The spots will run across the league's digital and social media platforms before debuting on national TV starting during Monday's First Round game broadcasts. The 30-second clips highlight the emotions that players and fans feel in the presence of the Stanley Cup.
The first ad features a plethora of Stanley Cup champions preparing to pucker up to the Cup, cleverly set to Sixpence None the Richer's 1998 hit "Kiss Me." The tagline reads "You never forget your first kiss."
A second one, titled "Look Up," shows a youth player with a coach and later watching hockey heroes on television in the hopes that one day, that very player will one day look up to see their reflection in the Cup.
And a final commercial shows photos of the Cup in it's many, many offseason travels as a cover of Willie Nelson's "On the Road Again" - performed by Swedish folk duo First Aid Kit plays for the duration.
"It's the greatest trophy in sports, and our goal was to illustrate the relationship and emotional connection that both Players and fans have with the Stanley Cup," said NHL Senior Vice President of Marketing & Consumer Insights Casey Hall in a statement. "We hope these spots remind all sports fans how special the Cup is, and why the Stanley Cup Playoffs are so meaningful to so many different people."
The 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin Monday.
