Bridgestone honors NHL's captains

NASHVILLE/ NEW YORK/ TORONTO – Bridgestone brand, The Official Tire of the NHL and the NHLPA, is proud to announce a number of new initiatives designed to celebrate the revered captains of the NHL. The program kicks off with the Bridgestone Greatest NHL Captains promotion, which will allow fans to visit NHL.com and select the greatest NHL captains for each of the past four decades. In addition, Bridgestone will present captains programming and content via the NHL Network and NHL.com.

"In no other sport is the position of captain more important and respected than in the NHL," said John Baratta, President, Consumer Replacement Tire Sales, Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC (BFNT). "Bridgestone is a leader in performance, quality and technology, so joining with fans to celebrate the greatest captains is a perfect fit for our brand," Baratta continued.

Features of each program include:

• Bridgestone Greatest NHL Captains: The promotion will begin November 10 and run through December 21, 2008 on NHL.com. NHL editorial staff will select 32 captains from the past four decades and fans can visit www.nhl.com/greatestcaptains to vote on their choices for the greatest of their generation. Message boards will allow fans to debate and voice their opinions. The promotion will culminate with the greatest captains of each decade being announced in a special tribute during the NHL SuperSkills™ competition on Saturday, January 24, 2009 at the Bell Centre in Montreal during the NHL All-Star Weekend. Fans who vote in the contest will automatically be eligible to win a trip to the All Star Game as well as NHL Merchandise and NHL.com NHL GameCenter Live™ subscriptions.

• NHL Network and NHL.com Media Program: Twenty-part original series "Captains Driven By Bridgestone" on the NHL Network (US and Canada) from November 2008 through April 2009. Each show will include a feature on one NHL Captain through exclusive interviews and profiles. In addition, weekly "NHL Captain" features on NHL.com will focus on the attributes of a great NHL captain.

"The Bridgestone brand’s player-driven program is a great initiative that is designed to increase its brand awareness while highlighting the legendary leadership skills of current and former NHLPA members," said Mike Ouellet, NHLPA Chief of Business Affairs. "The NHLPA looks forward to continuing to help strengthen the Bridgestone brand through the development of programs utilizing the best hockey players in the world."

"The NHL is committed to developing new and innovative programs that leverage all League assets to drive our compelling avid fan demographic to interact with the NHL and its partners," said NHL Chief Operating Officer John Collins. "The Bridgestone Greatest NHL Captains promotion is another strong example of how NHL partners are leveraging integrated platforms to drive engagement and brand awareness."