NHL launches Hot for Hockey audio campaign

The National Hockey League is rolling out Hot for Hockey, a campaign of romance-style audio stories based on real players and hockey storylines, aiming to draw younger listeners to games. The stories use the conventions of hockey romance without depicting romantic relationships between actual NHL players, according to campaign reporting. The league has not provided evidence in the reports that the effort has increased viewership or brought in new fans. The first reported installments focus on Vegas Golden Knights captain Jack Eichel and Carolina Hurricanes captain Sebastian Aho. Their stories are titled “Jack of Hearts” and “The Storm Between Us.” The pieces are intended to direct listeners toward upcoming games and encourage them to follow how the storylines develop on the ice. NHL marketing chief Sean Eggert has described the campaign as a way to reflect the popularity of hockey romance and create an emotional connection with prospective fans. Commissioner Gary Bettman has also said that some new fans discovered hockey through the television series “Off Campus” or “Heated Rivalry,” and described the genre’s popularity as supported by strong data.