Canadian-owned OK Tire has struck an exclusive deal as the official auto service and tire retailer of Hockey Canada and Team Canada. The four-year deal is the largest ever sports partnership for the brand, whose 300 locations across the country are independently owned and operated.

Jaclyn Logan, OK Tire’s director of marketing tells MiC the partnership is built on three pillars of a shared vision: community, family and being “proudly Canadian.” The brand began its hockey journey last year as a Canadian sponsor of the World Juniors and have worked intermittently with Rogers Hometown Hockey. “We’ve done other sports sponsorships,” Logan says, “but this is something we’ve approached as a partnership.”

Part of Hockey Canada’s mandate is to support players, coaches and officials across the country. Through grant initiatives and recycling and environmental efforts (with longtime OK Tire partner Bridgestone), the deal will help continue to develop programs to make the sport more accessible and affordable in local communities. “It’s a brand new partnership,” Logan says, “because we want to make a tangible contribution to benefit hockey families in communities in Canada.”

Specific activation details are still being determined.

Each year, Hockey Canada holds seven events in hockey communities like the World-Under 17 Hockey Challenge visiting places like Paradise, Newfoundland where Logan says players and fans may not have that kind of opportunity otherwise.