ESPN Will Livestream NHLPA's $200,000 Fortnite Charity Esports Event
The National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) has announced a new Fortnite charity event with $200,000 in funds. Called the NHLPA Open, this tournament will feature 60 NHL players who will compete in Trios matches over the duration of three hours later this month. The matches will be livestreamed by ESPN Esports through its Twitch account.
Many players will be participating in the NHLPA Open, including Thomas Chabot, Clayton Keller, Bryan Rust, Sebastian Aho, Johnny Gaudreau, and others. The $200,000 prize funds will be distributed to the charities chosen by the players, according to the NHLPA, which says that it will announce the full roster of players on its website before the event.
The NHLPA is proud to announce the #NHLPAOpen featuring Fortnite!
Over 60 players will unite May 18 as Trios to compete for $200K in charity prizing.
Everything you need to know 👉 https://t.co/2zEjS33ONQ pic.twitter.com/vMJEUWskoj
— NHLPA (@NHLPA) May 15, 2020
The tournament was created by Zach Hyman and J.T. Compher; Hyman will serve as the event's commentator while Compher will participate in the matches with a couple of teammates. Fortnite fans will be able to tune in to view the three-hour tournament on the ESPN Esports account on Twitch.
NHLPA Special Assistant to the Executive Director Mathieu Schneider said:
Our players have been taking part in countless initiatives during this uncertain time. The NHLPA Open featuring Fortnite, created by J.T. and Zach, is symbolic of the bonds connecting NHLPA membership away from the ice and their shared passion for giving back something the players have demonstrated time and again.
This isn't the first time a Fortnite tournament has taken place for charity. In 2018, for example, Epic paired pro players with celebrities and had them compete; the event had a $3 million pool that was divided up among the charities picked by the winning teams.