For better or worse, helmet ads have arrived in the NHL. The New Jersey Devils and the Washington Capitals are the first teams to announce they will have sponsored ads on their lids in 2020-21.
"Monumental Sports & Entertainment has a long-standing relationship with Capital One, and we are thrilled to add a valuable piece of real estate to their portfolio as the Capitals helmet entitlement partner," said Jim Van Stone, Monumental Sports & Entertainment President of Business Operations and Chief Commercial Officer.
Here's how the Capitals' helmets will look this season:
As for the Devils, they have announced a partnership with Prudential:
"Prudential Financial and New Jersey Devils will initiate a new hockey helmet donation program providing new, Devils and Prudential co-branded helmets to diverse youth hockey players in New Jersey. The program will work in conjunction with the Devils' efforts to support the local communities surrounding Newark - the home of the New Jersey Devils and the Prudential Financial - and encourage interest in and access to the game of hockey," said the team in a release.
While many likely won't be happy with the look, the ads aren't overly noticeable and will be even less so in the fast pace of on-ice play. That said, it will be interesting to see if it is just for one season or whether the NHL is using this as a sort of test for future marketing ideas.
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