CORY MITCHELL IS THE ULTIMATE PATS FAN

Regina, SK, JANUARY 26, 2012 – He dressed up in his best Regina Pats attire and proved himself unrivalled in Pats trivia, besting all other participants to claim the “BMO Ultimate CHL Fan” title.

As the winner of the BMO Ultimate CHL Fan contest, held Wednesday at the BMO main office branch in Regina, Cory Mitchell will now be entered into a random draw with other BMO Ultimate Fans from across the Western Hockey League for a chance to win the grand prize: a trip for 2 to the 2012 MasterCard Memorial Cup. He also won a special signed CHL team jersey with the BMO Ultimate CHL Fan crest.

"The contest is a great opportunity for BMO to deepen its relationship with the community through our shared passion for hockey, and give fans a chance to experience one of the biggest hockey events in North America," said Tafaline Wall, Commercial Banking Area manager, Regina and Southwest Saskatchewan, BMO Bank of Montreal. "I'd like to thank all the enthusiastic fans who showed up in their most creative attires and congratulations to Mr. Mitchell for proving himself as the BMO Ultimate Regina Pats Fan.”

The contest and community celebration was held to kick off BMO’s new four-year partnership with the Canadian Hockey League, including the Western Hockey League and its member teams. Participants dressed in their Regina Pats colours, jerseys and costumes, and 3 finalists were chosen by a panel of judges, including Darren Zabo, Pats’ player Brandon Davidson, and BMO’s Jason Ecarnot. They were then put to the test with trivia questions provided by the team, and Mr. Mitchell emerged victorious.

The grand prize winner will receive a trip for two to the 2012 MasterCard Memorial Cup in Shawinigan, Quebec.

BMO and the Canadian Hockey League
BMO Financial Group and the Canadian Hockey League recently announced BMO as the Official Bank of the Canadian Hockey League. The new four-year agreement also designates BMO as the Official Bank of each of the CHL’s member hockey leagues, the Ontario Hockey League, the Western Hockey League, and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

The sponsorship builds on BMO’s partnership with the CHL of more than 10 years and affirms BMO’s exclusivity as a financial services sponsor of the league in the retail banking category. It also engrains a presence with the 46 teams who currently participate in the BMO CHL Affinity MasterCard program, which enables CHL fans to support their favourite teams through branded credit cards.