PRINCETON, N.J. - The ECHL announced on Tuesday that Warrior Hockey has been named the title sponsor of the 2020 ECHL All-Star Classic. The 2020 Warrior Hockey/ECHL All-Star Classic will take place in Wichita on Wednesday, January 22, 2020, at INTRUST Bank Arena, and will also include the official induction ceremony of the 13th Class of the ECHL Hall of Fame. The Thunder will also host the ECHL All-Star Game Fanfest on Tuesday, January 21, 2020. “The ECHL All-Star Classic continues to be the showcase event for our League each season, and bringing Warrior in to outfit our All-Star players with their equipment is another great step for this game,” said ECHL Commissioner Ryan Crelin. “We are looking forward to bringing the fun and excitement of this event to Wichita and highlight the best the ECHL has to offer.” “Warrior is proud of the strong partnership we've built with the ECHL,” said Pat McKinney, Warrior's Director of Hockey Marketing. “We look forward to expanding that partnership by supporting one of the best events put on by the league, that showcases the best players the league has to offer.” Warrior Hockey will receive promotional opportunities; in-arena signage, including dasherboards; television, radio and print advertisements; digital exposure and web site presence. Beginning with the 2019-20 Season, Warrior Hockey is the “Exclusive On-Ice Equipment Provider of the ECHL.” As part of the agreement, Warrior Hockey will provide all on-ice equipment for ECHL players, including sticks, helmets, visors, gloves and pants to outfit all ECHL teams throughout the next three seasons. Sixty-eight players who have participated in the ECHL All-Star Classic have gone on to play in the National Hockey League, including 52 since 2002 when the lineups began having players who coaches felt were prospects to move up to a higher level.
About the ECHLBegan in 1988-89 with five teams in four states, the ECHL has grown into a coast-to-coast league with 27 teams in 20 states and two Canadian provinces for its 31st season in 2018-19. There have been 661 players who have gone on to play in the National Hockey League after starting their careers in the ECHL, including 19 who made their NHL debuts in the 2018-19 season. The ECHL has affiliations with 25 of the 31 NHL teams in 2018-19, marking the 22nd consecutive season that the league had affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL. Further information on the ECHL is available at ECHL.com as well as on Twitter and Facebook. About Warrior HockeyHeadquartered in Warren, Michigan, Warrior Sports is recognized as one of the sporting goods industry's premier manufacturer of innovative, high performance, cutting-edge equipment, footwear and apparel for lacrosse and hockey athletes of all ages and abilities. Founded in 1992 by former champion lacrosse player David Morrow, Warrior was acquired by privately-held New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc. in February 2004.