With the Stanley Cup playoffs in full swing, it's only appropriate that we stop and take a look back at one of the most memorable ads to come from the NHL. When it comes to advertising, the NHL has a pretty high rate of success. They've used the extremely successful History Will Be Made campaign to go along with some simply incredible, moving commercials which highlight the joy and passion of winning the Cup.
If you dig through the archives, you'll find the NHL once had a silly, goofy side. Instead of promoting the intensity of the game, they opted for a spot that shows numerous NHL stars acting like a bunch of kids on a road trip.
This ad was a big hit when it debuted. Now, looking back several years later, it's pretty amusing seeing retired players and jerseys of old. It's doubtful anyone misses those ugly Vancouver, Buffalo and Washington sweaters. Good grief. We also think Brendan Shanahan (seen in the Rangers sweater) deserves at least a two-game suspension for throwing water balloons.
We also love how this ad highlights the Ovechkin that we all originally fell in love with back in the day. Ovechkin the jokester was one of the NHL's best stories. Today, we all focus on how players continually fail to live up to our lofty expectations. Here Ovechkin orders a mountain of food and pins the tab on Sidney Crosby. This was arguably at the height of their rivalry, back when all of us could view it as a fun one as opposed to one that could make or break a great player's career.
The NHL has grown when it comes to their advertising, but some fans might miss the old goofy NHL that was able to laugh at themselves.
Back in the present day, the NHL playoffs are ramping up. You can follow all of the action over on another Bloguin blog, Puck Drunk Love. If you haven't been following the action and want to get caught up in a hurry, the Chicago Blackhawks are the current favorite to hoist the Cup according to the betting sites found on read Sports Interaction review and the ones at top 5 online sportsbook reviews. We don't gamble on sports, but it's always fascinating seeing which team Vegas sides with. For right now, that team is the Blackhawks.
