Even as his minor hockey career ended, Newmarket resident Ethan Polgar said his love for the game never died.
That love kept Polgar playing in a different way through the world of video games. The 19-year-old online content creator plays EA NHL, the league’s flagship video game series.
“Ever since I was a kid, my dad has been a huge Leafs fan,” Polgar said. “His love for the game pushed me further … I played hockey my whole life until I couldn’t. After my minor hockey years were done, I tried to play some (EA NHL). I knew I was pretty good.”
Now, he is preparing to compete against the very best as a top-eight finalist in the NHL’s Gaming World Championship North-American competition. Polgar, also known by “Polgz,” is in Montreal for the July 6 contest, with $26,000 US and a championship belt and trophy on the line.
“It’s pretty crazy. I never thought I would get this far,” Polgar said. “It’s been pretty hard.”
The competition backed by the NHL itself featured more than 17,000 players competing online for chances at prizing and a possible finals slot, with each player controlling a whole team. Polgar played through a console competition to earn his place at the league’s first in-person championship since 2019.
"These players, who have grinded their way through online open play, the online club play in and the console finals, now find themselves at the pinnacle of GWC competition," the NHL said in a news release.
Plenty of work goes into competing in the world of e-sports, Polgar said. The player works to hone his games for three to five hours each day, he said, practising at smaller events against other top players.
“It takes so much time and so much work being put in behind the scenes that nobody realized. Even learning the little ins and out of the games, how to beat the goalie, how to score every time,” he said.
But he has his family backing him. If he wins, Polgar said he wants to bring his mom, Shannon Kerr, up onto the stage with him. Kerr is a recent cancer survivor, and Polgar said she has pushed him forward.
“She’s an absolute warrior,” Polgar said. “I just want to do it for her and I want to make her smile. It would mean the world … She’s a big reason why I’m at where I’m at now because she pushes me, and she’s never left my side.”
The prize pool included a guaranteed $1,000 for each participant, ramping up to $2,500 for top four, $10,000 for second place and $26,000 for the winner.
“It’s a whole lot of money,” Polgar said. “Maybe I would buy my first car.”
The player will be representing his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs in the virtual competition, his favourite team.
“The Leafs are my first choice, and I’m so excited to be representing them this year,” he said.
The competition will be streamed live on twitch.tv/NHL, starting at 1 p.m. July 6.
Regardless of the outcome, Polgar said he hopes to compete again in the game for next year’s competitions.
“I’ll definitely be back,” he said. “I was pretty good at hockey, not the greatest, but my love will never go away.”
