Tigers’ Svejkovsky shows holiday spirit in donating eCup winnings
Lukas Svejkovsky has claimed digital supremacy.
Winner of the premiere Memorial eCup presented by Kia, the Medicine Hat Tigers forward captured the title for his club December 17 after coming away with back-to-back victories against the Saint John Sea Dogs in the Championship Final.
En route to the winner’s circle, the Tigers first eliminated guest participant and WHL alumnus Zach Hodder before knocking out the Saskatoon Blades, Hamilton Bulldogs, and Saginaw Spirit to be crowned Telluride Division champions. Medicine Hat then won back-to-back contests against the Mississauga Steelheads to take the best-of-three semi-final before repeating that feat against the Sea Dogs.
“The funny thing is I don’t even own a PlayStation 4 – I normally play Xbox – so I borrowed my buddy’s PlayStation 4,” Svejkovsky told the Canadian Hockey League. “I’ve never really played competitively or been too much of a gamer. I just got into NHL ever since COVID-19 hit because there is not too much to do, especially in quarantine.
“Going into it, I wasn’t very confident but as the tournament went on I practiced and got a little more comfortable. It was definitely a good experience and a lot of fun.”
Lukas Svejkovsky and The Medicine Hat Tigers are your 2020 Memorial eCup Champions!
Congratulations Lukas!#KiaCHLeCup #medicinehat pic.twitter.com/92DS7z4ZNM
— Medicine Hat Tigers (@tigershockey) December 18, 2020
A regular offensive contributor for the Tigers throughout the tournament, Svejkovsky’s championship victory was recognized with a $1,000 donation to the charity of his choice courtesy of Kia Canada. Additionally, Kia Canada awarded Svejkovsky with a $1,000 gift card that he elected to donate to a second charity.
Svejkovsky chose to donate to the Medicine Hat Santa Claus Fund, a Southern Alberta charitable organization that works to ensure that the less fortunate within its community experience a Merry Christmas and happy holiday season by providing low-income families with Christmas dinner and toys for children.
Additionally, Svejkovsky directed his second donation to the Medicine Hat Women’s Shelter Society, a local organization that supports those affected by family violence by providing a safe shelter, education, advocacy and access to community resources. The Medicine Hat Women’s Shelter Society is dedicated to providing programs and services that help promote social change.
“The Medicine Hat community has done so much for the Tigers, and just a little thing like donating some money, hopefully it will go a long way,” Svejkovsky added. “I am just trying to give back to the community after it has done so much for us.”
A fourth-round selection by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2020 NHL Draft, Svejkovsky has skated two seasons in the WHL, counting 119 career contests with the Vancouver Giants and Tigers in which he has collected 27 goals and 37 assists for 64 points.
A pilot program, the Memorial eCup presented by Kia featured one player representative from all 60 CHL teams showcasing his gaming skills and competitive spirit in NHL 21 on Sony PlayStation 4. Fans were also encouraged to follow the live streams and across social media, while one lucky fan – Sandy Gooden of Medicine Hat and a Tigers season ticket holder since 2001 – was awarded a grand prize of a $1,000 prepaid Vanilla VISA® gift card.
For a complete list of prize winners, click here.