• by Fern Siegel , April 17, 2023

Sixteen NHL teams are competing for the big prize: the Stanley Cup. And while theBoston Bruins are the No. 1 seed, the competition is fierce.

The 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs begin today — with a winner declared in June.

To showcase the race to the cup, the NHL is launching three spots running across its digital and social-media platforms, including NHL.com. They will air tonight in the First Round game broadcasts on ESPN, ESPN2 and Tuesday on TBS in the U.S. and Sportsnet, Sportsnet 360, Sporstnet One, CBC and TVA Sports in Canada.

Playoff games will also be televised on ABC and TNT.

Highdive created the “First Kiss,” “Look Up” and “Built to Share” ads to spotlight the thrill of the Cup quest.

"These spots are primarily designed to remind sports fans, who already have an interest in hockey, what makes the Stanley Cup and the Stanley Cup Playoffs so special. However, we also believe the insights and themes of these spots are universal and will appeal to even broader audiences," Casey Hall, NHL senior vice president, marketing and consumer insights, told Agency Daily.

And hockey audiences are growing.

The NHL has approximately 63 million fans in the U.S. and Canada. That's a 13% increase in the U.S. since 2009.

"Whether it’s the euphoria of your first kiss during a moment of blissful joy, the personification of an accessible trophy or a childhood spent looking up to others, until you find yourself in the role others look up to, almost everyone can relate to these spots in different ways," Hall said.

The full first-round schedule is available at NHL.com. Fans can also follow via #StanleyCup.