Sharks Take Bite out of CIHL with Six Straight Wins

The South China Sharks have gone on the attack in the first half of the 2012-2013 CIHL season, winning their last six games and losing just once this season. Heading into the holiday break, the Sharks led the defending champions AsiaXPAT Kowloon Warriors by three points. End Quote

(1888PressRelease) January 12, 2013 - HONG KONG - Elite hockey league CIHL returned to the ice this past October for its second season of fast-paced, full contact hockey. The first contact league in Hong Kong, the CIHL continues to raise the bar on the sport in the Southern China region, while committing itself to developing young talents.

Said CIHL founder and director Greg Smyth: "It's been a sensational start to the 2012-2013 CIHL season and we're looking forward to showcasing our unique brand of ice hockey to Hong Kong fans in the New Year. In just our second season, we have seen positive growth in the level of play and a growing interest from our fan base, both in Hong Kong and in the Southern China region."

The CIHL has also seen positive growth this season - 20 per cent of the league's players were born in Hong Kong, while 19 of 68 players are ethnically Asian. The league has also seen strong development in it U18 partnership, with eight U18 players drafted to the CIHL this year. There are 16 CIHL players who have national team experience, including three players who are part of the U18 team. With the national team competing in just a few international tournaments every year, the CIHL has fast become a platform for those players to maintain and develop their skills.

This season, the CIHL continued its RBC Adopt a School programme, with students from across Hong Kong attending CIHL games. Schools interested in being a part of the program in 2013 should email info ( @ ) cihl dot com dot The CIHL RBC Intern Program also got off to a strong start, with Adam Maglio and Devin Welsh both within the top 10 in scoring dot Off the ice, both Maglio and Welsh continue to make strong contributions to the hockey community, especially as coaches with youth hockey club the Hong Kong Typhoons dot

Back on the ice, the Shark, led by captain Jamie Stark, have not since October 20, earning their sixth-straight victory in a close 6-5 game over the Quam Hong Kong Tycoons. The Warriors, who also captured the 2011-2012 CIHL regular season title, are eager to get back on top and have won their last two games.

While the Sharks and Warriors battle for first place, it is a different story for the Tycoons and the fourth-placed Macau Aces. While the Tycoons have a 3-5-1 record on the season so far, the Aces are still on the hunt for their second victory. Injuries have plagued the Macau side and hopefully the winter break will allow the team to rest and recover, before coming back strong for the second half of the season.

CIHL newcomer, Warrior Samuel Wheeler, currently leads the league scoring race with 18 goals and nine assists, with last year's winner, teammate and Warriors captain Greg Smyth, tied on number of points, but second in the race with seven goals and 20 assists.
Said Smyth: "It's been a great first half of the season on and off the ice and we would like to thank our sponsors, in particular RBC, Quam and AsiaXPAT as well as Disney for their support in the popular Disney shootout. We're delighted to have partners who believe and are as committed to growing and developing the sport as we are."

Tickets for the second half of the CIHL's 2012-2013 season and for all remaining games are available for purchase at http://www.cihl.com/tickets.php or by contacting info ( @ ) cihl dot com dot

All games are played at Mega Ice, located on the 10/F of MegaBox in Kowloon Bay, with a game format of three, 12-minute periods of five-on-five hockey.

The CIHL's online and digital community can be accessed through its comprehensive league and team websites, as well as its free iPhone app, available at the iTunes store, which allows fans to access on-demand video clips, game highlights, photographs, statistics, schedules and player information.

About the CIHL
The CIHL was founded in 2010 to provide new opportunities for high-level, contact hockey in Hong Kong, Macau and Southern China, as well as to champion sportsmanship and develop future generations of Chinese hockey. This year, the league will feature four teams: the Hong Kong Tycoons, Kowloon Warriors, Macau Aces and South China Sharks

On Saturday nights from October, 6 2012 through March 16, 2013, the teams will face off at Mega Ice for two back-to-back games. Family entertainment, community events and on-ice kids' competitions are aimed at making Saturdays a true "Hockey Night in Hong Kong". The official website of the CIHL is www.cihl.com and a free iPhone app is available through the iTunes store.

About Royal Bank of Canada
Royal Bank of Canada (RY on TSX and NYSE) and its subsidiaries operate under the master brand name RBC. We are Canada's largest bank as measured by assets and market capitalization, and are among the largest banks in the world, based on market capitalization. We are one of North America's leading diversified financial services companies, and provide personal and commercial banking, wealth management services, insurance, corporate and investment banking and investor services on a global basis. We employ approximately 80,000 full- and part-time employees who serve more than 15 million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in Canada, the U.S. and 51 other countries. For more information, please visit www.rbc.com.

For more information, please contact:
Gregory Smyth, CIHL, greg ( @ ) cihl dot com

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