Oct 04, 2019 at 12:00 AM
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Face-Off 2019: Five NHL Sponsorship Stories to Watch this Season

The puck dropped on the National Hockey Leagues 103rd season last night so it's that time again to check-in on some of the sponsorship stories to watch during the upcoming season. But first, good luck this season to some of our favorite NHL clients - the Bruins, Rangers and Capitals! Without further ado...


  • Hard Seltzer Becomes a Sponsorship Category - With sales of some hard seltzer brands tripling in volume over the last year, it make sense that they're spending to capitalize on enormous growth potential. For the first time, the NHL has an official hard seltzer as a result of a new partnership with Boston Beer's Truly Hard Seltzer. Will hockey fans drop the beer in lieu of hard seltzer? That remains to be seen.




  • Speaking of Beer... - Have you noticed all the teams getting their own craft brews? While beers like Molson and Coors have long been staples of the NHL experience, teams are increasingly looking to bring a local flavor to their beer partnerships. Take R&D Brewing for example, which created Storm Brew, a speclal line for their new team sponsorship with the Carolina Hurricanes.


  • Still No Jersey Sponsorship - While the NHL has expressed no immediate plans to open up jersey sponsorship, the $150 million or so that is being generated each year from this incremental revenue stream in the NBA has to be at least a little mouth watering. Don't be surprised to see movement in this regard as the NHL's current Adidas deal get closer to concluding in 2022. 


  • Sportsbooks in NHL Arenas - While most would peg the Vegas Golden Knights as odds-on favorites to launch the first in-arena sportsbook, the Capitals have other ideas having just launched plans to open a William Hill sportsbook at DC Arena. Currently, only Illinois and DC allow for in-arena sports betting, but if it's successful there look for other states to adopt similar measures. 


  • Golden Knights' Awesome Activations - The Vegas Golden Knights may not be the first to open up an in-arena sportsbook, but the franchise has become known for having some rather awesome sponsor activations. Take for example this awesome on-ice activation for the team's sponsorship with TopGolf...



    Go to a game if you're lucky enough to find yourself in Vegas and keep an eye on the Golden Knights social media throughout the season for other awesome activation ideas.