How do we know when the NHL Season is about to begin? Apparently nowadays, it’s when another NHL team announces an advertiser for a previously ad-free sweater.
Just this past week, there have been three teams — the Washington Capitals, and Los Angeles Kings got first-time advertisers for their white jerseys, and the Edmonton Oilers, who will deface their home jerseys—who have put new ads on jerseys that had previously been free from the scourge. Both the Capitals and Kings already had advertisers for their home uniforms as well as helmets, but both Oilers jerseys had been ad-free. The Oilers did have a helmet advertiser previously.
We can now add a fourth team to the “never-had-an-ad-before-on-the-road-jersey” club: the Ottawa Senators.
Yesterday, the team announced a “road jersey partnership with Calian.”
Per the team, “This is not a new partnership between the Senators and Calian, who have been working together for over 10 years, during which Calian has provided cybersecurity and information technology services. The agreement will mark the first time in Senators’ history that the team’s road jersey will feature a sponsor logo. The Calian logo will hit the ice with the team for the first time in the preseason on Sunday, September 22, on the road against the Toronto Maple Leafs.”
Where at one time, putting an ad on a jersey might simply have been viewed as transactional, now teams can’t wait to trumpet their new advertising deals. And how better to show off a new ad than to create a hype video?
City-to-city you have our back and now they do too 🙌
Introducing @CalianGroup as our first ever official road jersey partner! pic.twitter.com/5fIPe6qWq0
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) September 12, 2024
Here’s how the ad will look on the sweater.
While no ad is a good ad, at least this one seems like it will blend in more, rather than stand out, compared to some other uni ads. That doesn’t make it better, but you might argue it’s less worse.
As I said, the Senators were pretty pumped about it all. Senators President and CEO Cyril Leeder said,
We are very excited to partner with Calian, a locally grown Canadian company who knows what it takes to compete on the global stage. Through this landmark agreement Calian is taking our business relationship to a new level and demonstrating their commitment to our team and continued commitment to our community. Over the next three years we will elevate each other on and off the ice and continue to support each other’s ambition of growth, excellence and success on the national and international stage. We are stronger together.
Meanwhile, Kevin Ford, CEO of Calian (and pictured above), seemed equally as jubilant:
This partnership is more than a sponsorship, it’s the alignment of two organizations that share many of the same values and winning characteristics like perseverance, resiliency and agility. We both have a proud history in Ottawa, and with our road jersey sponsorship, we can take this partnership well beyond our city limits reaching proud Sens fans and Calian employees and customers throughout Canada and the U.S. When they hit the ice, we are hitting the ice with them regardless of where the game takes them.
I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit trying to digest that word salad.
Anyway, Hockey season is just around the corner. I suspect this won’t be the last team with an ad on a previously clean sweater.
