Follow NHL All-Star fan balloting in real time

Monday, 11.03.2008 / 10:00 AM / 2009 NHL All-Star Game

NHL.com

"This year's enhanced online ballot and mobile text platform will increase accessibility and make the experience more rewarding. And by making real-time results available to our fans on NHL.com, we're allowing a level of transparency and engagement that no sports league has ever done."
-- Brian Jennings, NHL Executive Vice President, Marketing

In a first for all major professional sports leagues, the NHL will provide real-time All-Star fan balloting results online at NHL.com.

From Nov. 12 through Jan. 2, NHL fans will be able to vote as often as they like in the XM NHL® All-Star Fan Balloting presented by 2K Sports to select the starting lineups for the 2009 NHL All-Star Game in Montreal.  Fans around the world can vote online via interactive English and French ballots at Vote.NHL.com. Those in the U.S. and Canada also will be able to cast their votes via text message using any wireless carrier. During the voting period, real-time results will be available exclusively on Vote.NHL.com/results. This marks the third consecutive year the All-Star Balloting process is entirely digital.

XM, which airs every NHL game for every team as the Official Satellite Radio Partner of the NHL, and 2K Sports, a leading publisher of sports video games, return to the NHL All-Star Fan Balloting as title and presenting sponsors, respectively.

"All-Star fan balloting is an opportunity for our fans to participate and have a direct impact on the game they're passionate about," NHL Executive Vice President, Marketing Brian Jennings said. "This year's enhanced online ballot and mobile text platform will increase accessibility and make the experience more rewarding. And by making real-time results available to our fans on NHL.com, we're allowing a level of transparency and engagement that no sports league has ever done."

The XM NHL All-Star Fan Balloting presented by 2K Sports section will feature interactive ballots in English and French. English language ballots will include video clips and XM Radio highlights of players on the ballot. Real-time balloting results will be available on the Leaders Board Presented by XM on Vote.NHL.com/results. Boston-based PROD4ever designed and developed the online ballots.

Eligible residents of the United States and Canada who vote online will be able to enter for a chance to win a variety of prizes: complimentary NHL GameCenter Live™ half-season subscriptions, autographed 2009 NHL All-Star jerseys and shop.NHL.com gift certificates. One grand prize winner will receive a trip for two to attend the 2009 NHL All-Star Weekend in Montreal. There is no purchase necessary to enter or win. For sweepstakes rules, visit Vote.NHL.com/sweepstakes.

Fans can vote for up to 6 Eastern Conference players and 6 Western Conference players: 3 forwards, 2 defensemen and 1 goaltender. For the first time, fans will be permitted to select as few as 1 player - a balloted player or write-in - per online ballot at Vote.NHL.com or via text message.

To vote using any wireless carrier, fans should text their favorite player's last name to the shortcode 81812. Fans interested in voting for all of their favorite team's balloted players can text the team nickname (e.g., Bruins) to 81812. Standard text messaging charges will apply. Telescope, Inc., a pioneer in mobile solutions and participation TV, developed the text-to-vote program for the XM NHL All-Star Fan Balloting presented by 2K Sports.

XM NHL All-Star Fan Balloting presented by 2K Sports widgets will be available on Vote.NHL.com/widgets. Fans can download "Click to Vote" and "I Voted" widgets to post on blogs, social network pages and personal websites, directing others to cast their votes on Vote.NHL.com directly from the widget.

The NHL will promote XM NHL All-Star Fan Balloting presented by 2K Sports across its TV, print, online and wireless advertising platforms. Promotional support will be provided by the NHL Network, NHL Radio and broadcast partners VERSUS (U.S.), CBC (Canada) and RDS (Canada).  Promotional materials for the campaign, in both English and French, will launch on Wednesday, Nov. 12, the first day of balloting.

Select NHL arenas and team practice facilities and the NHL Powered by Reebok store in New York City will feature Vote.NHL.com voting kiosks. NHL Member Clubs will activate their own campaigns, supporting their balloted players. 

The 2009 NHL All-Star Weekend in Montreal will celebrate the Montreal Canadiens' Centennial season with live national broadcasts of the Honda/NHL SuperSkills® event on Saturday, Jan. 24, and the NHL All-Star Game on Sunday, Jan. 25, on VERSUS in the United States and CBC and RDS in Canada. NASN, ASN, J Sports, Sky Mexico, Fox Sports Australia and other NHL international broadcast partners will provide live coverage of both the Honda/NHL SuperSkills event and the NHL All-Star Game to more than 150 countries and territories in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, the Pacific Rim, Mexico and the Caribbean. NHL Radio™ will provide exclusive, national radio coverage which can be heard on stations around the United States and Canada as well as on Sirius XM Radio's NHL Home Ice, located at XM channel 204 and on SIRIUS channel 208 with the "Best of XM" programming package.