The National Hockey league will be entering its 100th
year in existence beginning in 2017. The
NHL is a great organization and is responsible for some incredible players and
moments that took part throughout the long history of the sport and the
league. Out of the four major sports
leagues in the United States, the NHL has been in existence the second
longest. While Major League Baseball has
been the oldest in existence, the National Football League and National Basketball
Association were both founded after the NHL.
The league
has many different promotions ready for the start of the centennial year. The most prominent of all is introducing the
“leagues all-time leading scorer”, Wayne Gretzky (shown in the image to the right), as the ambassador for the
centennial year and all events included (CBS Sports). By announcing Wayne Gretzky as the ambassador
the celebration, the league will be using the “opinion leader” approach to gain
momentum and bring some excitement to the festivities.
Along with
announcing Gretzky as the ambassador, the league will host a large array of
event that will also help to promote the centennial year. These events include many games that bring
attention to history, rivalries, and expansions. The first game that will be played in the
centennial year is the NHL Centennial Classic, usually named the Winter
Classic, which includes two original six teams, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the
Detroit Red Wings, taking place in Toronto.
Other events include outdoor games that will reiterate the strong
history of the NHL by posing long time rivals against each other. The two games include competitions between
the St. Louis Blues and the Chicago Blackhawks, and the Pittsburgh Penguins and
Philadelphia Flyers. The Los Angeles
Kings will also host an event along side the league to help show the expansion out
to the southwestern region of the United States.
Another
event that will take place is the NHL awards, which be hosted in Las
Vegas. The league will have a team based
out of Las Vegas for the first time that will start league play in the
2017-2018 season. Also, the NHL draft
will take place in Chicago, which is has a long history of being known for its
hockey history since it is one of the original six teams.
The product
that is being promoted is the NHL celebration.
The product will not just be one event or one time, but many different
events as you can see. The place will
also be in many locations to provide outlets for the NHL and the centennial
year. The price will vary, as the
different events will include different products, like outdoor games, awards,
and the draft. At each of the games,
there will be different videos and showings of the NHL’s centennial year to
help to provide some background for the long history.
By having
different locations and events, more people will have the chance to take part
in the celebration. The target market for these events and
celebrations will be primarily existing hockey fans, while the tickets and opportunities are open to anyone who wants to go. The yearlong celebration by the NHL is smart and may lead to
attracting new hockey fans. By having
many events and opportunities for different regional markets, the NHL is
welcoming any and all that want to be a part of this one in a lifetime chance.
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