LOS ANGELES, CA – March 3, 2005 -- The Los Angeles Blades Hockey Club and the Colorado Gay Ice Hockey Association (CGIHA) have begun planning for Coors Cup II. We are looking to build on the sucess of the inaugural tournament last September in Denver. This years tournament will be held Labor Day Weekend (Sept 2-5)at the Los Angeles Kings' state of the art training center, Heathsouth in El Segundo, CA. We are expecting 12 teams to compete in 3 divisions with each division champion awarding 1000.00 to their charity of choice. This will be the second year of the four-year sponsorship agreement with Coors Brewing Company. The Coors Cup was established in 2004 as the first gay ice hockey tournament in North America with a major corporate title sponsor and the first such tournament to offer prize money that will be donated to each divisional champion's charity of choice.

About the Los Angeles Blades
Founded in 1985, the Los Angeles Blades, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, was the first openly gay men's and women's ice hockey club in the United States. The LA Blades hockey teams compete in the Pacific Coast Hockey League (PCHL) and have a strong winning tradition that includes: the 2001-2002 PCHL Level 3 Winter Championship; the gold medal in the 1998 Toronto Friendship tournament; playing for the Bronze in the 1998 Gay Games in Amsterdam; and silver medals in 1998 at Seattle Slide for Pride tournament; the 1994 Gay Games in New York and 1990 Gay Games in Vancouver, B.C., Canada.

About the CGIHA
Founded in 2001, the Denver-based Colorado Gay Ice Hockey Association (CGIHA) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to train GLBT hockey players for national and international competition in an environment free from all forms of harassment and discrimination, and which encourages fair play, openness, and friendship; and to provide a compelling and social atmosphere which promotes the growth of leadership, coaching, and playing skills. The CGIHA overseas the Coors Light Colorado Climax hockey teams which participate as openly gay teams in mainstream leagues and in North American tournaments. Colorado Climax hockey teams have won two league divisional championships; four North American tournament medals including three gold medals and one bronze medal; and a silver medal at the 2002 Gay Games VI in Sydney, Australia. Colorado Climax teams have been featured in local and national media including magazines, radio and newspapers. In 2002, the Colorado Climax was named one of the top ten GLBT sports teams in the US by outsports.com.

About Coors Brewing Company
Founded in 1873, Golden, Colo.-based Coors Brewing Company is the third-largest brewer in the United States and owns the second-largest brewer in the United Kingdom. The company's portfolio of products includes Coors Light, the third-largest-selling beer in the US. Coors Brewing Company has a long record of support for the GLBT community and actively promotes diversity in the workplace. In 1978 the company adopted a non-discrimination policy based on sexual orientation. Coors was the first major brewery to offer same-sex Domestic Partner benefits. In 1993 the company founded LAGER, a GLBT employee group that received the Colorado Human Rights Campaign Award in 2001. Fortune magazine named Coors among America's 50 best companies for minorities.

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