Hyundai Canada is extending its hockey ties to the very best stage because the model seems to be for brand new methods to attach with followers of the quintessential Canadian sport.

When the puck drops on the 2022-23 Nationwide Hockey League season this fall, Hyundai will turn out to be the official automotive associate of the NHL and Nationwide Hockey League Gamers’ Affiliation (NHLPA) in Canada, the three organizations introduced Might 25.

Hyundai Canada’s connection to hockey traces again a dozen years, and CEO Don Romano mentioned the model is “extremely excited” to deepen its ties to the game by way of the brand new big-league partnership.

“At Hyundai, we’re all the time aiming to attach with our clients in significant methods, and this partnership with Canada’s premiere sports activities league takes us to the subsequent stage of partaking not solely with our buyer base, however Canadians from coast-to-coast who share Hyundai’s love for hockey.”

The deal extends to key occasions such because the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the NHL Heritage Traditional, giving the auto model recent media publicity. Hyundai Canada will probably be granted NHL identify, emblem and participant utilization rights, whereas the settlement places group engagement initiatives or different collaborations between Hyundai, the NHL and NHLPA on the desk as nicely.

Genesis Motors Canada may also be alongside for the experience. Hyundai’s luxurious model will turn out to be the official luxurious automotive associate of each the NHL and NHLPA in Canada beginning within the fall.

No monetary particulars in regards to the five-year, two-brand partnership had been disclosed.

Christine Smith, head of selling at Hyundai Canada, mentioned the deal builds off the model’s 12 years of grassroots hockey help. She pointed to Hyundai Hockey Helpers, which assists children in want of monetary help get on the ice, and Hyundai’s sponsorship of Rogers’ Hometown Hockey program that covers group hockey tales throughout Canada, as two different distinguished initiatives the corporate is already concerned in.

“The NHL partnership is actually the subsequent logical step in that technique and people efforts and actually about transferring these efforts to the mainstage … to shine a a lot brighter mild on the efforts and help for hockey in Canada.”

Hyundai’s position because the official Canadian auto associate of the NHL and NHLPA will assist the model join with Canadians “at a extra significant stage than only a transaction,” Smith mentioned.

“We see this as a platform that may help the whole lineup, and so, we will probably be leveraging the partnership all through all of our advertising packages, particularly throughout hockey season annually.”

There will probably be a job for sellers as nicely.

Because the “gateway” into communities throughout Canada, sellers can anticipate new hockey-themed promotional supplies, retail occasions, viewing events and buyer promotions, Smith mentioned. Leveraging the native touchpoints, Hyundai additionally goals to get sellers concerned in additional hockey outreach packages to assist a larger variety of underrepresented youth lace up their skates and “be certain that everybody has entry to Canada’s sport,” she added.   

On such packages, Hyundai and the NHL could also be working in tandem, in keeping with Kyle McMann, the league’s senior vice-president for North American enterprise growth.

“This partnership with Hyundai Canada brings collectively our shared love of hockey and driving pleasure and entry to our sport in any respect ranges in all communities,” he mentioned in a launch “We will’t wait to dig in with Hyundai within the upcoming season and past and convey our manufacturers to life whereas additionally elevating grassroots hockey.”

— With information from Tim Dimopoulos