing experience into Canadian living rooms.”