Ahead of this Sunday’s Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic is an interactive fan festival that is not only bringing in the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s Proline+ as its presenting sponsor, but more than 20 other brands activating outside Tim Hortons Field.
The outdoor game between the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maples Leafs takes place March 13 in Hamilton. The Proline+ NHL PreGame begins at noon and runs until the game’s second intermission.
The NHL said it had a 55% increase in brands sponsoring pregame festivities since the event was last held in 2019. New partners include OLG’s Proline+, Chipotle, Clorox, Fastenal, Oymel and SkipTheDishes.
Many of the activations include carnival-style games and prize opportunities. Proline+ will challenge fans to put their NHL knowledge on the line with a trivia game, while Clorox’s “Beat the Sneeze” activation will dare attendees to show off their fastest slapshot and beat the speed of a sneeze. Chipotle, Nestle, Oikos, Olymel, Ticketmaster, Sobey’s, and SkipThe Dishes will also run games designed to test fans’ puck shooting strength, range or accuracy.
Returning sponsor Esso will allow fans to have their picture taken and superimposed on the ice at Tim Hortons Field, while Scotiabank will offer exclusive autograph sessions and photo opportunities with the gold medalists members of the Canadian National Women’s Hockey Team in celebration of Gender Equality Month. At the Rogers Moments Tent, fans will have the chance to win an NHL art piece by artist David Arrigo, meet Maple Leaf alumni, and spin a huge slot machine. Canadian Tire is celebrating the company’s 100th anniversary by giving away 100 branded sunglasses or black eye stickers on-site.
Tim Hortons, which has been the title sponsor of five of the six NHL Heritage Classics will operate a coffee truck where fans can receive a personalized Tim Horton’s Upper Deck hockey card. Honda, Fanatics, Kruger, Milwaukee Tool (Fastenal), Molson, Upper Deck and NHL Fan Access App presented by Ticketmaster are also sponsors of the pregame.
The game itself will be broadcast at 4 p.m. EST on TNT, Sportsnet and TVA Sports on Sunday, March 13.
