The historic Spengler Cup is the latest sporting event to go virtual in the face of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. 

Held annually in Davos, Switzerland, the international ice hockey competition was cancelled earlier this year due to the pandemic. Now, with the crisis continuing to rage on, the organising committee has announced a virtual version of the event, the eSpengler Cup, will take place this month. 

The virtual version is being supported by Spengler Cup partners UBS, Würth, Schenker Storen, and Škoda, and will use EA Sports NHL 21 on Playstation 4. 

Qualifying rounds are set for 14-16 December, with the quarter-final stage slated for the 19 December, and the grand final for 26 December, playing in the “Spengler Cup mode” of the game. 

Commenting on the news Spengler Cup OC president, Marc Gianola, said:

“I used to re-live the Spengler Cup playing street hockey in our neighborhood, whereas today, with all the digital opportunities, there are new ways of celebrating the excitement around the Spengler Cup.”.

The tournament will be hosted on the GameTurnier platform, and is open to the public, while professional Swiss ice hockey players Davyd Barandun and Yannick Frehner, who play for Hockey Club Davos, will also be taking part. 

1st prize is CHF 6K ($6.7K USD), 2nd is CHF 2,500 ($2.8K), and 3rd is CHF 1,500 (approx. $1.7K). The grand final will be broadcast on SRF Sport’s website, with commentary by Swiss Radio and Television’s Steven Krucker. 

AYO.NEWS says:

Back in March, when the COVID-19 storm broke across Europe, few would have expected sports competitions would still be going virtual in December! But, once again it shows how those organisations, even ones as old as the Spengler Cup (founded in 1923), that are willing to adapt can still thrive while we wait for some form of normality to return to the world. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

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