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TORONTO, ONTARIO and SHAWINIGAN, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - May 30, 2012) - Four lucky BMO contest winners were given the ultimate hockey experience this past weekend: a trip to the 2012 MasterCard Memorial Cup, in Shawinigan, Québec.

In celebration of BMO Financial Group's four-year partnership with the Canadian Hockey league (CHL) as the league's official bank, BMO offered four grand prizes of trips to the 2012 MasterCard Memorial Cup.

Three of the winners were champions of the BMO Ultimate CHL Fan Contest, held in 41 communities across Canada. The three leagues within the CHL were represented:

• Western Hockey League (WHL): Ultimate Red Deer Rebels Fan Rob Drysdale of Red Deer, Alberta
• Ontario Hockey League (OHL): Ultimate Guelph Storm Fan Justin Hendrikx of Guelph, Ontario
• Québec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL): Ultimate Blainville-Boisbriand Armada Fan Ronald Pronovost of Mirabel, Québec

Naomi Rouleau of Vancouver, British Columbia was the fourth winner as part of a second national contest.

All four winners were flown in with their guests to experience the semi-final and final games at the Memorial Cup. They also attended the CHL Awards, where Mikhail Grigorenko of the Québec Remparts was named the 2012 BMO Rookie of the Year.

"This past weekend we were delighted to be able to provide four passionate CHL fans from communities across the country the ultimate CHL experience, giving each winner full access to one of the greatest hockey events in Canada," said Sandy Bourne, Vice-President, Corporate Advertising & Sponsorships, BMO Financial Group. "Seeing their pride and passion for hockey and attending the 2012 MasterCard Memorial Cup in Shawinigan, Quebec was a truly fantastic experience."

BMO and the Canadian Hockey League

BMO is the Official Bank of the Canadian Hockey League and the Official Bank of each of the CHL's member hockey leagues: the Ontario Hockey League, the Western Hockey League and the Québec 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.

About BMO Financial Group

For more than 194 years, BMO Financial Group has believed in community reinvestment and corporate and social responsibility in the communities it serves. In 2011, BMO contributed more than $66 million in donations, sponsorships and events in Canada and the United States to groups, organizations and programs that help build and sustain resilient, vital and healthy communities.