MONTREAL, QC - July 16, 2014 /CNW/ - Scotiabank and TVA Sports today announce a partnership to broadcast all French language NHL hockey games for the 2014-15 season, bringing the action to fans across Canada.

"This fall, thanks to deals with the NHL, the QMJHL and the CHL, TVA Sports will be offering fans their best hockey experience ever,″ explained Isabelle Rochefort, Director of Sales and Marketing at TVA Sports. "Scotiabank has developed a number of innovative programs to support hockey in recent years and that is why we are particularly proud to be able to count on such a prestigious and committed national partner. We are very eager to work on new initiatives with them.″

"Scotiabank has a long tradition of supporting Canadian hockey -- from a professional level to local teams and minor hockey associations," says Carole Chapdelaine, Scotiabank Senior Vice President for Quebec & Eastern Ontario Region. "We are very excited to partner with TVA Sports to bring the game we all love to communities' right across our country."

Through the Scotiabank Community Hockey Sponsorship Program, part of the Scotiabank Bright Future program, the Bank last year supported 920 local minor hockey teams across Quebec. This program supports over 5,000 minor hockey teams across the country.

About TVA Sports
TVA Sports is Quebec's go-to for hockey as well as the prime francophone channel for all sports enthusiasts. As the official French broadcaster of the National Hockey League (NHL) in Canada for the next 12 years, starting in the 2014-2015 season TVA Sports will be airing more than 275 NHL games, including all the Montreal Canadiens Saturday night games, the playoffs -- including the Canadiens games, the Stanley Cup Finals and special events. Over the past few years, TVA has also signed broadcasting deals with a number of prominent sports organizations, including the National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), the Toronto Blue Jays, the Montreal Impact, the CHL, the QMJHL and the Memorial Cup, the UFC, GYM, the Interbox Group, the IndyCar Series, the Champions League, the Europa League, ATP and WTA tennis, the Davis Cup and the Fed Cup, the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec and the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal, Red Bull Crashed Ice, the Red Bull Signature Series and the Dew Tour. Also, as the authorized specialty channel of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, TVA Sports is airing all 64 soccer matches from June 12 to July 13, under a deal signed with CBC/Radio-Canada. Starting this fall, to support its new lineup, TVA Sports will be presenting shows geared towards hockey and some of the other favourite sports among Quebeckers with hosts Louis Jean (Le Premier Trio), Dave Morissette (Dave Morissette en direct) and Sébastien Benoît who has a new 5pm show.

About Scotiabank
Scotiabank is the Official Bank of the NHL®, NHL Alumni™, CWHL, Vancouver Canucks®, Winnipeg Jets®, Toronto Maple Leafs®, Ottawa Senators®, Edmonton Oilers® and the Calgary Flames® whose home arena is the Scotiabank Saddledome. The Bank also has a partnership with the Montreal Canadiens®. Scotiabank has a long tradition of supporting hockey in Canada from local teams and minor hockey associations to professional players and leagues. Across Canadian communities coast to coast, Scotiabank's Community Hockey Sponsorship Program reaches out to over 5,000 minor hockey teams. To find out more about Scotiabank's hockey programs, please visit www.facebook.com/scotiahockeyclub.

Scotiabank is a leading financial services provider in over 55 countries and Canada's most international bank. Through our team of more than 86,000 employees, Scotiabank and its affiliates offer a broad range of products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management, corporate and investment banking to over 21 million customers. With assets of $792 billion (as at April 30, 2014), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto (TSX: BNS) and New York (NYSE: BNS) Exchanges. Scotiabank distributes the Bank's media releases using CNW. For more information please visit www.scotiabank.com

Media Contacts
Veronique Mercier
Group TVA
438-390-0876
veronique.mercier@tva.ca

Guylaine Duplessis
Scotiabank
514-499-5646
guylaine.duplessis@scotiabank.com