NHL sells naming rights to new divisions
Scotia, honda, discover and massmutual wi ll place ads on helmets
The National Hockey League, which took a revenue hit last year due to the COVID-19 outbreak, said on Tuesday it has sold the naming rights to its divisions for the first time.
The move to sell naming rights to divisions that were once named after some of the founding fathers of the league before taking on geographical designations, follows a recent decision by the NHL to allow small advertisements on player helmets.
For the new season, which begins on Jan. 13, teams will play in the Scotia NHL North Division, Honda NHL West Division, Discover NHL Central Division and the MassMutual NHL East Division, the league said in a news release.
The NHL did not say whether having corporate sponsorships for divisions would be the new normal or simply a one-year-only campaign, but some marketing experts believe they are here to stay.
“While some fans may protest the over- commercialization of the league, the majority understand the importance of finding new revenue streams, especially now,” Bob Dorfman, a sports marketing expert at Baker Street Advertising in San Francisco, told Reuters.
“I’m sure this won’t be a one- timer for the NHL. Whether it’s naming rights, logos on uniforms, or almost any other new sponsorship deal bringing in much-needed revenue, fans will get used to it and leagues will keep pursuing it.”
Due to COVID-19 and the closure of the U. S.- Canada border, the NHL sought to minimize team travel as much as possible and the 56- game regular season, down from the usual 82, will shift exclusively to intradivisional play.
To accommodate this plan, the NHL’S 31 teams will be split among three U. S.-based divisions and one all- Canadian division.
The current plan is for all games to be played in teams’ home arenas, as opposed to single- site locations, which were used for last year’s playoffs. Most venues will not, at least in the initial part of the abbreviated season, be able to host fans.
Last month, Forbes said the average value of NHL franchises declined for the first time since 2001 as the COVID-19 pandemic robbed teams of critical revenue.
The NHL held 85 per cent of its regular season games with fans last season before suspending the campaign in March due to COVID-19. Play resumed nearly five months later with a post-season held at neutral sites and behind closed doors.
Ovechkin enters final year of contract
At the Washington Capitals’ practice facility in Arlington, Va., the familiar gush of cold air and the sound of skates cutting into a fresh sheet of ice were immediate reminders that hockey was finally back.
On what captain Alex Ovechkin described as an “emotional” first day on the ice, the group was reunited following 41/2 months apart after its first-round exit from the NHL’S modified 2020 post- season. And, as always, Ovechkin was in the middle of the action.
With his signature yellow laces racing up and down the two sheets of ice open to the Capitals for the duration of training camp, the 35- yearold Russian was the centre of attention. And he will be in the months ahead both on and off the ice.
As he enters his 16th NHL season, Ovechkin is also entering the final year of the 13-year, US$124 million contract he signed in 2008. He said he expects to engage in negotiations with GM Brian Maclellan during camp, but he also said he won’t be too concerned if a deal is not reached before the regular season begins.
“I don’t think we on the rush,” said Ovechkin, who is negotiating his own deal.
The Capitals’ career scoring leader has made it clear he intends to stay in Washington beyond this season, and the team has expressed similar interests.
avs forward Wilson retires after 11 seasons
Forward Colin Wilson announced his retirement from the NHL after 11 seasons on Tuesday.
Wilson, 31, was the No. 7 overall selection of the Predators in the 2008 NHL Draft. He played 632 regular- season games with Nashville ( 2009-17) and the Colorado Avalanche ( 2017-19), scoring 286 points (113 goals, 173 assists). He added 33 points (17 goals, 16 assists) in 65 career playoff games.
Wilson played just nine games in the 2019-20 season with the Avalanche before undergoing double hip surgery.
Before entering the NHL, the Connecticut-born Wilson played in the U. S. National Team Development Program and at Boston University. He was named USA Hockey College Player of the Year in 2008- 09 — the same season the Terriers won the NCAA championship.
Wilson was a third-generation NHL player, following his father, Carey, and grandfather, Jerry.