In The Press
CIHL Awards Night Celebrates 2014-2015 Season
Over a 15-game regular season and thrilling playoffs which ultimately saw the AsiaXPAT Kowloon Warriors win their second RBC Asia Cup, players across the four teams raised the level of competition to the highest Hong Kong has ever seen, with the league as close as its ever been in its short three-season history. Leading the scoring charge with 30 goals and 19 goals for a whopping 49 points was So, who joined the CIHL this past season as part of the prestigious CIHL Intern Program. So also took home the award for earning the most 3 Star awards, just one point ahead of fellow CIHL Intern Christian Long. So also picked up the award as the league's best forward.
Quam Hong Kong Tycoons defenceman Brennan Sonne was voted the league's top defenceman, while Lutz added a second award as the CIHL's best goaltender.
With the Warriors and the Sharks facing each other in the CIHL finals for the third time in as many years, the teams headed into the winner-takes-all final more than familiar with one another. Each team had also defeated their semi-final opposition in straight games and while each team brought its best to the finale, the Warriors received some extra support in the form of Kory Falite whose eight goals and seven assists in three playoff games gave him a league-leading 15 points in the playoffs and helped earn him the CIHL's MVP Playoffs award. Warriors General Manager Art Tam, who added Falite to his team in the mid-season draft, was named the CIHL's GM of the Year.
Promoting and growing the sport of hockey in Hong Kong is one of the CIHL's key goals and its community initiatives have helped the next generation of Hong Kong players develop their skill set, while introducing the sport to new fans. In addition to the CIHL Intern Program and the RBC sponsored Adopt a School Program, the league has also partnered with the U18 team to provide young players with the opportunity to compete at a high level on a weekly basis. While several of Hong Kong's future stars shone this season, Shark Justin Cheng took home the special U18 Top Prospect award.
"Congratulations to all the CIHL award winners," CIHL Commissioner Grant Phillips said. "This year has been the CIHL's best yet, with the competition as tough as it's ever been and a fantastic roster of players. We're delighted that in just three short years, the CIHL has attracted top talents and future Hong Kong stars and we look forward to an equally fantastic season in 2014-2015."
For further information about the CIHL or to get involved, please contact CIHL Community Relations Manager Vivian Low at [email protected].
About the CIHL
The CIHL is Hong Kong, Macau and Southern China's first elite contact ice hockey league. Founded in 2010, the CIHL provides high-level, entertaining hockey, while working to develop future generations of Chinese hockey players.
The Royal Bank of Canada is the official league sponsor for the 2013-2014 CIHL season. This year, the league will feature four teams: the Quam Hong Kong Tycoons, AsiaXPAT Kowloon Warriors, Galaxy Macau Aces and South China Sharks.
Saturday nights from October 5, 2013 through March 22, 2014, the teams will face off at Mega Ice for two back-to-back games. Family entertainment, community events and on-ice kids' competitions are aimed at making Saturdays a true "Hockey Night in Hong Kong". The official website of the CIHL is www.cihl.com and a free iPhone app is available through the iTunes store.
About RBC
Royal Bank of Canada (RY on TSX and NYSE) and its subsidiaries operate under the master brand name RBC. We are Canada's largest bank as measured by assets and market capitalization, and are among the largest banks in the world, based on market capitalization. We are one of North America's leading diversified financial services companies, and provide personal and commercial banking, wealth management services, insurance, and investor services and wholesale banking on a global basis. We employ approximately 80,000 full- and part-time employees who serve more than 15 million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in Canada, the U.S. and 44 other countries. For more information, please visit rbc.com.
RBC supports a broad range of community initiatives through donations, sponsorships and employee volunteer activities. In 2012, we contributed more than $95 million to causes worldwide, including donations and community investments of more than $64 million and $31 million in sponsorships.