Saturday’s Kings-Avalanche NHL Stadium Series game at the Air Force Academy will see Navy Federal Credit Union title sponsor the marquee event for the first time ever. The brand’s current NHL sponsorship began in ‘19 as the official military appreciation partner. “Our members have a passion for the sport, and this gave us a good opportunity to spread our military appreciation to an audience that could rally behind us and honor those who have served,” said NFCU Senior VP/Marketing & Communications Pam Piligian. She explained the company first became aware of the Stadium Series when the ‘18 outdoor game was held at the Naval Academy in Annapolis. The company previously placed ad spots in hockey based on viewership numbers with veterans and active duty members. Their nine million membership base over-indexed with watching hockey, and since many NHL clubs already honored the military in various forms during games, it made sense to partner. “Having the Stadium Series at the Air Force Academy made it even more special to have this partnership with the NHL,” she added. The brand’s pre-game on-site activation in and around Colorado Springs will include a hockey puck drop game, Stadium Series wall art piece in the shape of the event’s logo and a four-team veterans hockey tournament. NFCU works with Boston-based MullenLowe on its NHL media buys and Bespoke Sports & Entertainment for on-site activation and strategy.
