NEW YORK-- The National Hockey League (NHL) and its U.S. and Canadian broadcast partners are bringing fans closer to the intensity of playoff hockey with a first-of-its-kind approach for the league through a new collaborative marketing campaign ahead of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The NHL, ESPN, TNT and Sportsnet are collectively creating a cohesive look and feel for fans through a high-energy campaign showcasing why the Stanley Cup Playoffs are must-watch.
The campaign, “You Just Have to Watch,” features a series of creative spots for the first three rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, with each network having its own version of the creative. The first spot, which debuted today, is “Fired Up.”
The creative concept is meant to show how intense, exciting and adrenaline-filled postseason hockey is. NHL fans know what playoff hockey is all about, but as new patrons walk into packed hockey bars in the creative, they too learn that the Stanley Cup Playoffs deliver unmatched entertainment.
Two other spots, “Overtime” and “Do Anything,” debut ahead of the Second Round and Conference Finals, respectively. Each network owns post-production of one spot, with ESPN editing “Fired Up,” Sportsnet editing “Overtime” and TNT editing “Do Anything.” All creative was developed by creative agency Arts & Letters Creative Co.
The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin April 18.
Executive Quotes:
- NHL: Said Casey Hall, NHL Senior Vice President, Marketing & Innovation: “This joint campaign is due to the incredible partners we have at ESPN, TNT and Sportsnet. Their collaborative spirit and shared vision have been instrumental in expanding our reach, aligning our message and bringing the excitement of the Stanley Cup Playoffs to more fans than ever before.”
- ESPN: Said Brian Iglesias, Vice President, Sports Marketing at ESPN: “We wanted this campaign to show new audiences that it only takes one game to get hooked on the intensity, energy and unpredictability of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. By working collectively with the league and other broadcast partners, we were able to create a connective thread across every platform that tells this unified story in a powerful way.”
- Sportsnet: Said Adam Bower, VP, Marketing and Creative at Rogers Sports & Media: ““The Stanley Cup Playoffs are among the most intense and exciting events in all of sports. Our collaborative approach to this year’s campaign with the NHL and its other broadcast partners reflects a shared commitment to growing the game across North America and telling a unified story on hockey’s biggest stage.”
- TNT: Said Drew Watkins, SVP, Creative Director at TNT Sports: The NHL continues to spearhead exciting ways to connect with fans, while drawing on the shared enthusiasm its broadcasters have for playoff hockey. We were all pursuing a unified approach, while retaining the ability to fine-tune aspects of the creative to meet our respective network’s promotional needs.
Creative Credits:
NHL
Casey Hall, SVP Marketing & Innovation
Dan Palla, Sr. Director Marketing
Charlie Keuchler, Sr. Manager Marketing
ESPN
Jo Fox, SVP Marketing
Brian Iglesias, VP Sports Marketing
Lucas Ferraro, Sr Director Sports Marketing
Jason Ritchkoff, Assoc Director, Sports Marketing
Sierra Edwards, Assoc Manager, Sports Marketing
Emma Mansfield, Coordinator, Sports Marketing
Christopher Mantzaris, Sr Director, Production
Shaun Leska, Assoc Director, Creative Production
Matthew Cheron, Assoc Director, Creative Production
Jonathan Weber, Sr Producer, Creative Production
Albert Herrera, Sr Producer
Thomas O’Hare, Lead Producer Editor
Grayson Sedory, Supervising Post Editor
Matthew Stolbof, Creative Production Assistant
David Cohen, Art Director
SPORTSNET
Adam Bower, VP Marketing & Creative
Julia McDonald, Director Marketing
Irene Bastl, Sr. Manager Marketing
Patrick McCann, Director Promo & Commercial Creative
Hilding Gnanapragasam, Sr. Creative Director
John Mallon, Sr. Promo Producer & Editor
Murray Fleming, Sound Designer
TNT
Drew Watkins, SVP Creative Director
Tyler Lassiter, Senior Creative Director
Brodie Wasserman, Senior Marketing Director
Dylan Harrison, Marketing Manager
Brett Langefels, Senior Editor
Sean McPherson, Compositor & Colorist
Dan Cahill, Sound Designer
A&L
EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR:
Charles Hodges
Molly Jamison
DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY:
Andy Grayson
HEAD OF PRODUCTION/EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
Lisa Setten
CREATIVE DIRECTORS:
Brett Simone
Chris Kim
CREATIVE TEAM:
Jacob Castillo
Sam Case
Brendan Howard
Matt Terrell
PRODUCER:
Rachael Yang
GROUP BUSINESS DIRECTOR:
Alex Scaros
BUSINESS DIRECTOR:
Guy Campbell
BUSINESS MANAGER:
Paige Majdic
STRATEGIST:
Joe Carr
Scott Woodhouse
MUSIC SUPERVISOR:
Casey Wheeler
DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS AFFAIRS:
Lenora Cushing
Kim Burns
BUSINESS AFFAIRS MANAGER:
Jennifer Kmetzsch
FILM PRODUCTION: OPOSITIVE / SOMEPLACE NICE
Director: Kenny Herzog
Executive Producer: Ken Licata Jr.
Executive Producer: Ralph Laucella
Executive Producer: Estelle Weir
Executive Producer: Marc Grill
Line Producer: Kellyann Murphy
Director of Photography: Mat Barkley
Assistant Director: Scott Weatherall
