Sports
As Canada Continues to Grow as an eSports Hub, More Opportunities Arise
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The eSports industry has now, without doubt, established itself as a massive global industry with distinct appeal to fans and third-party companies, such as advertisers, alike. Now, the billion-dollar industry is still in its infancy and going through some growing pains, but as far as the outward-facing product goes, everything’s already in place.
Canada has been able to establish itself as a hub for the international eSports scene. Not only does the nation host several high-profile global and domestic tournaments, but its stars have been piling into the action, becoming owners of eSport team companies. Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Mitch Marner has joined musician The Weeknd in becoming owners of OverActive Media, who run Toronto teams in Overwatch and Call of Duty.
Now, Canada’s eSports industry is reaching the next tier of its existence, where it grows into a scene akin to other sports. More third-party involvement and better structure around the core property is coming, helping it grow into its potential.
An unsurprising rise to prominence in Canada
Source: Unsplash
The Great White North has a long-established gaming community, with the domestic industry contributing around $3.7bn to Canada’s GDP three years ago, with it continuing to grow in the years since. The accessibility of consoles, computers capable of playing the best games, and now mobiles has enabled Canadians all over to embrace their inner gamer, with over half of Canadians identifying as a gamer of some kind.
Canada’s first dedicated eSports gaming stadium was opened in 2019, establishing an official hub for competitive gamers in the country. The Gaming Stadium, situated in Richmond, British Columbia, stages many events and seats up to 2,500 live spectators. Just a year prior, the year after year record-breaker for an eSports prize pool, DOTA 2’s The International, was held in the Rogers Arena in Vancouver.
In Canada, the most popular eSports games are Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, StarCraft II, Overwatch, and DOTA 2, with there being 19 teams alone on CS:GO. As for individuals, there are many more professional players earning on StarCraft II; however, it’s the 32 DOTA 2 players who stack up as the most successful bunch, at least in a monetary sense, with them combining for a mighty $9.4 million in earnings. Atop the standings for Canadians in earnings, Fly, Aui 2000, and Arteezy have earned between $1.92 million and $2.31 million.
A growing scene of eSports in Canada
While the establishment of successful teams like Luminosity Gaming, the Vancouver Titans, and Team NP has been key to the growth of eSports in Canada, it’s the surrounding features that keep fans engaged and money coming into the industry. As you would assume, having quick and easy access to the competitions is key. Hosting the tournaments in the country always helps, but access to live streams at peoples’ convenience and other ways to engage are essential.
Twitch is now well-known as the go-to place for eSports, with over 1.5 million Canadians said to be watching eSports contests at least once per month now. With the industry growing, third parties are seeking ways to offer something to fans and players, which strengthens the scene as a whole. To meet the demand of the fans, several of the best Canadian betting sites for sports include their own in-depth eSports betting section. It enables viewers to engage with the live streams differently, giving them a more invested interest in a team or match.
Along with the betting sites, several other third-parties are looking for ways that they can offer their services to help solidify the eSports industry for expansion. Another example is that of lawyers. Canadian law firm MKM Group is working to professionalize and formalize the sector by creating a standard for the rights of players, player contracts, as well as its standing in areas of existing Canadian law, such as advertising, marketing, privacy, and corporate law.
As more and more companies weigh-in to further establish and expand eSports, Canada will continue to grow in prominence as a hub of the industry.
Sports
Canucks place goalie Thatcher Demko on long-term injured list
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The Vancouver Canucks have placed all-star goalie Thatcher Demko on the long-term injured reserve list retroactively.
“It’s just cap related,” coach Rick Tocchet said after practice Wednesday. “We get some cap relief, that’s all it is.”
The 28-year-old netminder has been considered week to week since being sidelined with a lower-body injury midway through Vancouver’s 5-0 win over the Winnipeg Jets on March 9.
That injury designation hasn’t changed, Tocchet said.
Demko boasts a 34-18-2 record this season, with a .917 save percentage, a 2.47 goals-against average and five shutouts.
Casey DeSmith has taken over the starting job for Vancouver, going 3-2-1 since Demko’s injury. He has a .899 save percentage on the season with a 2.73 goals-against average and one shutout.
The earliest Demko could be back in the Canucks’ lineup is April 6 against the Kings in Los Angeles.
He’s expected to be a key piece as Vancouver (45-19-8) prepares for its first playoff appearance since the COVID-shortened 2019-20 campaign.
Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin also announced Wednesday that the club has called up forward Arshdeep Bains from the Abbotsford Canucks of the American Hockey League.
“I’d like to see where [Bains is] at,” Tocchet said, noting he isn’t sure whether the 23-year-old winger will slot into the lineup when the Canucks host the Dallas Stars on Thursday.
WATCH | Bains makes NHL debut
Bains played five games for the NHL team in February before being sent back to Abbotsford.
“He went down, he’s done a couple of things that we like, and he’s got some speed,” Tocchet said.
Vancouver may get another forward back in the lineup Thursday.
Dakota Joshua practised in a full-contact jersey on Wednesday for the first time since suffering an upper-body injury in Vancouver’s 4-2 win over the Blackhawks in Chicago on Feb. 13.
The physical winger, who’s set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, has a career-high 26 points (13 goals, 13 assists) this season.
Sitting out injured “hasn’t been fun,” Joshua said.
“It feels like forever,” he said. “But at this point, that’s behind me and I’m moving forward.”
Sports
Senators score 5 in 1st, cruise past Sabres
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“I thought that we were ready to go,” Ottawa coach Jacques Martin said. “We got some pucks at the net, we got people at the net. Took advantage of our opportunities and, I think, built a nice lead. And then I thought, in the third period, we continued again. Our goaltending was good. Made some key saves. But I thought we shut them down in the third period good.”
Shane Pinto had a goal and three assists, and Brady Tkachuk, Boris Katchouk, Jakob Chychrun and Drake Batherson each had a goal and an assist for the Senators (31-36-4), who have won three in a row. Korpisalo made 34 saves.
“If you want to win, you need balance,” Pinto said. “And we had that tonight and it’s going to be big for the back-to-back tomorrow (against the Chicago Blackhawks) to have that same thing. So, going to need all the guys on board.”
JJ Peterka and Connor Clifton scored for the Sabres (34-34-5), who have lost four of six. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen allowed four goals on nine shots before he was replaced by Devon Levi, who made 31 saves in relief.
“We wanted, I guess, to play as individuals,” Clifton said. “I’m disappointed we let ‘Upie’ down, he’s the heart and soul of this team. He’s kept us in so many games, and just to not show up and play that careless style, give them freebies all over the place. … Yeah, obviously, the first 20 really dictated the rest of the game.”
Artem Zub gave Ottawa a 1-0 lead at 2:37 of the first period. He stuffed in a loose puck on the goal line after Katchouk’s shot was redirected by Mark Kastelic between Luukkonen’s pads.
Katchouk made it 2-0 at 4:56, tipping Parker Kelly’s shot from the top of the right face-off circle past Luukkonen.
“It’s keeping the consistency with good effort, right habits,” Katchouk said. “The small things matter so much in this game. And obviously, it worked out tonight with the tip. But kudos to my linemates. ‘Kels’ and ‘Kassy,’ they worked hard to get the puck as well. Those two battle hard every night as well. We feed off each other, and it’s good to play with them.”
Sports
Vasilevskiy stops 23 as surging Lightning beat Bruins – Sportsnet.ca
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