BODYARMOR TAKES THE ICE AS THE OFFICIAL SPORTS DRINK OF THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE AND NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYERS’ ASSOCIATION
New Partnership to be Unveiled at Start of 2024 Stanley Cup® Playoffs on Saturday, April 20
WHITESTONE, NY. (April 16, 2024) – BODYARMOR Sports Drink today announced a new multi-year North American partnership with the National Hockey League (NHL) and National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) to become the “Official Sports Drink” partner of the NHL and NHLPA. The BODYARMOR brand will be featured for the first time across the League on Saturday, April 20, the opening day of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
As part of the agreement, BODYARMOR will hydrate NHL Players with its BODYARMOR Sports Drink on benches at games and practices, and off-the-ice in locker rooms and in training facilities. BODYARMOR’s logo and branding will also be featured across all hydration queues including coolers, squirt bottles and towels on NHL benches during NHL games.
“As an industry leader in sports hydration, BODYARMOR is a natural fit to bring on as our Official Sports Drink partner. This is a game-changing partnership,” said Kyle McMann, NHL Senior Vice President, Global Business Development. “The BODYARMOR team shares in our vision to grow the game, and beyond hydrating the best hockey Players in the world on and off the ice, BODYARMOR will be woven into core NHL fan engagement and youth initiatives along with a robust presence across our efforts to promote NHL prospects. We’re thrilled to welcome BODYARMOR to the NHL family and look forward to working together to engage our passionate fans.”
“The NHL is a marquee sporting property in North America and hockey is one of the fastest-growing team sports, so we couldn’t be more excited to partner with the League and the Players as their Official Sports Drink,” said Tom Gargiulo, CMO of BODYARMOR Sports Nutrition. “NHL Players demand the best in hydration, so we’re proud to be able to provide BODYARMOR Sports Drink options to some of the best athletes in the world.”
"We’re extremely excited to team-up with BODYARMOR, and their best-in-class hydration products, as the Official Sports Drink partner of the NHLPA and NHL, “said Jasmine Lew, NHLPA Senior Director, Business Operations & Associate Counsel. “The combination of the Players’ world-class skill on the ice, along with their ever-increasing audience and accessibility off of it, will be showcased through this new partnership. We are proud to be in a position to amplify BODYARMOR's enthusiasm for growing the sport alongside the importance of hydration."
Along with product placement, BODYARMOR, and the NHL and NHLPA will collaborate on exclusive custom content and key media integrations featuring top NHL Players – including BODYARMOR’s newest athlete partner and 2023 Hart Memorial Trophy winner (NHL regular-season MVP) and 2022-23 Ted Lindsay Award recipient (most outstanding player, as voted by NHLPA members), Connor McDavid.
“BODYARMOR is unlike anything else out on the market today, and that was a big reason why I joined the team,” said Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid. “They provide the best in hydration and have a ton of momentum lately with expanding to Canada – so teaming up with the NHL and NHLPA was a perfect next step and I’m excited to be a part of it as the brand continues to grow.”
The wide-ranging partnership also extends the brand’s presence to the youth level as BODYARMOR will support and expose young fans in local communities to the sport of hockey via NHL STREET – the NHL’s official youth hockey league providing kids with the opportunity to learn and play hockey – and as a partner of the Under-18 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) youth tournament.
To celebrate the launch and further underscore the brand’s commitment to hockey, BODYARMOR is launching a new initiative, ‘ICE ON US’ – providing hockey fans with FREE entry to select ice hockey rinks across the United States and Canada to play ice hockey on Saturday, June 8. Hockey fans can learn more about ‘ICE ON US” at @DrinkBODYARMOR on Instagram.
BODYARMOR has been disrupting the sports drink category for over a decade by offering superior hydration through premium products and continuing to innovate and find new ways to reach new consumers. The partnership with the NHL and NHLPA comes on the heels of an exciting start to 2024, including the brand’s expansion into Canada – BODYARMOR’s first-ever international expansion.
