A statement late this afternoon confirmed rumors of the past several weeks that the Canadian Hockey League, the top tier of Canada's developmental junior hockey leagues, will have all of its teams - and players - represented in NHL 11.
The CHL's news release said that its three regional leagues - the Western Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey league and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League - will appear in the game. The three leagues bring 60 major junior hockey teams from North America - 51 in Canada, nine in the United States - to add depth to the game's Be A Pro, Be A GM, Tournament Mode, Season Mode and Playoff Mode.
The licensing agreement covers the use of all names and likenesses of players on CHL rosters. The league's players, ranging in age from 16 to 20 years old, are widely regarded as the top prospects available in North American pro hockey. The CHL noted that four of the last five players to grace the cover of EA Sports' NHL game are CHL alums, including Chicago's Patrick Kane, the current NHL 10 star.
The licensing also allows for the use of the league's Memorial Cup, the trophy awarded to the CHL's champion.