NHL, Hershey Canada sign three-year partnership deal

TORONTO -- Hershey Canada Inc. and the National Hockey League unwrapped the details of their new agreement -- an exclusive three year partnership in Canada. In celebration of this new partnership, Hershey Canada and the NHL unveiled the one-of-a-kind Hershey's Chocolate Stanley Cup, a milk chocolate replica of the Stanley Cup.
 
"Hershey Canada and all our Canadian employees are so excited to be teaming up with the NHL here in Canada," says Matt Lindsay, Vice President and General Manager of Hershey Canada. "We're looking forward to working with the NHL to bring great promotions and experiences to our Canadian hockey fans through this new partnership. The introduction of the Hershey's Chocolate Stanley Cup is only the beginning, there is so much more to come."
 
Handmade by Canadian Sitram Sharma, Master Chocolatier at Toronto's National Club, the one-of-a-kind Hershey's Chocolate Stanley Cup is a masterpiece created from more than 150 pounds of Hershey's smooth, creamy milk chocolate. It took more than 12 hours to make. True to its inspiration, it stands nearly three feet high and is a life-sized replica of the original Lord Stanley's Cup.
 
"Hershey, like other leading consumer brands, is strategically investing in the NHL because we have a relevant and robust fan demographic, and large scale traditional and digital activation platforms on which to showcase its leadership brand portfolio," said Laurel Walzak, NHL Director of Integrated Sales. "This partnership brings together two things Canadians love -- hockey and Hershey's chocolate and candy."
 
The new multi-year partnership will begin with a consumer promotion to support the 2011 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic. The promotion, which will be in stores August 2010 through February 2011, will feature prizing including a trip to the 2011 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic, to attend a team practice and to skate on the official NHL ice.

Hershey Canada will develop unique and exciting consumer programs around the new partnership featuring the following brands: Hershey's, Oh Henry!, Reese, Twizzlers and Ice Breakers. Hershey Canada official designations in Canada will include:

• Official Chocolate & Candy of the NHL
• Official Confectionery Partner of the Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic
• Official Confectionery Partner of the Stanley Cup Playoffs
• Official Confectionery Partner of the NHL All-Star Game