Tim Hortons, one of North America's largest quick service restaurant chains, has signed on as the title sponsor of the highly anticipated 2011 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic™, part of a new multi-year partnership with the National Hockey League (NHL). Also as part of the agreement, Tim Hortons has become the Official Quick Serve Restaurant Coffee, Donut and Breakfast of the NHL in Canada.
The 2011 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic pits the Montreal Canadiens against the Calgary Flames in McMahon Stadium on Feb. 20, 2011 in front of more than 40,000 fans with millions more watching on TV. Tim Hortons' title sponsorship involves a number of opportunities, including the chance for Timbits minor hockey players to participate in the festivities.
"We're proud to be the title sponsor of the 2011 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic and help bring the time-honored tradition of outdoor NHL hockey back to Canada," said Bill Moir, Chief Brand Marketing Officer, Tim Hortons. "Tim Hortons has a special connection with hockey, from our company founder to our ongoing support for hockey programs at all levels. Partnering with the NHL, home to the world's best players, is a natural fit and we look forward to this multi-year, multi-dimensional relationship."
Additional assets as part of the title sponsorship for Tim Hortons include prominent on-ice brand position, on-air title broadcast rights with the CBC including branded pre-promotion; and integration of the Tim Hortons brand throughout all NHL media properties including NHL.com, NHL NetworkT and NHL RadioT. The company also has secured the rights to use League marks for in-store promotion and on Tim Cards.
"For many Canadians, Tim Hortons is a fond part of their hockey memories, whether they routinely stop by one of their restaurants before 6am practices, or participated in the Timbits hockey program, as several NHL players -- including Sidney Crosby -- did," said Keith Wachtel, NHL Senior Vice President of Integrated Sales. "We are proud to have Tim Hortons on board for the Heritage Classic to create new memories and be part of what will undoubtedly become another great day for hockey."
Tim Hortons is the fourth largest restaurant chain in North America and serves about two billion cups of coffee a year in Canada and the United States. Tim Hortons is a partner of several NHL teams, including the Buffalo Sabres, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Vancouver Canucks.
The 2011 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic marks the first regular-season NHL game contested outdoors in Canada since the Edmonton Oilers hosted the Canadiens at Commonwealth Stadium on November 22, 2003. CBC and RDS will carry the game in Canada and VERSUS will telecast the outdoor match in the United States. NHL RadioT will have the live action across North
American radio. NHL NetworkT will provide pre- and post-game programming, and NHL.com will provide extensive digital coverage. A limited number of tickets to the 2011 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic will go on sale on Friday, Dec. 10, at noon ET / 10 a.m. MT via Ticketmaster locations throughout North America and via Ticketmaster.com (at nhl.com/hctickets).
About Tim Hortons
Tim Hortons is the fourth largest publicly-traded restaurant chain in North America based on market capitalization, and the largest in Canada. Operating in the quick service segment of the restaurant industry, Tim Hortons appeals to a broad range of consumer tastes, with a menu that includes premium coffee, flavored cappuccinos, specialty teas, home-style soups, fresh sandwiches, wraps, hot breakfast sandwiches and fresh baked goods, including our trademark donuts. As of November 2010, Tim Hortons had 3,649 systemwide restaurants, including 3,082 in Canada and 567 in the United States. More information about the Company is available at www.timhortons.com.
About the NHL
The National Hockey League, founded in 1917, is the second-oldest of the four major professional team sports leagues in North America. Today, the NHL consists of 30 Member Clubs, each reflecting the League's international makeup, with players from more than 20 countries represented on team rosters. According to a Simmons Market Research study, NHL fans are younger, more educated, more affluent, and access content through digital means more than any other sport. The NHL entertains more than 250 million fans each season in-arena and through its partners in national television (VERSUS, NBC, TSN, CBC, RDS, RIS, NASN, ASN and NHL NetworkT) and radio (NHL RadioT, Sirius XM Radio and XM Canada). Through the NHL Foundation, the League's charitable arm, the NHL raises money and awareness for Hockey Fights CancerT and NHL Youth Development, and supports the charitable efforts of NHL players. For more information on the NHL, log on to NHL.com.
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