• by Tanya Gazdik , 2 hours ago

The National Hockey League is gearing up for one of its biggest events of the year, the 2026 Discover NHL Winter Classic.

Festivities begin with the 2026 Enterprise NHL PreGame, a fan festival open to 2026 Discover NHL Winter Classic ticket holders on Jan. 2.

Nobull, the official training shoe of the NHL, and Perry Ellis, are new brands to the event. 

At Nobull’s onsite activation, fans can try on the brand’s footwear, including the same models that all 32 NHL teams train in. The DTC brand will provide a discount for those who want to purchase footwear onsite with the products drop shipped directly to customers. 

More than a dozen NHL partners and licensees will host experiences, including family-friendly hockey interactive activities, giveaways, food, an NHL on TNT concert, and a special appearance by the oldest trophy in sports, the Stanley Cup.

Discover, with naming rights to the event, will feature the Discover Puck Drop Experience featuring an AI photo opportunity and an oversized air hockey table.

Fastenal, Chipotle, Jersey Mike’s and Ticketmaster will have their brand logos featured in the four corner in-ice positions during the game.

Norwegian Cruise Line, which is headquartered in Miami, the site of the game, is planning an activation featuring a cruise as the prize. 

“Fans watching at home will enjoy a mixed reality experience during the game’s broadcast, plus we’ll have more surprises on the NHL’s social media channels,” Kiran Smith, the cruise line’s CMO, tells Marketing Daily in a statement. 

Bodyarmor, the official sports drink of the NHL, will bring a hockey-inspired fan experience to Miami’s Wynwood Arts District. Ahead of the game, the brand will transform Wynwood Walls into The Power Play — an immersive, open-air hockey and art activation that blends youth hockey and live graffiti.

Other brands activating include Caterpillar, Energizer, Enterprise, Fanatics, Florida Panthers, GLD, Navy Federal Credit Union, Pepsi, Pudgy Penguins, S. Preston Art + Designs, Upper Deck and Verizon. 

The NHL also recently released the latest spot in its season-long campaign, “The Next Golden Era Is Now.”

The new spot, titled “AI Can’t NHL,” offers a hockey-centric take on one of today’s most talked-about cultural phenomena – the AI revolution. Created in partnership with agency Highdive, the ad builds on this season’s campaign by engaging with the current cultural zeitgeist and contrasting the real-world rise of AI with the game and its star players.