CHL announces Official Partnership with Primaris REIT

Partnership to deliver CHL-branded activations at national events and in Primaris shopping centres – bringing fan experiences beyond the rink

The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) today proudly announced a multi-year partnership with Primaris REIT (Primaris) as an Official Partner, aligning two organizations with deep roots in the communities they serve and a shared focus on bringing people together through sport and live entertainment.

With the CHL’s footprint spanning communities across Canada and the United States, and Primaris’ national portfolio of leading enclosed shopping centres, the partnership will create new opportunities for fan engagement, retail activations, and event-driven experiences. This partnership will bring the CHL closer to fans beyond the arena, while celebrating local pride and the next generation of talent.

“Primaris is very excited and proud to partner with the CHL to enhance community connection and fan engagement across Canada,” said Alex Avery, Chief Executive Officer, Primaris REIT. “With the CHL’s passionate fan base and our national portfolio of dominant enclosed shopping centres, key gathering places in the communities we serve, this collaboration is a natural fit. Together, we are creating accessible, high-quality experiences that connect fans with the sport they love in meaningful ways.”

“Across the Canadian Hockey League, our clubs are deeply rooted in the communities they represent, and this partnership with Primaris is a natural extension of that connection,” said Dan MacKenzie, President of the CHL. “By bringing CHL fan experiences into spaces where Canadians gather every day, we’ll create new opportunities for fans to engage, strengthen local connections, and celebrate the place hockey holds in their communities.”

As part of the partnership, Primaris will support a range of CHL initiatives tied to the league’s marquee events, building on activations delivered at recent national showcases, including the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge. The partnership will also extend to the CHL’s iconic championship event, the Memorial Cup, with Primaris bringing the celebration beyond the arena through fan activations at Orchard Park Shopping Centre during the 2026 Memorial Cup presented by Kubota in Kelowna, British Columbia (May 21-31, 2026). These interactive, family-friendly experiences will include hockey-themed activities, photo opportunities, and a special chance for fans to see the Memorial Cup up close on May 23, 2026.

Primaris and the CHL will build on this partnership with additional activations and initiatives in the months ahead, creating new touchpoints for fans to connect with CHL hockey in the communities they call home.

About the CHL USA Prospects Challenge

First introduced in 2024, the CHL USA Prospects Challenge is an annual, best-on-best, two-game series that showcases the top NHL Draft-eligible players from the WHL, OHL, and QMJHL against the U.S. National Under-18 Team. The inaugural edition, held in November 2024 in London and Oshawa, was a major success, with 16 of 22 players on Team CHL selected in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft.

Building on that momentum—and quickly establishing itself as a premier showcase on the NHL Draft calendar—the 2025 edition, hosted in Calgary and Lethbridge this past November, featured 17 CHL players ranked among NHL Central Scouting’s top 30 North American skaters ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft. Both games were broadcast nationally on TSN and RDS.

About the Memorial Cup

The Memorial Cup is the Canadian Hockey League’s iconic championship event, bringing together the league champions of the Western Hockey League (WHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), along with a host team, in a four-club round-robin tournament to crown the national champion. First awarded in 1919, the Memorial Cup has become one of the most storied and prestigious trophies in hockey, shaping more than a century of junior hockey history in North America.

Originally donated by the Ontario Hockey Association to honour Canadian soldiers who gave their lives in the First World War, the trophy was rededicated in 2010 to commemorate all fallen members of the Canadian Armed Forces. Today, the Memorial Cup stands as a powerful symbol of remembrance, sacrifice, and national pride, while showcasing the best junior hockey talent in the world.

This spring, the 2026 Memorial Cup presented by Kubota will be hosted by the Kelowna Rockets (WHL) and played in Kelowna, B.C., from May 21–31, 2026. Returning to Kelowna for the first time since 2004, the 106th Memorial Cup will mark a milestone celebration of junior hockey — coinciding with the Rockets’ 30th anniversary season and the CHL’s 50th anniversary as the umbrella organization of the WHL, OHL, and QMJHL.

About Primaris REIT

Primaris REIT is Canada’s only enclosed shopping centre focused REIT, with ownership interests primarily in the leading enclosed shopping centres in growing mid-sized markets. Their portfolio totals over 15 million square feet, valued at approximately over $4 billion at Primaris’ share. Economies of scale are achieved through its fully internal, vertically integrated, full-service national management platform. Primaris is very well-capitalized and exceptionally positioned to take advantage of market opportunities at an extraordinary moment in the evolution of the Canadian retail property landscape. To learn more, please visit: www.primarisreit.com.