• by Erik Oster , April 16, 2024

Players hitting the coolers during the opening day of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs on April 20 will find something a little different.

Body Armor has entered into a multiyear sponsorship agreement to become the official sports drink partner of the hockey league, along with its players association, the NHLPA. As part of the agreement, the brand will be players’ go-to for hydration when hitting the bench during  games and practices, as well as in off-the-ice locker rooms and training facilities.

Additionally, the Body Armor logo and branding will be featured during NHL games across elements including coolers, squirt bottles, and towels on NHL teams’ benches.

The precise duration of the agreement, and financial details of the contract, were not disclosed.

Body Armor and the NHL will also collaborate on custom e content and media integrations featuring star NHL players – including Body Armor’s recent addition to its roster of athlete partners, and 2023 winner of the Hart Memorial Trophy for regular-season MVP, Connor McDavid.

As part of the sponsorship, Body Armor will partner with NHL Street – the league’s official youth hockey league – as well as the Under-18 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) youth tournament.

In a statement, NHL senior vice president, global business development Kyle McMann called the brand a “natural fit” for the role, noting that “Body Armor will be woven into core NHL fan engagement and youth initiatives along with a robust presence across our efforts to promote NHL prospects.”

To celebrate the new partnership, an upcoming “Ice On Us”  initiative will give fans across Canada and the U.S. free entry to select participating ice hockey rinks to play the game on June 8, with the brand announcing further details on its Instagram page.

The new sponsorship agreement arrives amid a big marketing push for Body Armor, which recently expanded its distribution into Canada. The brand also  recently launched a campaign introducing a partnership with Olivia Culpo to promote its new Body Armor Zero Sugar release. Back in February, the brand made its Super Bowl debut with a “Field Of Fake” ad which ran regionally in the U.S., as well as nationally across Canada.