The online component of the sweepstakes, developed by MindComet, is a hockey-themed 3D game, available now on the NHL's Web site (http://www.nhl.com), and is MindComet's latest online advergame designed to increase clients' brand exposure and capture consumer interaction with online advertisement. The advergame enables fans to compete for a space on the leader board and a chance to win the January drawing for a trip to NHL All-Star Weekend and compete in the competition during NHL All-Star Weekend for the right to shoot against Khabibulin.

Big brands and sports franchises are turning to online games to increase online and offline brand exposure and leverage the Web's potential for exponential communication and user data management. The Web game collects opt-in user registrations and demographic information as part of the sweepstakes promotion.

"As with all our game solutions, the All-Star Challenge is designed to be extraordinarily effective in engaging Web users, generating a buzz and enabling the NHL to understand fan interactions with online media," stated Ted Murphy, President and CEO of MindComet. "The game is a perfect centerpiece in the promotion of February's NHL All-Star Game, presented by Nextel.

"We know that users respond to games much more positively than they do to banner ads or other forms of online advertising," continued Murphy. "Web-based 3D game content currently stands as one of the most effective forms of interactive advertising."

Available until December 31, 2002, the web-based challenge is delivered in Macromedia's Shockwave format, a widely installed technology that supports highly interactive, multimedia Web content. MindComet is an industry leading developer of Web-based Shockwave game content and a Macromedia Alliance Partner.

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