League’s showcase event scheduled for Monday, Jan. 21, 2019

PRINCETON, N.J. – The ECHL announced on Saturday that the Toledo Walleye will serve as host of the 2019 CCM / ECHL All-Star Classic at the Huntington Center in downtown Toledo. It will be the first time Toledo hosts the ECHL All-Star Classic.

“We are proud to bring our showcase event to Toledo,” said ECHL Commissioner Brian McKenna.  “We look forward to bringing the best talent in the ECHL to entertain an enthusiastic fan base in a terrific facility. We look forward to working with the Walleye and CCM to produce an outstanding event.”

All-Star Weekend festivities kick off on Friday, Jan. 18, 2019 with an Opening Night celebration at the Huntington Center. The four-day event will feature a Fanfest in Hensville, the Walleye Winterfest Youth Hockey Tournament, the 5th Annual Winter Brewfest, the 12th ECHL Hall of Fame induction ceremony and the CCM / ECHL All-Star Classic & Skills Showcase on Monday, Jan. 21, 2019  Hensville will feature live music and the popular Hensville Lights display each night during All-Star Weekend.

The annual Midseason showcase is attended by representatives from the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League and it has produced more than 60 players who have gone on to play in the NHL, including 48 since 2002 when the format was changed to feature younger prospects. The past 10 ECHL All-Star Games have generated more than $1 million each for the local economy as guests, players, coaches and fans occupy hundreds of hotel rooms and spend three days in the host city. “Fans have been wanting Toledo to host this event for years,” said Walleye General Manager Neil Neukam. “The community support we saw during the first ECHL outdoor games in 2014 makes it very exciting to welcome back hockey fans from across the country. We also know these events wouldn’t be possible without the backing of the ECHL and our sponsors and we would like to thank CCM for their continued partnership and support.”

CCM, which has a rich history of equipping the best hockey players in the world, has had a relationship with the ECHL’s All-Star property since the 2009-10 season. CCM signed Hall of Fame legend King Clancy in 1936 as its first official spokesman. Since then, CCM has been represented by a list of hockey legends including Paul Henderson, Darryl Sittler, Mark Messier, and current NHL superstars such as Carey Price, Sidney Crosby, Pavel Datsyuk, John Tavares and Connor McDavid. With the help of constant research and product testing by the best hockey players in the world, CCM has built products from the inside out – high-quality, intuitive equipment that becomes an extension of the athletes themselves.

Ticket information and availability, along with sponsorship opportunities, will be announced at a later date.

About the ECHL

Began in 1988-89 with five teams in four states, the ECHL has grown into a coast-to-coast league with 27 teams in 21 states and one Canadian province for its 29th season in 2016-17. There have been who have started their career in the ECHL who have gone on to play in the National Hockey League, including 21 who have made their NHL debuts in the 2016-17 season. The ECHL has affiliations with 26 of the 30 NHL teams in 2016-17, marking the 20th consecutive season that the league had affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL. Further information on the ECHL is available on its website at ECHL.com as well as on Twitter and Facebook.