“It’s a cluttered world out there, and if we can do something that makes someone say, ‘Oh wow, check that out’ … that’s the goal.” Getty Images
While he’s spent much of his now three years with the NHL on the road, the New York City office of Chief Content Officer Steve Mayer is starting to mirror his fellow executives, marked with pictures of family, pieces of hockey memorabilia, and mementos and photos from the various big-league events he’s been a part of — even his own bobblehead.
But in the corner of his office something stands out that speaks to his directive at the league — an inflatable penguin. It’s a callback to the 2017 Stadium Series game in Pittsburgh, where Sidney Crosby and the rest of the NHL team were joined by actual penguins from a nearby aquarium on the ice on Heinz Field.
While overseeing the league’s events, production and content, sometimes it’s the small touches that stand out for Mayer and his team as they develop ways to grow the league and the sport. Those efforts will again be on display beginning this week with the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
“The mission is to create memorable content, events and moments that our avid fans appreciate, but that also grab the attention of the casual fan,” Mayer said. “It’s a cluttered world out there, and if we can do something that makes someone say, ‘Oh wow, check that out,’ or get hockey more into the mainstream, that’s the goal.”
Mayer joined the league in 2015 after spending much of the previous 20 years at IMG Productions, most recently as executive producer and senior vice president, where he produced network variety specials and sporting events, including for the NHL. His role at the league has continued to expand, with Mayer now leading the operational, creative and entertainment side of the NHL’s events, and building and overseeing the league’s original entertainment and productions department.
Mayer was front and center over the last year, playing a key role in the league’s celebration of its centennial season. That included a traveling truck tour, multiple outdoor games, a star-studded 2017 All-Star event in Los Angeles that featured nearly all of the living 100 greatest NHL players, and a 2018 All-Star event in Tampa that aligned with the city’s annual pirate festival.
He’s also spent much of his time looking to optimize the league’s outdoor games. While television ratings for the events have stagnated in recent years — albeit still well above a typical NHL broadcast — there has been no drop in the local enthusiasm for the events, leading the league and the teams to plan more lead-in time to further amp up the efforts around the game.
“The appetite for the games is enormous, and the way the league makes these events feel national in scale but also having those local ties just energizes the market,” said Jim Van Stone, Monumental Sports & Entertainment president of business operations and chief commercial officer, and whose Washington Capitals hosted a Stadium Series game in March. “I give a ton of credit to Steve and his group for not just replicating the standard event and rolling it out in every marketplace — each one brings a special, unique feeling to the table.”
Mayer promises more to come for future games. That may be in the form of higher-profile musical guests, deeper celebrity involvement, on-field elements like penguins or a live band performing on a mock New York City street, as was featured during this year’s Winter Classic game at Citi Field.
As the playoffs get underway, Mayer aims to recreate what happened last year in Nashville during the Predators’ run to the Stanley Cup Final. Thousands of people took to the streets for viewing parties and concerts, catapulting the team from a great local story to a national one.
“The stars just aligned with the way that community embraced the team, but we also went in for the kill,” he said. “We brought music in, we worked with NBC on doing viewing parties in front of that many people, and we had the full support both internally and in Nashville — we understood that if we didn’t take advantage of that moment, we were going to lose that opportunity.”
The league will kick off the playoffs this year with a double-header of games, with the latter featuring the Vegas Golden Knights, who have taken the city and the sport by storm. In Las Vegas, the NHL and the team will host a concert and party outside of T-Mobile Arena featuring the rapper Logic. Mayer said the event could draw up to tens of thousands of fans, from those entering the arena for the game as well as those in the city who want to see what the excitement is about.
Mayer said multiple teams have reached out to the league to discuss concerts, watch parties or other fan events around playoff games.
Philadelphia Flyers COO Shawn Tilger said the team not only plans to hold watch parties during the playoffs but has been inspired by the league to also look into fan conventions and other events.
“We have this incredible opportunity on a team level to create things like the league has done, especially when you can tie it to development around the arenas,” Tilger said. “When you look at the things Steve has done, it’s all about using that higher profile that you’re getting with the game and building it out even further.”
Content is playing a key role in that as well, with Mayer working on new efforts for this postseason that will include a Wayne Gretzky interview series with hockey-loving celebrities, and rapper Snoop Dogg explaining NHL rules and traditions to break down those oft-intimidating entry points for new fans.
Said Mayer, “A great goal will always resonate, but some of these other fun things? It can hit everyone.”
