Tim Hortons is title sponsor of 2011 Heritage Classic

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 between Tim Hortons and the 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 will pit the Montreal Canadiens against the Calgary Flames in McMahon Stadium in Calgary on Feb. 20, 2011 in front of more than 40,000 fans with millions more watching on TV -- the game will be televised by Versus in the United States and by CBC and RDS in Canada. Tim Hortons' title sponsorship involves a number of opportunities, including the chance for Timbits minor hockey players to participate in the festivities.

It will be the first outdoor game in Canada since the original Heritage Classic on Nov. 22, 2003 saw the Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers meet at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium.

A limited number of tickets for the 2011 Tim Hortons Heritage Classic will go on sale Friday, Dec, 10, at noon ET via Ticketmaster locations throughout North America and at Ticketmaster.com (at NHL.com/hctickets).

"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 of 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," added Moir.

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 Network and NHL Radio. 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 after hockey practice 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 2 billion cups of coffee a year in Canada and the United States. Tim Hortons is the official coffee 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.