On TV, "Orange is the New Black." In the U.S., rugby may be the new soccer.

There's no denying that wearable technologies and fitness go hand in glove. From Fitbit to Jawbone Up24 to Garmin Connect, the wearables marketplace is super-saturated with devices that let users track, monitor, and share every step taken, heartbeat pulsed, and calorie consumed. Even Apple is getting in the fitness/wearables game, with the recent introduction of its Health app in iOS 8 and the much-anticipated arrival of the Apple Watch in spring 2015.

Last month in this space, I spoke to a need for sports marketers to think about multi-generational approaches in their brand development and communications strategies. Noting that the sheer size of Boomers and Millennials have created an almost singular focus on these two generations, at vastly different life stages, I drew parallels across them, culled from some of our recent fan and consumer research. Subsequently, in framing remarks for a recent conference presentation, I've thought further about how, what on the surface appears to be dichotomous generational values, may actually be quite complementary. Let me illustrate.

With the NFL in full swing and post-season baseball heating up, consider this your friendly reminder that the NHL season returns tomorrow. After suffering a lockout during the 2012-13 season, the league is getting back on solid footing, and setting its sights on growth. In honor of the 97th season of play, here are a few things that the second-oldest of the big four sports leagues is doing right to expand its reach.

As we all know, there is severe consumer fragmentation going on right now across media. Audiences are viewing content on multiple devices, while demanding consistent experiences on each. In short, they want their content, and they want it on every possible medium-now. And nobody is driving this more than sports fans.